1. THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE ELECTED.
- Do visually impaired (hereafter VI) people suffer any restrictions to their rights to vote and/or to be elected? If yes, give details.
There are no restrictions. - During election campaigns what measures are taken to ensure that VI people are ensured full autonomy concerning the availability of information distributed by candidates, access to pre-electoral meetings, access to different campaign media?
Except the usual measures concerning media accessibility, political party programmes are printed in Braille. Besides that, direct contacts between politicians and people with visual impairments are taking place in their respective associations. - Are special measures put in place to ensure that polling stations are accessible to VI people?
Accessibility is ensured through personal assistance at the polling station. - Within polling stations, what measures are taken to ensure that VI people can exercise their rights in an autonomous and confidential manner?
There is a special adaptation of ballots printed in Braille and special patterns that allow people with visual impairments to choose their candidate in an autonomous and confidential manner. - In the case of proportional elections (by lists of candidates), what measures are taken to ensure that VI people can exercise their rights in an autonomous and confidential manner?
See answer to 1.4. - Are their measures in place to assist VI people in the polling booths and when casting their vote in the urns?
There is a possibility of personal assistance - Are voting machines in place in your country? If yes, please detail how these are made accessible to VI people.
There are no such machines.
2. PARTICIPATION IN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS CONCERNED WITH THE PUBLIC AND POLITICAL LIFE OF THE COUNTRY, AND IN THE ACTIVITIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES.
- Can VI people in your country participate in an unrestricted manner in political parties, unions, public and political organisations and associations?
Yes - Are their VI people in who have been elected to political, trade-union or associative office in your country?
There are none at this moment in time. - Do VI people in your country have unrestricted access to administrative office, including at top-level?
In principle they have the right as any other citizen but it is hard to exercise this right due to inaccessibility in some cases.
3. FORMING AND JOINING ORGANISATIONS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
- Please give an overview of the number/type of associations or organisations representing VI people in your country.
In addition to the Croatian Association of the Blind as an umbrella association that gathers 27 local core member associations, there are also several program associations that represent the interests of people with visual impairments. For example: Croatian Guide Dog and Mobility Association, Association for the Advancement of Education of Persons With Visual Impairments, Huprt - Croatian Association for Promotion and Development of Typhlotechnical Aids, Foundation for Education of the Blind “Marko Brkić”, etc. -
What is the role played by these associations in representing VI people?
The Croatian Association of the Blind is a reference organization of needs, views and other interests of persons with visual impairments in presenting it towards national government institutions.
Other associations are implementing projects within their programmes of action.
- How are VI people included in associations representing them?
People with visual impairments are members of these associations and actors in defining and presenting i.e. implementing of all programme activities. Blind persons play a dominant part in management structures of these associations.