Slovakia

1. THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE ELECTED.

  1. Do visually impaired (hereafter VI) people suffer any restrictions to their rights to vote and/or to be elected? If yes, give details.
    No
  2. 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?
    No, they are using standard media like radio, internet and TV.
  3. Are special measures put in place to ensure that polling stations are accessible to VI people?
    An impaired person not able to go to the polling station may ask for the ballot box to to brought to him/her. In an ordinary polling station, he/she may be accompanied by an assistant, according to his/her own choice and responsibility, to help to pick up the ballot and to check the proper checkboxes. The assistance must not be provided by a member of polling committee
  4. Within polling stations, what measures are taken to ensure that VI people can exercise their rights in an autonomous and confidential manner?
    No, except possibility to use assistance of sighted person according to his/her own choice.
  5. 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?
    No, except possibility to use assistance of sighted person according to his/her own choice and publication in Braille and audio lists of candidates for the Slovak parliament and European parliament.
  6. Are their measures in place to assist VI people in the polling booths and when casting their vote in the urns?
    No, except of assistance of sighted person.
  7. Are voting machines in place in your country? If yes, please detail how these are made accessible to VI people.
    No

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.

  1. Can VI people in your country participate in an unrestricted manner in political parties, unions, public and political organisations and associations?
    Yes, no legislative limitations.
  2. Are their VI people in who have been elected to political, trade-union or associative office in your country?
    As far as we know, not yet, but no restriction exists.
  3. Do VI people in your country have unrestricted access to administrative office, including at top-level?
    Yes, no restrictions, but as far as we know, there are no VI people in such positions.

3. FORMING AND JOINING ORGANISATIONS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

  1. Please give an overview of the number/type of associations or organisations representing VI people in your country.
    The largest organisation of VI people is the Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union in the Slovak language UNSS – Unia nevidiacich a slabozrakych Slovenska. There also exist one very small organisation of VI youth and one organisation of parents of deaf-blind children.
  2. What is the role played by these associations in representing VI people?
    UNSS cooperates with other organisations of disabled people, it is a member of their umbrella organisation – Slovak Disability Coujncil (NROZP – Narodna rada obcanov so zdravotnym postihnutim), it is represented in the government committee for disabled people. It provides comments during law preparation, consults VI people concerning their rights and implementation of laws, provides special services including social rehabilitation, organizes social, cultural, and sport activities etc.
  3. How are VI people included in associations representing them?
    As members and/or employees, they have majority in all decision making bodies.

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