Inclusive Elections Roundtable for Persons with Disabilities
Event status: This is a planned, upcoming programme organized by Citizens Liberation Advocacy Initiative (CLAI). Participation is free. Final venue and access details must be confirmed on this event page before attendance.
About the roundtable
Democratic participation is stronger when citizens can obtain information, enter civic spaces, communicate, and contribute on an equal basis. Citizens Liberation Advocacy Initiative (CLAI) plans to convene an Inclusive Elections Roundtable for Persons with Disabilities to listen, learn, and improve the accessibility of voter education and public-engagement activities. The roundtable will centre the knowledge and lived experience of persons with disabilities rather than treating disability as an afterthought.
Participants will be invited to identify barriers that may arise before, during, and after civic programmes. These may include inaccessible venues, unclear directions, communication formats that exclude some users, limited time to request support, assumptions about a person’s abilities, or online tools that do not work well with assistive technology. The discussion will focus on practical improvements that organisations and community facilitators can plan, communicate, and review.
What participants can expect
The roundtable is expected to use small-group conversations, an accessibility-mapping exercise, and a moderated plenary. One activity will examine a sample voter-education programme from the point of registration through attendance and follow-up. Participants will note where information, physical access, communication support, seating, timing, or privacy could be improved. Another activity will consider how facilitators can speak directly to persons with disabilities, respect autonomy, and include support persons without taking over the conversation.
CLAI will use the session to inform its own programme planning. Feedback may be summarised into practical internal recommendations, but no individual comment will be attributed publicly without clear consent. Participants will not be asked to provide medical records, diagnoses, voter-card details, or other unnecessary sensitive information. Any optional request for accommodation should describe the support needed rather than requiring private clinical details.
Persons with disabilities are the primary participants, and disability-led organisations, accessibility practitioners, community educators, and support persons may also register where space permits. The event is nonpartisan and will not promote candidates or parties. Participation does not create a guarantee that every recommendation can be implemented immediately; CLAI will distinguish confirmed arrangements from longer-term goals.
Speakers and facilitators will be asked to use clear language, describe visual material aloud, and allow sufficient time for different communication needs.
Participation and access
Attendance is intended to be free. Before confirming the venue, CLAI will check step-free entry, circulation space, seating, and accessible facilities, then publish the verified features. Communication support, including Nigerian Sign Language interpretation or accessible digital materials, will be confirmed according to registered needs and available arrangements. Online access details and final logistics will be shared with confirmed participants through official channels.