Promoting inclusive and accessible European Parliament elections in Lithuania

Political rights refer to an individual's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the society and state and is tied closely to citizenship status. Such rights include not only the right to vote in an election, but also the rights to join a political party; run for office; and participate freely in political rallies, events, or protests. Persons with disabilities have equal rights, including political rights. UN Convention of the rights of persons with disabilities, which is ratified by both Lithuania and European Union as regional organisati0on, establish the right of political participation and how it should be ensured and realised for persons with disabilities. There are 100 mln of persons with disabilities living in EU, and around 220 thousand of them living in Lithuania. Persons with disabilities face various kinds of barriers and/or limitations in exercising their political rights. This includes physical barriers to access polling stations, informational limitations, administrative and legal restrictions to vote, etc. Since 2016 Lithuanian disability forum has been advocating for elections in Lithuania to be accessible and inclusive. Together with european disability community LNF is promoting that all persons with disabilities have the right to vote and the right to stand as candidates for elections, including in European elections. Within the event also European disability forum representative will be invited to speak about EDF initiatives on inclusive and accessible elections, including presenting the Manifesto on the European Elections 2024: "Building an inclusive future for persons with disabilities in the EU". Discussion will be organised in Lithuanian audiosensory library in Vilnius. After renovation this library is one of the best examples of the most accessible public spaces for persons with disabilities.