Organisation calls for respect and dignity for voters with disabilities

Mental health care organisation Cape Mental Health is calling on election officials and voters to treat people with psychosocial disabilities with respect and dignity at voting stations.

The Observatory-based organisation said in preparation for the elections, it has organised voter education training across its different programmes to encourage discussion of the election process and demonstrate how to vote.

The organisation said it is concerned that people with mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities and psychosocial disabilities are especially vulnerable of being excluded from political processes.

Barbara Meyer, Cape Mental Health spokesperson, says this concern stems from an outdated law that still narrowly defines people with a mental health diagnosis and their right to vote in the national elections.

Sections 8(2)(c) and 8(2)(d) of the Electoral Act of 1998 states that the chief electoral officer may not register the person as a voter if that person: has been declared by the High Court to be of unsound mind or mentally disordered; is detained under the Mental Health Care Act, 1973 (Act No. 18 of 1973).

Meyer says many people with a mental disability are still eligible to vote.

Meyer adds that the Mental Health Care Act of 1973 is outdated and has been repealed and replaced by the new Mental Health Care Act, No 17 of 2002, which aims to transform mental health services by emphasising patient rights and promoting integration and accessibility. She says many service users who attend Cape Mental Health’s psychosocial rehabilitation programme are registered and look forward to casting their vote tomorrow.

Meyer explains that only a handful of trainees attending the organisation’s Training Workshops Unlimited skills training programme for people with intellectual disability are registered to vote.

Meyer appeals to the IEC voting officials to support persons with intellectual disability, many of whom she says struggle to read and write. “A service user with intellectual disability recalls his experience on a previous election day that still traumatises him. He was excited and motivated to vote, and his mother accompanied him to the voting station to help him to cast his vote.

“She explained to the officials that he had an intellectual disability and could not read and write and needed help to read the ballot papers, but the official shouted at her that only one person was allowed to enter the voting booth.

“The officials also mocked him for being unable to read and write. He felt so hurt and embarrassed that he left without voting and decided to never vote again.”

Dr Ingrid Daniels, Cape Mental Health CEO, says blanket disqualifications and exclusion from voting for those with a lived experience of a mental health condition conflicts with the Constitution of South Africa and “have no place in our new democracy”.

Gail Davids, director of Western Cape Forum of Intellectual Disabilities, adds that changes in Laws and increased IEC awareness programmes, specifically aimed at people with intellectual disability and psychosocial disabilities, are needed. She says people with intellectual disability and psychosocial disabilities should be included in special voting.

Sonia Peters, senior instructor of Cape Mental Health’s Athlone Training Workshops Unlimited, says in the past Cape Mental Health reached out to the IEC to arrange for additional training sessions and requested special voting stations for their users, but they have not received a response to date.