NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF KOREA Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – July 2022 Article 29 Participation in Political and Public Life 30 Guarantee of the right to vote and to be elected of persons with disabilities □ Current status and problems ㅇ Although disability-specific convenience is provided throughout the entire election process, people with disabilities are still experiencing discrimination, and complaints of violation of the right to vote of persons with disabilities continue to be filed. ㅇ As for persons with hearing disabilities, provisions on sign language or subtitles during election broadcasting or speech are dispositive and ineffective, and the talks and debates covered by imperative provisions, one sign language interpreter interpreted remarks of several candidates at the same time, making it difficult to distinguish between speakers. ㅇ As for persons with visual disabilities, the number of pages of campaign bulletins in braille should be three times that of campaign bulletins in a printed letter to provide equal provision, but it was expanded to two times, and this can be replaced by bulletins that have Barcode for Printed Material Accessibility or text or voice bulletins in digital file storage. However, there is no unified format, making it difficult to check the campaign bulletins in different formats. In addition, some of election bulletins posted on the website of the National Election Commission and some political parties provide image files only, making it difficult for persons with visual disabilities to check information. ㅇ Persons with developmental disabilities requested easy-to-understand campaign bulletins and ballots pictures, which were not provided because there is no ground under the Public Official Election Act. In addition, the provision for on accompanying voting assistant is vague and it can be checked and decided by an election officer on the spot, causing conflict. ㅇ The Management Rules on Public Official Election stipulates that polling stations should be installed on the first floor or in places with convenient facilities such as 49