Perceptions of Stakeholders on the Involvement of People with Disabilities in Policy making towards Voting Education in Bauchi State

Abstract

This study investigated the perception of stakeholders on the involvement of people with disabilities in policy making towards voting education in Bauchi State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study, and the target population comprised all stakeholders concerned with making policy for people with disabilities in Bauchi State. Two hundred (200) respondents were sampled for the study using stratified and systematic sampling techniques. Questionnaire was used to collect all necessary data with a reliability co-efficient of 0.79. The data collected were analyzed using mean rating, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that, there was a significant difference in the perception of stakeholders on the involvement of people with disabilities in policy making toward voting education based on educational
qualification. However, the study pointed out that, there was no significant difference in the perception of stakeholders on the involvement of people with disabilities in policy making toward voting education based on gender. Based on these findings, the study recommended that proportionate elective positions should be reserved for people with disabilities in all political parties to ensure effective voting exercise. People with disabilities should be educated on the need to always make themselves available in every policy making process so that they will not be shelved and relegated as non-useful members of the society. There should be laws that will mandate every political party to carry disabled along in policy making process since their votes are valid during elections. Also, the study recommended that, every discrimination against people with disabilities should be eradicated in our society.