provision of the assisted voter programme enhanced the ability for PWDs to be able to exercise their vote in the 2018 elections. More than 55,000 voters were assisted on Election Day. There were, however, some concerns conveyed to the Group about the procedure for assisted voting, with some criticisms and concerns suggesting that this system was being used to intimidate voters.7 Not all of the accessibility challenges that faced PWDs were addressed as part of the 2018 Harmonised Elections. In September 2017, Senator Nayamaybo Mashavakure, who served as the representative for PWDs, appealed to the ZEC to employ sign language, and braille voter education and polling materials. However, in May 2018, the High Court dismissed an application seeking to compel the ZEC to make these provisions available and to print braille ballot papers for visually impaired voters, on the basis that the ZEC had already made provision for this through the use of ‘assisted voting’. Beyond the civic exercise of voting, political participation by PWDs remains limited and none of the political parties has a comprehensive programme to include PWDs, either as candidates or voters. Notably, of the 23 presidential candidates, one candidate, Elton Mangoma of the Coalition of Democrats, was disabled. Recommendations  The positive legal provisions for the participation of PWDs in Zimbabwe should be followed by adequate resources and effective enforcement. PWDs should be directly and actively involved in any plans and programmes related to their active participation.  It is not enough to support persons with disabilities to cast their vote on Election Day. Deliberate efforts should be made to facilitate their participation as candidates for elective office, as well as participate as polling officials, local observers, party agents, media monitors and so forth.  Government and political parties should make their structures more inclusive for PWDs. Particular attention should be paid to women with disabilities, who suffer multiple discrimination.  As Zimbabwe’s democracy and its economy evolve, for future elections, the Commonwealth Observer Group encourages Zimbabwe to develop effective electoral information, education and communication materials tailored for PWDs, using various formats including braille, closed caption and audio. The country could learn from other electoral jurisdictions. For example, South Africa prints larger ballot paper templates for its visually impaired voters.  The Group urges the ZEC to invest in comprehensive training for its officials on disability and inclusion. 7 Assisted Voting is also covered in Chapter 6, in the assessment of Election Day. 31