Democracy For All – Strategies for A More Inclusive Future

In 1948, the United Nations declared (1948, art. 21) democratic participation to be a fundamental right worldwide. However, data from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2023 show that only 24 countries, out of 167 scrutinised, can be considered as full democracies, where citizens can fully participate in deliberative and participatory processes. The rest are classified as flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, or authoritarian regimes, where democratic participation is limited. Even in full democracies, millions of people with communication difficulties are excluded from taking part in democratic processes due to language barriers. Among others, people with intellectual disabilities, senior citizens and migrants may be unable to fully engage in participatory processes where topics are publicly discussed, if they struggle to read, write or comprehend the complex language used in such processes—not to mention deliberative processes where the decisions are made.