This article by Carlo Pisani and Renat Kuenzi is published by SwissInfo.ch. Here is an excerpt:

With its vote to grant people with severe mental or physical disabilities full political rights, canton Geneva became the latest democracy pioneer in Switzerland.

Rolf Graber, a historian from Zurich and expert on democratisation, says that the fight for universal suffrage was instrumental in the Swiss democratic process. He believes exclusion motivated these groups to band together and stand up for their rights.

Canton Geneva has led the way on at least three occasions: in abolishing the exclusion of the poor, introducing cantonal voting rights for women, and granting foreigners political rights.

Find the full article here.