Election Commission’s attempts to provide inclusive voting platform

Bengaluru: The office of the Chief Electoral Officer has been approached by more than 3.5lac persons with disability voicing their needs during the Assembly elections.

To provide an inclusive voting platform for the vulnerable groups, the commission is reaching out to the physically challenged and senior citizens, to understand the facilities they would require at polling booths. The facilities to be provided include wheelchairs, separate queues at polling booths and drinking water.

Karnataka had 13.2 lakh persons with disability, of whom around 9 lakh had voting rights, states the 2011 Census. But activists feel that these numbers have likely gone up since.

A Braille sheet with the list of candidates, party names and serial numbers would be made available at every booth, say sources.

Babu S., assistant director (Policy and Advocacy), Association of People with Disability have been conducting surveys in north Karnataka and a number of persons with disabilities are registered as voters. He expressed happiness with the increased interest in making voting accessible to persons with disabilities and insisted that the basic infrastructure, including ramps, railings and wheelchairs, was a must.

The commission has already announced 450 all-woman polling booths in the State. There are also plans to have one booth manned by persons with disabilities per district, inform sources. Providing transport facility for those with severe debilities, the bedridden, and senior citizens unable to come to polling booths are being discussed.