April 17, 2019
The Election Commission of India (ECI)‘s PwD App aims to
make the voting process hassle free and accessible for people with
disabilities. It allows voters to register themselves and has useful
information regarding application status, polling booth location and lots
more.
Now there’s a welcome addition for people with visual impairments. The app
lets them know about the candidates. The update was announced on Twitter by
Dr Kushal Pathak, Director IT, ECI . He tweeted, ”Now
see the contesting candidates list sorted as in ballot paper. I hope it will
help visually impaired citizens to hear the list of candidates before they
enter the polling station and cast their vote accordingly.”
What this means is that voters can listen to the list of candidates from
their constituency before they enter the polling booth and make a choice. The
names of the candidates will be listed as as per the Ballot Paper sequence,
making the task of choosing easier.
Praising the move, disability rights leader Dr Satendra
Singh, who is also a member of the State Steering Committee
on Accessible Elections, Delhi said on social media, “Kudos ECI
& @kushalpathak to help visually impaired to hear the list of candidate
before they enter the polling station & cast their vote accordingly.”
The feature has been added to the Voter Helpline as well as the PwD App. Many
people have appreciated the feature. For now, the app is available on Android
phones, which is a drawback that needs to be fixed, say disability rights
activists.
It would have been better if the complete app was also compatible with iOS
phones making it useable for more people. The ECI and government need to
change their perspective about people with disabilities. Change in
terminology and being called ‘divyangs’ is not what we need. We need to
be treated with equality without the barriers of infrastructure and
societal mindset. – Pranay Gadodia, Eyeway
The move has been broadly welcomed by the community. Ahmedabad-based law
student Maitreya Shah says this will enable visually
impaired voters to make a more informed choice. “Knowing about the candidates
beforehand is definitely an added advantage for voters with visual
impairments. This feature along with the braille ballots will make elections
accessible for visually impaired voters.”.
Sadaf Khan, Member, Blind Graduates Forum of
India, sees this as empowering. “Many a times, in the earlier
elections visually impaired voters had to rely on their escorts to make a
decision about voting. The app will definitely provide us with the much
needed freedom to make a selection while voting. The voting process will also
become faster and more convenient for us.”
With the next phase of voting coming up tomorrow, this feature of the app
will get tested by many in the visually impaired community. The goal is to
get the word out to as many people as possible.
ALSO READ: Voter Helpline in ISL aims to enable India’s deaf community to
make an informed choice in this election
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21996
