April 21, 2019
Kozhikode, one of Kerala’s biggest cities, is gearing up to vote on 23 April
and the under the guidance and leadership of Collector Sambasiva
Rao, many new facilities are being introduced for disabled voters.
In previous elections, family members or caregivers of people with
disabilities, especially from economically backward families, had to hire
vehicles to get to the polling booths. Once they arrived there, accessibility
was often an issue. This time district officials are providing free
transport facilities so they can get to the voting booth
independently.
Prajith Jaipal, a wheelchair user from Kozhikode and founder
of the NGO Divyang Foundation Trust, has been working with
district officials to make this election as accessible as possible. A mock
session was also recently.
We have given suggestions to officials on how to make elections disabled-
friendly. This time, officials are confident on making elections smooth and
easy for people with all kinds of disabilities. One of the main things that
we highlighted was the need for wheelchair friendly bathrooms at polling
booths. Most of the booths are at schools where the ramps are not even
built according to the criterion, which is ratio of 12:1. Now, officials
will have to look into re-working on it so that wheelchair users can access
it. This is the first time that disabled people are getting priorities for
elections. It is a great step towards inclusion. – Prajith Jaipal,
Founder, Divyang Foundation Trust
The Collectorate has come up with a series of videos to
highlight the importance of voting. At the booths, sign language interpreters
will also be made available.
With the help of Anganwadi workers, district officials conducted a
door-to-door survey of disabled people above 18 years of age. Over
33,314 disabled voters were identified in Kozhikode and
officials are working towards providing facilities for them. Rao has also
requested people to come forward and contribute towards buying wheelchairs so
that more disabled people, who are stuck inside the homes, can come out and
cast their votes.
“This is the first time that the government is doing so much to ensure
inclusion in elections. Last year, in-built ramps were there. But I still
needed help of someone to lift it up and cast vote. This year, officials are
visiting polling booths and checking if all the facilities are introduced”,
says Rajalesh P, a wheelchair user.
This year, the government is ensuring an inclusive election. With all the
facilities provided, it is the duty of every Indian citizen above 18 years of
age to cast their votes in the upcoming elections.
ALSO READ: Election Commission’s PwD App has a welcome update for visually
impaired voters
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/22021
