Ramp-enabled vehicles for disabled voters on poll day

HYDERABAD: In a first, election authorities in Hyderabad are deploying vehicles equipped with ramps to pick and drop differently abled voters and pregnant women on the day of polling on December 7. The authorities are planning to use one vehicle each for 1,019 polling locations.

"We want to extend service to senior citizens as well. I urge people to download Android-based GHMC VAADA app and avail the service," said Hari Chandana Dasari, GHMC zonal commissioner, Serilingampally. The app helps voters get accessibility to polling stations.

In line with ECI's 'Accessible elections' theme, the app was introduced particularly to benefit persons with disabilities (PWD) voters. The app has a text, voice and GIS interface, specially designed keeping in mind the challenges of differently abled voters. "Once we get a request, we will map the polling locations, keep the list of differently abled voters and keep vehicles ready on polling day," said Dasari, who is looking after systematic voters' education and electoral participation (SVEEP) activities in Hyderabad.

GHMC officials said they would also appoint service staffers who will ensure PWD voters and pregnant women do not have to wait for their turn at polling station. "Even those differently abled voters who did not raise a request using the app can avail themselves of transportation and assistance by a staffer. Downloading the app and raising a request, however, will give us ample time to prepare," said a GHMC official.

Nearly 18,000 are identified as PWD voters in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, NGOs working for differently abled have welcomed the GHMC's gesture. "The district election authorities have accepted our pleas like meeting basic needs of differently abled to cast their vote," said Venkata Narsimha Reddy, working president of Friendly Environment for the Disabled.