Facilities in place for 8K physically challenged voters

Nagpur: With a view to help disabled voters exercise their franchisee conveniently, necessary facilities and arrangements have been made at every polling booth in the city. According to district electoral officer Ashwin Mudgal, 8,411 physically challenged have been enrolled in the district and provided a helpline number.
As per the directives of Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court (SC), every polling booth in the district has been provided all the facilities for disabled and physically challenged voters, said officials from collectorate. If a voter is suffering from blindness or a physical disorder and is unable to identify the mark on electronic voting machines, a normal person can act a guide with the permission of the voting authority, they said.

The voters were registered through a website and a mobile phone application provided by the Election Commission. Moreover, legislative assembly wise registration of the handicapped was conducted in the district. About 438 wheelchairs are available for such voters,” they said.

The handicapped would be granted priority to vote first so that they don’t have to stand in the queue. Visually-impaired voters will be provided with a voting slip in Braille and dummy ballot paper. Those with low vision will be given magnifying glass and other equipment. A person will be allowed as a guide for the visually-impaired people with the permission of the authority, the officials said.

Signboards would be pasted to guide the handicapped voters to the polling booths. A team of teachers from special schools, an inspector and an observer will be appointed to assist such voters. A government transport facility will also be arranged.

Physically challenged voters in dist

Visually impaired | 1,070

Mute & dumb | 953

Bone deformity | 4,855

Handicapped | 1,533

Total | 8,411