Host of special facilities at polling stations

PANAJI: From manual magnifiers to wheelchairs and transportation facilities, this election, a host of special facilities will be made available at all polling stations to enable persons with disabilites, including hearing impaired, locomotor and other disabilities as well as senior citizens cast their vote.

A total of 7,474 persons with disabilities - 4,211 in North Goa and 3,263 in South Goa - are on the rolls.

Nodal officer for persons with disabilities Taha Haaziq said voters with severe disabilities, wheelchair users, senior citizens and pregnant ladies who are unable to reach the polling station on their own will be provided free transportation to and from their respective polling stations.

At each of the 1,652 polling booths, facilities such as manual magnifiers and two braille dummy ballot papers will be available for persons with low vision. A total of 665 visually impaired voters are also being provided with Braille Epic cards.

Wheelchairs, along with volunteers to provide assistance, will be available for senior citizens and those with locomotor disabilities, chief electoral officer Kunal said. These voters will also be given preference and will not have to stand in queues.

Haaziq said the staff at polling stations have also been trained to have the right attitude and behavior with those with persons with disabilities.

Voters in places where ramps are placed at a higher gradient than the 1:12 norms and are without hand rails, volunteers will assist them, he added.

Visually impaired voters and those with other physical infirmities can bring their companions to assit them till the voting compartment, provided the companion is above 18 years. provided the companion is above 18 years and is not permitted to act as a companion of more than one elector at any polling station.

Two polling booths, one in North and South Goa, will be managed entirely by persons with disabilities.