No separate data kept by state

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 10

While the Election Commission of Delhi introduced a non-visual desktop access (NVDA) on its website around a year ago for persons with disabilities (PWD), the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the EC, Punjab, are yet to provide the facility to blind voters.

Surprisingly, the state does not maintain a separate data for visually impaired voters and those suffering from various physically and mental ailments.

Even though the ECI, while announcing the Assembly election dates in five states, said that utmost care would be taken of PWDs, it is yet to make its website user-friendly for them.

Though other arrangements like pick and drop facility from home to booth and the introduction of Braille voting papers were introduced during the last elections, the visually impaired voters felt like ignored as they are unable to locate their booth, apply online for vote or to get any online service provided by the ECI.

“Even though the ECI has assured us that special voters will be given pick and drop facilities by the district administration, no such arrangement has been announced by the administration till date,” said Amarjit Singh Anand, state coordinator for the PWD elections.

A demand has come from various organisations from across the state for the introduction of the NVDA facility by the EC, Punjab. The NVAD is a software which reads text on screen in a computerised voice. Also, it converts the text into Braille if the computer user owns a device called “Braille display”.

Cibin. C, Additional CEO, Elections, said though they wanted to introduce the NVAD software, theycould not do so due to the non-availability of a technical expertise in the state.

Statistics of PWD during 2011 Assembly elections

Visually impaired: 82,199

Hearing loss: 1.46 lakh

Speech: 2.45 lakh

Movement:1.30 lakh

MR: 45, 070

Mentally ill: 21, 925

Others: 1.65 lakh

Multiple desks: 39,000

Facilities assured by ECIto PWDs during elections

Wheel chairs/volunteers

Ramp and Braille EVMs

Exclusive booths

IM cable

Pick-and-drop service

Accommodation service

Polling info available in large fonts for people with low vision

Adequate signage throughout the area to guide a person through the entire process

Audio communication at the polling booth

ECI launches helpline1950 for voters

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has also launched 1950 helpline for voters where they can get their queries answered and can also apply online for various voter-related services. The telephone number was given this unique number as 1950 is the year the election panel was born.

PWDs voting duringPunjab elections

1st elections: 67 lakh

2012: 80 per cent

2017: 85 per cent expected.