Differently Abled Electors: Provide Registration Facility On Website For Poll Day Help

Differently abled Electors: Provide Registration Facility on website for Poll Day Help

Ramps, Companion, No queues, ‘May I help you’ volunteers are must apart from wheel chairs for Senior Citizens and differently abled persons.
Facility of Braille signage to be available with EVMs
Implement five points finalized by the Supreme Court of India in Disabled Rights Group Vs. The Chief Election Commissioner & Anr, which has been also ordered by the ECI to all the CEOs of India.

In order to ensure that the differently-abled electors are at par with all electors in respect of voting on 10th April, 2014 at Chandigarh there should be fully fledged effort that their impairment should not hold them back. As such your esteemed office should make a facility of online registration so that they can come out and exercise their vote in Lok Sabha Election schedules on April 10, 2014.
This will also ensure more inclusive voting experience. The CEO (Delhi) has already made provision on its website for registration of differently abled voters in the Capital. The aim is to ensure seamless travel for differently abled persons from the gate to voting booth. The CEO of Delhi has already said that the officials of polling premises will be responsible to ensure that comprehensive arrangements are in place.
The matter is not restricted to the facility of wheel chair but also of ‘May I help you’ volunteers’ who will provide all help not only to differently able persons but senior citizens as well. This will also ensure that their vote is not rigged.
The office of CEO is also requested to take care of the visually impaired person and hearing impaired persons because both are having different needs. A nodal officer be appointed to facilitate such things.
Further the polling personnel should be made aware about Rule 49N of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 that a companion could accompany blind/infirm elector to assist him to cast vote if he or she wishes. The ECI has recently state that polling personnel should be sensitized abour the special needs of the differently ables electors and should be extending courteous behavior.
It has also been learnt that the ECI has already sent instruction to all the CEO of the country regarding the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in WP (Civil) No. 187 of 2004 – Disabled Rights Group Vs. The Chief Election Commissioner & Anr. and the five points finalized by Apex Court has been forwarded to all the CEO for compliance which are as under
Specific instructions should be issued on the following aspects:
• The personnel at the polling station to ensure that physically challenged electors
are given priority for entering the polling station, without having to wait in the
queue for other electors and all necessary assistance as may be required should be
provided to them at the polling station.
• Full facility should be provided for such electors to take their wheel- chair inside
the polling station. In the polling stations where permanent ramps have not been
provided, temporary ramps should be provided as per the order dated 19th April,
2004, of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. in the above-mentioned petition (copy
enclosed).
• The polling personnel should be specifically briefed about the provisions of Rule
49N of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which provides for permitting a
companion to accompany a blind/infirm elector to assist him/her to cast the vote.
• At the training classes for the polling personnel, they should be sensitized about
the special needs of the disabled, for courteous behavior towards them and for
providing necessary support to them at the polling station.
• Electors with speech and hearing impairment should also be given special care as
in the case of other disabled persons.

The ECI has already issued letters vide No.509/110/2004-JS-I Dated: 26 October, 2007 and further letter dated 13 March, 2014 and ordered that the Chief Electoral Officers shall issue instructions to the District Election Officers to give wide publicity to the availability of abovementioned facilities for persons with disability to exercise their franchise, as directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Apart from the facilities for the physically challenged electors as enumerated above, the publicity should also cover the facility of Braille signage being available on the EVMs. The publicity should be given through print media as well as through radio/television.

I hope and request that your office should provide facilities to differently abled electors as conveyed by Election Commission of India and you will also give wide publicity (which is missing) of such facilities to have inclusive and enhanced percentage of voting.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely

AJAY JAGGA,

231, Sector 21-A
Chandigarh
apjagga@yahoo.com