Breaking the barriers: Make electoral process accessible for PwD, say experts

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 27, 2024

Urging all disabled voters to exercise their democratic rights to vote, experts on Wednesday highlighted the urgent need for large-scale awareness and for all stakeholders to come together to ensure “democracy becomes more inclusive and enabling.” Shishu Sarothi, along with the country’s leading disability rights non-profit, the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a 28-year-old organization working for the rights and empowerment of disabled people, organized a stakeholders’ consultation in Guwahati on Wednesday. 

Among others, it highlighted the imperative for political parties to understand and consider the needs of people with disabilities while emphasizing the importance of individuals with disabilities being cognizant of their rights and potential as voters.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the NCPEDP spearheads a series of regional consultations titled ‘Disabled People in Politics’ across India. The objective of these consultations is to elucidate the key demands outlined in their recently launched Disability Manifesto to spread awareness regarding the voting rights of approximately 10 million disabled voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and initiate a broader dialogue on integrating individuals with disabilities into mainstream development efforts.

NCPEDP executive director Arman Ali said: “It is imperative to ensure that the facilities and provisions by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for persons with disabilities in the upcoming elections are adhered to so that they can seamlessly cast their votes.” 

Ali also expressed satisfaction with the extension of the postal ballot facility, initially introduced in Bihar, which, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will enable 82 lakh elderly voters aged 85 and above, as well as 88.4 lakh disabled voters, to cast their votes from home. 

Ali emphasized, “Every disabled voter should exercise their right to vote and ensure their voices are heard.”

The consultation also addressed the issue of inaccessibility of polling booths. 

“Disabled voters must conduct audits of the polling booths when casting their votes. Recognizing these challenges is half the battle won,” a representative from Shishu Sarothi said.

Assam commissioner for PwD Sushma Hazarika spoke of the government initiatives to ensure accessibility in the participation of persons with disabilities in the upcoming elections. 

She stressed the need for comprehensive measures to address the diverse needs of this demographic.

In his address, joint secretary of the Election Commission (EC), Pankaj Chakraborty highlighted the proactive steps taken by the commission and stakeholders to enhance accessibility in this election cycle. 

He discussed the Saksham app’s role in facilitating seamless voting experiences for PWDs and ensuring that polling stations offer necessary facilities.

Moreover, participants voiced additional concerns, such as queue management, inaccessibility of EVM machines (based on the height of the tabletop), and the crucial role of booth-level officers in promptly addressing these issues. Transportation challenges were also raised, underlining the need for improved accessibility at the polling stations. 

Additionally, demands for enhancing voter education and awareness programs tailored to persons with disabilities were articulated, including sign language interpretation, to empower them with necessary information and resources for active participation in the electoral process.

The consultation primarily focused on pressing issues within the disability sector, while emphasizing the active involvement of individuals with disabilities in governmental and political decision-making processes and further spreading awareness.

NCPEDP has previously conducted state consultations during assembly elections in five poll-bound states in November 2023, namely Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram. 

The objective was to integrate disability issues into the agenda of the political parties in the assembly elections. 

Notably, some demands were incorporated into the manifestos of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh and the BJP in Chhattisgarh.

“Inspired by the positive outcomes of the state consultations, we have released a first-of-its-kind manifesto – the Manifesto for and by Citizens with Disabilities – for political parties. This marks a small yet significant step towards recognizing the needs of disabled individuals within the mainstream discourse,” Ali added.