Sunday, 07 April 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With polling for the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, the community of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) has called for political parties to prioritise quality education and ensure easy accessibility in society. According to the official data, there are about 79,965 PwD voters in the State. Out of these, 49,792 are male PwD voters, 30,170 are female PwD voters and three are transgender voters who are expected to take part in the Lok Sabha polls. Apart from this, a section of PwDs has expressed concerns about potential exclusion from physically voting at polling booths due to the vote-from-home initiative of the Election Commission.
Dwelling on the issues, a PwD voter Gulshan Kumar expressed his appreciation for the government’s awareness of the issues faced by the physically disabled individuals. However, he further said that there are also some shortcomings in the government’s efforts. He emphasised that whoever emerges as the winner in the parliamentary election should prioritise the improvement of public transport accessibility to enable people with disabilities, such as himself, to travel easily. Additionally, he expressed concern about the vote-from-home option for persons with disabilities, which he believes is contributing to their exclusion from mainstream society and indirectly pushing them towards isolation.
Visually impaired voter and former principal of the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Kamal Bir Singh Jaggi stated his appreciation for the Election Commission’s initiative vote-from-home. He highlighted the significance of this initiative for individuals with disabilities who may face challenges in physically accessing polling stations. He emphasised that whoever wins the election should continue to address issues concerning persons with disabilities, noting the progress that has been made since 2016. He stressed the importance of prioritising employment opportunities for individuals with severe physical disabilities.
“The vote-from-home initiative of the Election Commission may inadvertently lead to an isolation of PwDs from the mainstream, thereby reducing social awareness around voting among non-disabled individuals,” said the current principal of NIEPVD Amit Sharma.
He further emphasised that the winners of the election should prioritise improving education quality and increasing accessibility in schools, hospitals and public transport for PWDs.
