EC sets special polling booths for differently-abled

The state administration has set up an auxiliary polling booth at the Institution for Children with Special Abilities at Sundernagar in Mandi Lok Sabha constituency for the last phase of the Parliamentary elections on May 19.

"This year Election Commission's motto is to make voting accessible for specially-abled persons. We have set up an auxiliary polling booth at Institution for Children with Special Abilities to facilitate voting for the visually and hearing impaired students. The administration has sensitized people beside this audio signage, visual film, ramps, and wheelchairs facilities will be provided," said Dr Amit Kumar Sharma, SDM, Sunder Nagar.

Sundernagar assembly area has 635 specially-abled people, out of which 45 people have asked for wheelchairs and 11 persons will be accompanied by volunteers. Civil administration will be providing bus service to the pooling station for the old and differently-abled.

The presiding officer will be provided with a ballot paper on which name of candidates will be mentioned to make the process easy for specially-abled.

Monika, a specially-abled student said, "Being an Indian, it is our right to vote and I am really excited that I'll be voting for the first time. We are informed that a ballot paper will be provided at the polling station which will have names of the candidates in braille to make the process of voting easy."

Vidhya, a specially-abled student said, "I will be voting for the first time on May 19. Students have been informed by the teachers about the voting process and through posters."

"I have the right to vote so do the specially-abled children. This time, the special school has been turned into an auxiliary booth and school administration has come up with audio clip (in sign language too) to guide the students towards voting booths," said Manjeet Singh Saini, assistant professor.

More than 400 polling officials have assigned duties across 106 polling booths, while 80 polling officials have been kept on the reserve list. In, sensitive polling booth, Central Police Forces (CPF) has been deployed which will be assisted by local police.