Accessible elections still a dream for disabled voters in Tamil Nadu

Accessibility issues hindered disabled voters in Tamil Nadu during the Lok Sabha Elections, impacting their ability to cast votes.

While ramps and wheelchairs were provided, complete accessibility to cast vote was still not achieved for the disabled community in the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections that was held in Tamil Nadu on Friday.

For first time voter T. Saravanan, 19, a wheelchair user, the EVM was not accessible, leading to him not being able to cast his own vote. “I was very excited to take part in the elections but there was no space for my wheelchair to move into the EVM space. My mother had to vote on my behalf. I couldn’t even touch the EVM,” he said.

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Disabled persons highlighted that there was no accessible toilet while most polling booths were also missing handrails to help them up the ramps nor were the ramps at the right height for easy access. They also noted that they weren’t allowed to take their vehicles past the gate of the polling booth to access their booths.

K. Kamalnathan, wheelchair user voting in North Chennai constituency, crawled on the floor to reach the EVM. He said the officials offered to carry him. “Why should they? Shouldn’t I have my privacy and dignity to cast my vote,” he questioned.

Ummul Khair, a member of the Disability Legislation Unit said that she asked the officials to move the EVM to make space to accommodate the wheelchair and did not move until the space was made but her troubles didn’t end there. “I reached the EVM and realised I could not reach the buttons. It was difficult,” she added.

Meanwhile, Aranga Raja, who is visually impaired, used the braille sheet and Form 7A but found it difficult to cast his vote as the EVM was’t numbered and it was assembled from right to left, something which he was not prepared for. “The polling officer had to help me and my privacy to cast my vote was lost,” he said.