Disabled voters in India applaud more accessible election

From Reuters:

NEW DELHI, India - Disabled voters in India have welcomed initiatives in the world's largest democracy that allowed them easier access to voting booths for the first time.

More than 714 million people are eligible to vote in five stages of a month-long election that ends on May 13. But for the estimated 60 to 70 million disabled people in India, exercising their right to vote is now less of an ordeal.

"This is the first general election in the history of independent India that is truly disabled-friendly," said Javed Abidi, a disability rights activist.

Abidi, who is wheelchair bound, said millions of ramps were constructed at polling booths across India for easy access from a wheelchair, while Braille markings on electronic voting machines aided the blind.

"This is a huge paradigm shift from the late 90s when the election officials would not even allow a blind person a companion of their choice to accompany them while voting," he said.

But not all disabled voters were satisfied.

Some complained the ramps were too steep to manoeuvre a wheelchair.

A visually impaired retired government official said the electronic voting machine in his constituency did not have Braille numbering.

"I was asked by the poll officials to take my wife's help in casting my vote," said Prasanna Kumar Pincha who voted in New Delhi.

"Why should I compromise my fundamental right to vote with dignity and in secrecy?"

Abidi, part of a countrywide network of lawyers and advocacy groups campaigning for rights of disabled people, admits some violations did occur -- but that he planned to take them up with the election commission once the polls were over.

Often overlooked by politicians focusing on religion or caste-based vote banks, the disabled have been marginalised for decades and forced to live in poverty without access to basic services.

This time around, rights groups have praised major political parties for mentioning disability in their election manifestos.

"The politicians have finally started looking at the disabled people as a constituency," Abidi said.

"Next election I hope to find disability being mentioned in their speeches and sign language interpreters at some rallies."