Ambassadors for 21 disability categories identified to make poll more accessible

In an effort to promote accessible elections, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has identified ambassadors for the 21 disability categories.

“This is the first time in the country that ambassadors who are persons with disabilities have been identified to make elections more accessible. As part of the training programme for the polling officers, the problems highlighted by the community were also incorporated,” said a senior official from the GCC.

Every polling station will have around one to three wheelchairs, and ramps are being set up, and the staff at the station are being equipped to assist persons with disabilities.

Welcoming the move, Raghuraman Kalyanraman, GCCappointed ambassador for the visuallyimpaired, stated that this initiative would ensure that everyone had equal access to cast their vote.

“We are trying to work out access audits for all polling stations in Chennai along with the Differently

Wheelchair facilities and ramps are also being set up at the polling stations to assist persons with disabilities

abled Welfare Office under the GCC,” said Smitha Sadasivan, GCCappointed ambassador for multiple sclerosis.

Furthermore, the GCC has planned to take mobile vans with a model electronic voting machine to the three Lok Sabha constituencies to conduct voting exercises. “This exercise will be organised with the ambassadors. Persons with disabilities can come together to better understand how the process would play out,” the official added.

The GCC has also planned for a mobile van service to ferry the persons with disabilities to polling stations.

Currently, the initiative is only in Chennai district, stated disability rights activists. They urged the State government to extend this to every district to ensure accessible elections for persons with disabilities.