Braille machines hardly utilised; low turnout of physically challenged voters

Arvind Bamankar,superintendent,Technical Training Institute,Poona Blind Men’s Association said,“We have over 12,000 to 13,000 beneficiaries across the city and were expecting about 9,000 of them to participate in voting. However,since they stay in different parts of the city,the exact number of voters could not be tracked.”

The commission had also promised to fit ramps at all the voting centres but most of the centres were seen operating without the facility. Ornella’s highschool,Dahanukar Colony,Gandhi Bhavan,Palkar Primary School in Karvenagar,Abhinav School in Pashan and many others were not provided with the ramps as a result of which,senior citizens and physically disabled were facing difficulties. Varsha Untwal,deputy election officer said,“Installing the ramps at all the centres was not a feasible option however,we have fitted the ramps at most of the centres and made other provisions at places where providing the ramp is impossible due to the local conditions.”

Voters helping the senior citizens and the physically disabled was a common sight at most of the centres across the city. Santosh Lanjekar,sector officer at the Palkar Primary School centre said,“At many voting centres,the voting machines are located on first or second floors and we are physically helping all those who are unable to reach the machine.” Despite the help offered by the electoral staff,not many physically disabled citizens seemed to perform their voting right. Added Lanjekar,“Out of the total 7,536 voters who visited the two centres that I am incharge of,there was not a single blind or physically disabled voter. There were five senior citizens and we assisted them all for reaching the voting machine.

The Braille facility at the centres was not utilised at all.” T M Rajmane,presiding officer at one of the voting centres said,“Out of the 438 voters who visited the centre till afternoon,only one person was physically challenged.”