IMPHAL, April 3: The Handicapped Development Foundation in a press meet at Manipur Press Club on Thursday has urged for providing accessibility to differently abled voters in the upcoming 16th Lok Sabha election. HD secretary general Dr Sapam Jasowanta Singh said that differently abled people must be enabled to cast their votes in the upcoming election.
He said that the authority shall within the limits of their economic capability provide curb cuts, slopes in pavements for the easy access of wheel chair users, ramps, Braille symbols and auditory signals under Article 45 and 46 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
He said that the New Disability Bill mentioned that the election commission of India and state election commissions should ensure that all polling stations are accessible to persons with disabilities and all materials related to the electoral process are easily understood by differently able persons.
He pointed out that 54,110 people above the age of 20 years are there in the state. He said that if the authorities don’t facilitate the easy access of differently able people to polling stations than they won’t vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.