Adding poll cheer to the lives of specially abled citizens, persons with disabilities participated in the festival of democracy in different corners of Meghalaya on Thursday.
Visuals from different polling stations captured images of persons with disabilities on their way to vote. Many of them were helped by young volunteers, as part of the “election friend” initiative.
Khasi Disabilities Association president Starwin Kharjana said until the filing of this report, nearly 800 persons with disabilities had come out to vote. “The election department listened to our requests to provide facilities like transportation for persons with disabilities in order to enable them to vote,” Kharjana told The Telegraph.
He cited the instances of Pynjam Talang from Mupliang under Nartiang constituency, Daniel Swer from Lummawbah in Mylliem constituency and Joycy Mary Songthiang from Mawblang under Mawkynrew constituency.
“These three are physically challenged but they came to vote and were provided with transportation. Upon reaching the polling booth, Pynjam was carried by an election friend while Daniel was given a wheelchair. Joycy chose to walk on her own, her walking stick for support,” Kharjana said.
“Since last year’s Assembly polls, we have been provided with facilities to enable us to cast our votes. This time the facilities provided were more and hence we are inspired to go and vote,” Kharjana said.
There are 4,686 specially abled voters in the state. Of them, 2,540 are male, he said. From providing Braille ballots to training booth-level officers on sign language and appointing accessibility observers in both the parliamentary constituencies, the office of the chief electoral officer has been giving priority to people with disabilities to ensure that they, too, come out to vote.
Kharjana said he has been receiving messages from his associates located across the Khasi hills informing him that they were provided with facilities to exercise their franchise.
The elderly, including nonagenarians, also exercised their franchise. The election friends were there to lend them a hand.
