Chandigarh, September 23-Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Mr Shrikant Walgad today said that people with physical disabilities need not wait in the queue for casting their vote on October 15 Legislative Assembly elections.
He said, “Special arrangements will be made for persons with disabilities at polling stations.” Polling booth staff would assist the physically and visually impaired citizens to cast their vote and arrangements would be made for them to take wheelchairs inside the polling booths, he added.
In the polling stations where permanent ramps have not been provided, temporary ramps should be set up. A blind or visually impaired elector should be permitted to take an assistant to cast the vote, if one wishes.
He said that electors with speech and hearing impairment would be given special care as in the case of other differently abled persons. The facility of Braille signage was being made available on the electronic voting machines for visually impaired voters to feel the numbers before casting their vote.
Polling personnel have been sensitized about the special needs of the differently abled elections, for courteous behaviour towards them and for providing necessary support to them at the polling stations at special training sessions conducted for them, he added.