Team Herald
MARGAO: The Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation activity on Monday organised a voters training programme in South Goa District, for persons with visual impairment, persons with hearing impairment along with other voters having different types of disabilities.
The activity was aimed at explaining the election process to the voters and motivating them to actively participate and cast their franchise on April 23, 2019. Over 160 participants including 28 persons with Visual Disability, 68 Hearing Disability, Locomotor disabilities and others were given special training by Sector Officers, BLOs, Mamlatdars, Master Trainers. Mamlatdar staff and others participated in the Special Voters Training Programme.
The programme was well attended.
At the end the voters undertook hands-on training on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), especially Braille embossed EVM and raised their doubts, which were cleared by the instructors in the respective field.
Taha Haaziq the State Icon for persons with disability and State Nodal Officer for Persons with Disability (PWD), Dr Shantanu Gauns, and Master Trainer were also present.
Indian sign language interpreter (Hearing Impaired Instructor) Manasvi Kunal Dessai explained to persons with hearing impairment, and cleared all their doubts on voting procedure.
Mahadev Sawant, Instructor from National Association of Blind (NAB), imparted the training for persons with visual impairment with Braille material.
The Voters Awareness Drive for PWD was conducted by Agnelo Fernandes Nodal Officer for PWD for South Goa, who was instrumental in holding the Training Programme in Margao.
Fernandes called upon them to cast their vote by informing them about the facilities to assist them. He added that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had issued directions that no voter should be left behind and that accessibility for differently-abled at every polling station is the ECI’s prime responsibility.
Taha Haaziq impressed upon the ECI’s message to persons with disabilities to vote as it is their Constitutional right and that the ECI is committed to providing them with the required accessible facilities.
“Minute details are being worked out to enable you to vote. The Sector Officers will coordinate and provide the free transport facility, wherein, you will be picked up from your residence and dropped back in the dedicated vehicle. We will also arrange prior booking of facilities like online/SMS booking of wheelchairs, volunteers prior to the poll day at each booth,” Taha added.
