Election &

Inclusion of Persons with

Disabilities
Lok Sabha Elections
From 16th April to 13th May 2009
C. Mahesh, CBR Forum
11 Mar 2009

Right to Vote

Ensuring Persons with Disabilities are

able to exercise their franchise freely
and independently

What can you do to ensure

Persons with Disabilities
and their issues are
included?
Persons with Disabilities and
their families have to be visible
as a constituency

Advocacy and Lobbying at 3 levels

Ensuring Polling Booths and EVMs are
accessible to persons with disabilities to
cast their vote freely and independently
2. Ensuring Persons with Disabilities in large
number VOTE
3. Influencing Political Manifesto to include the
concerns of persons with disabilities
1.

Minimum Arrangement at the Polling Station

Reference: Supreme Court Order - Writ Petition No.187/2004
- Judgement dtd. 19.04.2004

1. Ramps at polling stations to enable disabled persons

to have an easy access;

2. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being written in
Braille to enable visually impaired voters to feel the
numbers and press an appropriate button to cast the
vote;
3. Separate queues and special arrangements for
persons with disability at polling stations; and
4. Polling station personnel to be courteous and render
necessary assistance to enable persons with
disability to exercise their franchise with least
inconvenience.

Motivate Persons with Disabilities to Vote

With the Supreme Court Order - This is the

first election that is going to be sensitive to

the needs of persons with disabilities
Identifying key Persons with Disabilities and
their families in each panchayat/ block/ district
and involving them to reach out and
motivate other persons with disabilities and
their families to Vote.
Persons with Disabilities have to be visible

Awareness Building Some ideas

Meeting with State Election Commissioners along

with DPOs to ensure access in polling booths

Using Media Guest column in Print media,
programmes on TV/ Radio to encourage persons
with disabilities and their families to exercise their
franchise and discuss the issues faced by persons
with disabilities
Contact Press Bureau Send Press Note/ Release to
all News Papers
SMS Messages
Ask Sign language interpretation during Political
Meetings

Including issues of Disability in the

Political Manifesto
Some ideas
Need for separate Ministry for Disability
Effective implementation of 11th Five Year Plan
Ensuring 3% utilization of funds in all development

and poverty alleviation programmes

Stronger enforcing mechanisms to ensure the
protection of the rights, non-discrimination and
removal of the barriers that prevent the participation
of Persons with disabilities at District/ Block/ Taluk/
Panchayat level

Catchy Slogans to motivate

Realize your Right to Vote
Vote to prove a point
Vote to be counted

Useful Websites/ Contacts

http://www.jaagore.com/
http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/home.aspx
http://www.electionaccess.org/ - Global

Initiative to Enfranchise People with

Disabilities
Shri. Javed Abidi, Convenor, National
Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, secretariat@ncpedp.org

Let us join together, keep each other posted on

the developments to ensure Persons with
Disabilities, their Families and their issues are
TRULY VISIBLE in this Election
C. Mahesh
Advocacy Coordinator
CBR Forum
14, C.K Garden, Wheelers Road Extn.,
St. Thomas Town Post, Bangalore 560 084
Tel: +91-80- 2549 7387
advocacy.cbrforum@gmail.com
admin@cbrforum.in
www.cbrforum.in