TULSIPUR: People with disabilities have urged authorities to make polling centres disability-friendly, saying they faced significant difficulties during previous elections due to lack of accessibility.
Ajaya Sharma, President of the Rapti Hearing Impaired Association Dang, called for accessible polling centres in the upcoming election scheduled for March 5, taking into account challenges experienced in the past.
He said tall voting tables made it difficult for short-statured voters to cast their ballots. Sharma also pointed out that the absence of bilingual assistance created barriers in understanding procedures for voters with hearing impairments.
“It becomes difficult for short people to reach tall tables, which can obstruct the franchise rights of voters with disabilities,” he said.
Sharma further noted that some polling centres were not easily accessible, making it hard for persons with disabilities to reach the voting location. He stressed that concerned authorities should address such issues in all polling centres.
“While people with disabilities are often considered a vote bank, problems arise when polling centres are not made accessible for them,” he added.
Similarly, visually impaired teacher Ram Bahadur Khadka said persons with disabilities continue to face discrimination during elections. He complained that despite being a government teacher, he has not been assigned election duties.
“Even though a teacher was assigned for election work in the last election, he was sent back questioning his ability to perform,” Khadka said, expressing dissatisfaction over the treatment.
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