Panaji: Goa has been far in making elections accessible to parents and people with disabilities.
From no ramps, for sloping with high gradients without hand rabs, to permanent slopes with handbells, the availability of wheelchairs to accessible toilets, guide ballots and tactile floors, additional efforts have been made to make the vote station disabled.
The elderly and people with disabilities will test this on Monday.
Wishant S Nagvestar, who was in the North Goa District Advisory Council, said he had been surprised to see permanent slopes installed in several polling stations, as well as parking slots provided for people with disabilities.
“I propose that instead of spending money every election to adjust and remove wood sloping, the permanent installed that can be used through the rest of the year by people, and this has been done at several voting stations,” he said.
This election, eight polling booths will be handled almost entirely by people with disabilities – five in North Goa and three in South Goa – Nodal Officer for the election that can be accessed by Sudesh Gaude, to Ti.
For the first time, some of these centers – like both at the Goa College of Pharmacy – have modified old toilets, and others – such as the centers in Mapusa Adei and government elementary schools in Karaswada – have newly built outside buildings with roads, doors Width for wheelchairs to enter, a spacious interior for wheelchairs to turn around, take-bar, west toilet, and most importantly, said Nagvekar.
Some people with the inability of benchmarks and those aged in 80+ age groups benefit from the opportunity to choose from the comfort of their own home for the first time during the past week.
Akshay Mohandas Bhangle of Sanquelim, which is 100 percent visually, said if it wasn’t for Covid, he was confident with the voting order as he did in 2017.
“During a pandemic, it was safer for me to choose through postal vote from home, “he said.
Although there has been a real increase in facilities for people with disabilities, at least during the election time, there is a need for stakeholders to be sensitive and trained to determine practicality.
“Sheer theoretical specifications of accessible facilities are not enough,” members of the State Advisory Board concerning Disability, said Prakash Kamat.
In the inspection, the team asked some damaged slopes to be replaced and gradients were increased, among others.
“Stakeholders must realize that most polling booths are in school.
After the toilets and ramps that can be accessed correctly, they will be used for school children, which will help in inclusive education.
For example, there are still many schools that refuse to enter students which is a wheelchair user, “he said.
Ramps, Tactile Floors, Braille: Stan Polling in Goa Switch Inclusive
