Poll Body Ensured Disabled Can Also Vote: Disability Rights Activist

The icon for People with Disabilities (PwDs) in Nagaland Diethono Nakhro has thanked the Election Commission for according priority to the disabled in the electoral process of the country.

"Making elections inclusive and accessible is not just about laws and rule books, but it is about wanting to do the right thing and then reaching out and making that little extra effort to make sure that voters with disability are not left out," Ms Nakhro said at a workshop held in Kohima on Saturday.

The workshop was organised by office of the chief electoral officer of Nagaland on 'Accessible Elections'.

The disability rights activist, however, regretted that many PwDs were unwilling to come forward to enrol themselves in the electoral rolls and even politicians and governments seemed least bothered about the welfare of the PwDs at polling stations.

She expressed happiness that the Election Commission under the slogan 'no voter to be left behind' had developed a plan on removal of barriers, motivating, facilitating and enhancing participation by the PwDs in elections.

The people with mental illness must also be enrolled unless their condition is very severe and they have no sense of reasoning, she said.

The workshop was organised to ensure that election officers at the ground level were drilled in identifying and ensuring their enrollment of PwDs in electoral roll, Nagaland CEO Abhijit Sinha said.

He said presently only 2,500 PwDs had been identified in E-rolls in the state, which considering its population, was very low.