The Gurugram District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav on Friday said that a unique initiative has been taken by the district administration to make voters aware of the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections. A video has been prepared by the ‘Digital Sign Language Lab’ of the ‘Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment’, Gurugram, to motivate voters having hearing disability. Through this video, such voters are given detailed information about the importance of democracy and voting through sign language, he added.

Yadav said that several activities are going on in the Gurugram district to motivate voters to use their franchise. Awareness programs are being organised daily through Atal Seva Kendras, educational institutions, the Women and Child Development Department, the Transport Department, etc. through the ‘SVEEP’ programme of the Election Commission of India.  He informed that the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India has uploaded this 9-minute video on its YouTube channel  (https://www.youtube.com/@DEPwDAccessibleIndiaCampaign).

This video provides detailed information about what is democracy, the decision of mandate, the formation of the government, the franchise, the duties of voters, etc. through sign language. This effort will prove to be very effective in empowering democracy, he added. Dr Seema, Assistant Director, Welfare Center for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment, Gurugram said that the Haryana Welfare Society has run many programmes for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment. She said that the Digital Sign Language Lab is also working in Gurugram. This video has been prepared in this lab. This video, broadcast by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, is also being liked by many, said Dr Seema.