The students with developmentally delayed studying at the Manovikas Institute of higher Education celebrated voter’s day recently in the Capital. Students painted their thoughts and provoked their teachers to think that they too have a right to vote.
In the past, people with disabilities have not been treated as equals. But India has ratified with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which says that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else and are equal before the law. Dr. Alok Kumar Bhuwan, managing secretary, Manovikas said: “The Election Commission of India and the State Election Commissions ensures that all polling stations must be accessible to persons with disabilities and that all materials related to the electoral process should be easily understandable by and accessible to persons with disabilities.” Census of India 2011, reports that out of 33 crore households in India, about 12.3 per cent households reported to have one or more disabled members and more than 40 per cent people with disabilities are eligible to cast their vote.