Braille Voter Slips for Visually Impaired and Blind

The Election Commission of India will be issuing Braille voter slips for the visually impaired and blind voters in the Lok Sabha elections due this year. The Braille voter slips were already issued during the recently held assembly polls.
The initiative is part of the strategic framework for ‘accessible elections’, The Election commission of India also plans to provide Braille election photo identity cards.
The Electronic voting machines already have the Braille feature. The ballot paper pasted on the machine with name and symbol of candidates is Braille enabled.

Braille

Braille is a script with raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision.
It is a tactical reading and writing system used by blind and visually impaired people who cannot access print material.

Strategic Framework on Accessible Elections

The Strategic Framework on Accessible Elections is a compilation of guidelines issued by Election Commission of India and the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
The guidelines aim to build on sensitization through education and training, community involvement of different sections of society, effective partnership with institutions and originations and creation of facilities to cater to the specific needs of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with a view to increasing their participation.
 

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2019