THE STAR: HELP DISABLED AT POLLING CENTRES

Special care
WHEEL POWER WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN
The disabled and the elderly should not be treated like the rest of the crowd on polling day.

IN TWO days’ time voters across the country will go to the polls. This Saturday’s event is expected to be one of the most exciting general elections in recent years.
As for me, I can’t wait to get to the ballot boxes; I intend to do this first thing in the morning.
Although my home is about 250m away from the school which serves as a polling centre, I have to get up about two to three hours earlier to prepare for the event.
That is usually the length of time it takes for a person like me, who has no help at home, to get ready before I go out anywhere. And let’s not discount the pressure sores. If you have them, which many of us in wheelchairs do, it may take even longer. This is because wounds can start to bleed anytime. And when they do, immediate attention is required.
Choosing a political party or a local representative is not the only major decision that I will have to make on Election Day.

Polling station personnel should give special attention to voters with limited mobility.

First, I will have to decide how to get there. Should I wheel myself to the school or drive there? If I wheel myself there, I do not have to worry about looking for someone to help me get my wheelchair in and out of the car.
If I drive there, will the kind gentleman who tries to help me have some basic knowledge of how to handle disabled and elderly people and their wheelchairs? This is important because a small slip can be disastrous for the disabled.
It would be good if the Election Commission and the parties concerned see to it that there are properly trained personnel at the voting centres to help the handicapped and elderly when they come in on Saturday.
Extra wheelchairs, say as many as 10 for each venue, would be a welcome sight. This would be a godsend for people with walking difficulties, as well as the elderly.
And perish any thought of stationing the ballot boxes on any other floor except the ground floor. Wheelchairs are not designed to be carried. In fact, nowadays many of them are built with detachable parts for the benefit of users. Trying to carry them can easily cause an arm- or foot-rest to come off, creating a situation for the helper.
Disabled and elderly persons should never be made to queue up, no matter what time they arrive. This is because many of the schools and polling centres do not have wheelchair-friendly toilets.
When nature calls, there is no time to waste for people with much slower movements, especially when they also suffer from weak bladders or poor bowel control.
For the effort that these people take to go out and cast their votes, the least that the voting centre authorities can do is show them some understanding, appreciation and support, and not treat them like the rest of the crowd.
Visually impaired voters, who are said to number about 20,000 in the country, frequently face a dilemma during the general election. They need assistance in picking out the candidate and party of their choice, because ballot papers in Braille are not provided here.
A few blind persons have told me that some of the centres allow their close family members or friends to help them cast their votes, while others had insisted that a representative from the centre help them instead.
However, the blind, who subsequently voted this way, went away not really knowing if their votes were cast according to their wishes.