Hello, The voters in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh may ask for a dummy ballot sheet in Braille from the Presiding Officer of the booth. The Braille paper will contain serial number, candidate's name and the party's name. He will be able to note the desired candidate's serial number and push the correct button on the EVM. The EVMs will have Braille labels on the buttons. This is what I have understood after talks with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal. However, since 4,50,000 EVMs are having the Braille labels according to this report, I think, the Election Commission could have organised dummy ballot sheets in Braille for more constituencies.
Best regards, Amiyo Biswas. Cell: +91-9433464329 Skype ID: amiyo11 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Subramani L" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in> To: "Geetha Shamanna" <gee...@millernorbert.de>; <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 11:15 AM Subject: Re: [AI] Blind can vote without help at the polls > If my understanding is correct, the normal VMs will have Braille numbers > as an option. > > Subramani > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in > [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Geetha > Shamanna > Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 8:26 PM > To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in > Subject: Re: [AI] Blind can vote without help at the polls > > This article and several such others in the past fail to answer the > all-important question: How will the EC determine where these > braille-enabled EVMs are to be installed? Does the EC have a list of > blind > voters and the polling booths they will be casting their votes in? > Without > such data, this massive effort to make voting accessible to the blind > will > for most part be futile. > > Geetha > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "manoj gupta" <writet...@hotmail.com> > To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> > Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:14 AM > Subject: [AI] Blind can vote without help at the polls > > > > Date:25/03/2009 URL: > > http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200903251011.htm > > Back > > Blind can vote without help at the polls > > > > New Delhi (IANS): It is aimed at giving the blind voters dignity and > > secrecy. For the first time, Braille-facilitated electronic voting > > machines (EVMs) > > are being introduced on a large scale for the 15th Lok Sabha polls. > > > > "A total of 1.05 million EVMs are being used, of which 4,50,000 are > > Braille-enabled. These EVMs are spread across the country in many > states," > > an Election > > Commission official told IANS. > > > > He said earlier the rule was that one person would accompany the blind > > > voters. "Now, the blind persons can cast their vote without any help." > > > > India is estimated to be home to at least 15 million blind people. > > > > The facilities provided by the poll panel have not come easily. The > > Election Commission was petitioned by activists and NGOs working in > the > > disability sector > > to create the necessary infrastructure for disabled people, including > the > > sizeable blind population. > > > > Fighting for this cause was the Delhi-based Disability Rights Group, > which > > approached the Supreme Court and got a favourable ruling in 2004. > > > > So the first time the Election Commission used Braille-facilitated > EVMs > > was in a by-election in Andhra Pradesh in 2004, soon after the apex > court > > ruling. > > > > "After it proved successful, we used it subsequently and expanded it > > whenever there were elections in different states," the official said. > > > > But this is the very first time that Braille-enabled machines will be > used > > on such a large scale in Parliamentary polls. > > > > According to Satbir Silas Bedi, Delhi's chief electoral officer, the > > assembly elections held last year in the national capital had the > Braille > > facility > > on EVMs. > > > > "The idea behind this move was that the blind voter would be > guaranteed > > dignity and secrecy of his vote," Mr. Bedi told IANS. > > > > Before the introduction of these EVMs, which have a strip of paper > > encoding the options in Braille stuck on it, the blind voter used to > be > > accompanied by > > an officer who would help him cast his vote, Mr. Bedi said. > > > > Welcoming the step, George Abraham, who runs the NGO Score Foundation > that > > works for the blind, said: "It's a wonderful initiative. It will > enable > > the visually > > impaired to not only exercise their rights but also educate others." > > > > "I want more and more blind people to come forward and vote and have > their > > say," said 50-year-old Abraham, who will be voting this time after a > long > > gap > > as he has finally got his voter identity card after a few hiccups. > > > > However, he pointed out, there are a large number of blind people who > do > > not know Braille. > > > > "There are many visually impaired who don't know Braille. So I hope > they > > will be allowed to take their relatives along when they are casting > their > > vote." > > > > The Election Commission official also said they would continue to > allow > > blind people to take along a person to assist them to vote. > > > > Mr. Abraham suggested that the poll panel could have conducted a > survey to > > find out how many blind people are there in a constituency. "They > could > > have > > assessed the situation easily. The survey would have shown them which > > constituency needs such Braille-enabled EVMs and which do not." > > > > Mr. Abraham said as compared to the 2007 assembly elections, this time > > > many NGOs are actively working to promote Braille-enabled EVMs among > blind > > people. > > > > "In the US, the voting machine also has a talking device that gives > out > > all the information at the press of a button. Here too such a step can > be > > taken > > so that everyone can understand. Braille has limited access. But voice > > > could include more people. Maybe, the (Election) Commission can decide > on > > that in > > future." > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > > with the subject unsubscribe. > > > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > > please visit the list home page at > > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > Email secured by TPML Raksha Checkpoint > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. 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