Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Introduction of Braille ballot paper evokes good response

— Photo: R. Ashok

Know your candidates: Visually challenged persons reading a Braille ballot paper by touch during a demonstration in Tiruchi on Saturday.

TIRUCHI: “We are happy that our right has been finally recognised,” observed Kannan, a visually challenged B.Ed. student, after reading through a Braille ballot paper by touch.

“Though we are allowed to vote with the help of an assistant, the introduction of the Braille ballot paper will help us know who are all the candidates and the order of contestants’ names now. We can also be sure that we are voting for the candidate whom we intend to support,” he said at a demonstration of the Braille ballot paper for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency held under in the presence of the Collector and Returning Officer T. Soundiah here on Saturday.

“We appreciate the Election Commission’s move. We will be happier if the Braille ballot papers were also brought out in Tamil,” observed Nirmala Sahaya Mary another visually challenged youth, also a B.Ed student from a City college.

Not many among the visually challenged were conversant in English, she pointed out but expressed the confidence that the Election Commission would in due course introduce Braille ballot papers in the vernacular language too.

Mr. Soundiah said the Braille ballot paper would be made available in all the polling stations. Those who cannot read English could still vote with the help of assistants as usual.

Earlier, Mr. Soundiah and the Corporation Commissioner T.T. Balsamy inspected the arrangements being made at the counting centre for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency at the Jamal Mohammed College.

He gave instructions to the officials on the arrangement of the counting tables for each of the six Assembly segments and the erection of barricades.

He also enquired about the basic amenities provided at the centre.

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