Shimla, September 29

The Election Department has launched a helpline number, 1950, for disabled voters for the byelections on October 30.

Visually impaired voters will vote through Braille signage on the EVM. Disabled voters and senior citizens will be provided transportation facility from home to the polling booth and back. They could seek help on the helpline number. They also have an option of postal ballot, said State Coordinator for Accessible Election Ajai Srivastava and State Nodal Officer of Election Department Neeraj Sharma today.

Shimla, September 9

The Election Commission of India appointed Muskan, a visually impaired PhD scholar at Himachal Pradesh University, as the Youth Icon for the State.

She was declared the youth icon earlier also, in the 2017 Vidhan Sabha and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

State Coordinator for Accessible Elections, Ajai Srivastava, said Muskan would motivate the voters, particularly the youth, to participate in the poll process and exercise their right. Vice Chancellor Professor Sikander Kumar said Muskan had brought laurels to the state.

Only 21,063 have accessible parking space and 13,035 have accessible staircase

The Director for the Welfare of the Differently Abled has informed the Madras High Court that of the 49,550 public buildings in Tamil Nadu, only 26,769 had ramps and hand-rails at the main entrance. Further, only 21,063 had accessible vehicle parking space and just 13,035 buildings had been provided with accessible staircase.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural conclave of 'Shikshak Parv' on September 7 via video-conferencing and will also launch multiple key initiatives in the education sector.

The Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment Persons with Disability and elderly persons, which was released by the Ministry of Urban Development in 2016 has specified the features that accessible buses should possess.

Apart from having low floors, buses should have handrails and foot flights installed in addition to a hydraulic lift or a pull-out foldable ramp.