Visually Handicapped Go to Polls with Companion

Visually handicapped people have to vote with companion without election privacy and security in this election.

According to non-governmental organizations, the government don’t do the necessary even though the ruling party can find a solution with the help of today’s technology.

It is estimated that 400.000 visually handicapped people will vote on June 7.

Disabled, paralyzed, people having amputated hands and etc. will vote accompanied by a family member or a voter, according to a legal arrangement made in 2014. In the past, head of ballot box was helping the disabled.

Voting accompanied by someone violates both the election privacy and the election security even if the companion is a reliable person. 

Visually handicapped people can vote on by computer system, template system or different technological devices in many countries. 

“They should work for the next election from now on”

Suha Sağlam, Head of Six Points Association of the Blind (Altı Nokta Körler Derneği), said that the supreme electoral council was seeking solution for visually handicapped to vote freely but it would be too late for coming election  and in order to find a solution for the next election, the authorities must plan and allocate necessary resources. Sağlam added the alternative multisystem could be improved until the best solution came up.

“They didn’t do their parts”

Engin Yılmaz from Vocal Description Association, indicated that there were solutions in the world for visually handicapped people to vote safely but it needed will and labor. Yılmaz said there had been lots of meeting with supreme electoral council until today but the authorities didn’t do their parts. 

Bat stroke method

Uğur Demirci from Brail Technic, said they invented a device called “bat stroke” to vote vocally. Bat stroke is a device invented for disabled like visually handicapped or illiterate people. The ballot is inserted into the device and seal is impressed in the direction of vocal instructions by moving the buttons. 

Demirci stated that they completed the device with the instruction of Ministry of Family and Social Policies but it wouldn’t keep up the coming election. It is unknown for the device whether it will be used in the next election or not. (NV/BD)

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