The NCWA Dhanvallabh School in Mulund (West) was one such centre where the booths were on the first floor, prompting senior citizens and specially-abled people to climb at least two flights of stairs.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election day saw several people with disabilities and illness beat the odds to to cast their votes. However, senior citizens and differently-abled people had to cross a number of hurdles as the polling booths were not disabled-friendly.
A majority of booths were located on the first or second floor of a building, making it difficult for specially-abled people to make the climb to vote. The NCWA Dhanvallabh School in Mulund (West) was one such centre where the booths were on the first floor, prompting senior citizens and specially-abled people to climb at least two flights of stairs. At Anand Nagar Municipal School, Dahisar (East), irate senior citizens and differently-abled people lashed out at election officials.
"I was forced to seek the help of my friend to carry my 89-year-old uncle to the polling booth as there was no lift," said Nilesh Mane.
At Anjuman-E-Islam Allana English High School, Kurla (West), senior citizens found it difficult to enter the polling station as the school's gate was half open in ward 168. Similarly, at polling booth 18 in Kurla (West), entering the premises proved to be a challenge for some elderly as only a small part of the main entrance was left open, making it difficult for them to enter in the morning.
At the Civic Training Institute and Research Centre, Abhinav Nagar, Borivali (East), 84-year-old Smita Thartare was surprised to find a thick wooden plank laid out on the stairs to serve as a ramp. None of the senior citizens or differently-abled voters could use the plank, as it was steep. "Walking on the makeshift ramp proved to be difficult as I would have surely fallen," said Thartare, whose son helped her climb the stairs. The election officials at Manickji Cooper School in Juhu, however, were helpful as 26-year-old Kishore Nakashe, who is wheelchair-bound, was assisted by polling officials at ward 71 to vote.
The problem was not limited to suburbs. Several polling stations in South Bombay were found to lack disabled-friendly infrastructure. At a polling centre in Colaba, there was no ramp for voters in wheelchairs. "We do not have a ramp. Those making arrangements for it will be able to comment. We have helpers who can aid people in wheelchairs by carrying them inside," said Vibhuti Gursale at The Scholar School in Colaba.
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