CHENNAI: Muddy roads, makeshift ramps without handrails, narrow corridors, and inaccessible toilets. This is what awaits many persons with disabilities (PwDs) at polling stations across Tamil Nadu.
A ground level audit of 47 polling stations across 12 districts and at least 24 constituencies by TNIE has found that the state’s election machinery continues to remain unprepared to guarantee accessible, independent voting for PwDs, even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has assured the Madras High Court that all polling stations in the state were equipped with permanent ramps and compliant facilities.
In an affidavit filed before the Madras High Court in April, the chief electoral officer stated that all 38 districts had confirmed the installation of permanent ramps in every polling station, in line with ECI norms. The commission had also emphasised that “Assured Minimum Facilities”, including ramps, would be strictly implemented and monitored.
However, field visits across districts, including Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Salem, Hosur, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Chennai, Vellore and Villupuram suggest otherwise.
One of the more concerning situations was observed at the CSI Primary School in Alandur under Kancheepuram district, where four polling booths are being set up in an under-construction building on the campus. The access ramp has been made by piling mud and covering it with a red cloth, while the entrance remains muddy and difficult to navigate.
The building, which previously existed, a 124-year-old one, is being demolished and rebuilt at the premises. Election staff indicated that the local councillor insisted on keeping the booths at the same location, arguing that voters may be unwilling to travel farther to cast their votes.
The facility also lacks accessible toilets, with existing ones requiring users to climb steps and use Indian-style fixtures. Three rooms at the site remain unfinished, without permanent roofing or painted walls, raising doubts about the availability of basic amenities such as lighting and fans on polling day. A majority of polling stations that were audited did not have handrails for the ramps, limiting its use for wheelchair users and elderly voters.
At the Pillaimar Sangam Higher Secondary School in Madurai West, which houses 13 booths, sand has been dumped in front of ramps at three booths (151, 153 and 154), blocking access. In Government-aided Bungalow Middle School in Thachanallur, reporters were told that PwDs had simply been lifted physically into the station during previous elections. Two ramps at the site were found to have a 3:6 gradient, far steeper than the 1:20 slope the checklist recommends and beyond the 1:12 maximum standard.
In Palayamkottai, debris from a demolished building had been used to level the entrance of MDT Hindu College Higher Secondary School, while steep ramps without handrails made access difficult without assistance.
At a nearby Corporation Middle School, a 3:10 ramp was also non-compliant. In Hosur, several ramps at RV Boys Higher Secondary School lacked railings and had muddy approach roads. A zonal officer said the issues would be rectified before April 23, the polling day.
In Chennai, space and design constraints pose challenges. At Britto Academy in Adambakkam, steep ramps and narrow corridors could restrict wheelchair movement. At ECI Matriculation School in Tondiarpet, temporary wooden ramps further narrowed already tight corridors, potentially limiting independent wheelchair movement.
At CSI IDA Scudder School in Sathuvachari, Vellore, there was no ramp at all. The entrance was through a muddy playground, and the steps directly blocked access to the polling booths. Systems to facilitate separate queues or priority entry for disabled and senior citizen voters were absent in most audited polling stations.
The audited polling stations at Villupuram fared relatively better in terms of parking and internal space, though ramp quality and accessibility features remained inconsistent. In several rural pockets of Tiruchy, many polling booths were equipped with permanent ramps fitted with railings on both sides.
In Manapparai, these facilities were already in place, offering smoother access compared to booths in city. Thanjavur corporation school also met most requirements.
The Government Arts College and Subramaniyampalayam High School in Coimbatore were also found to be well-prepared, with wheelchairs, shade and water.
In Salem, the Corporation Fort Boys Higher Secondary School had ramps supported by handrails already installed, though the nearby Fort Government Girls Higher Secondary School had hardly begun preparations at the time of the visit.
(With inputs from D Vincent Arockiaraj, Pearson Lenekar SR, Vivanesh Parthiban @ Tiruchy; N Ramesh@ Thanjavur; Mohamed Salahudeen B @ Nagapattinam; Nirupama Viswanathan, Praveena SA, Subashini Vijayakumar @ Chennai; Thinakaran Rajamani @ Tirunelveli, Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam @ Madurai; M Saravanan, R Kirubakaran, Aravind Raj @ Coimbatore; Sneha Sivashanmugam @ Salem and Sivaguru S @ Krishnagiri)