Visually-impaired voters in Yangon Region cast their ballots at polling stations yesterday.

Kyimyindaing Township Election Sub-commission established a special polling station for visually-impaired voters. Ballot paper templates for the visually-impaired voters were arranged in the special polling station where blind voters from the Kyimyindaing School For The Blind cast their own votes.

Visually-impaired voters Ma ThaeThae Cho, who cast her votes at MagyitanTaung East Quarter polling station number 2 in Kyimyindaing Township, said, “I also voted in the 2015 General Elections. So, I have the experience. I did not encounter difficulty of voting because the ballots were arranged in braille format that we are skillful at. Like nondisabled people, I feel proud because I could dutifully vote as a citizen though I am a disabled person. I would like to express thanks to all the people involved in arranging this.”

U Zaw Htwe Oo, a visually-impaired teacher from the Kyimyindaing School For The Blind, said, “I had the experience of voting in the past too. Now, We could freely cast the votes without difficulties because of special polling stations where braille templates for the blind were available.”

“I hope that our country will be a better country and disabled citizens will also have good opportunities,” he added.

Teachers from the Kyimyindaing School For The Blind were appointed as staff members of the special polling station for the visually-impaired. There are about 120 students in the school, but the students went back to their homes earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, only 15 teachers from the school cast their votes at the polling station on 8 November, according to U Sein Mya, Chairperson of the MagyitanTaung East Quarter Election Sub-commission.

In 2010 General Elections and 2012 By-Elections, blind voters needed assistance from others in order to cast their ballots. But starting from the 2015 General Elections, they can cast their votes by themselves by using ballot paper templates for the blind.

MNA

(Translated by Maung Maung Swe)

Photo – MNA

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