Visually impaired voters voted despite absence of Braille instructions

3 minutes of readingPuneUpdated: January 16, 2026 10:30 am IST

Despite low turnout as of Thursday afternoon, several visually impaired people managed to cast their votes, despite the lack of Braille instructions.

Whether it was 58-year-old visually impaired Sakina Bedi, spokesperson for the National Federation of the Blind, or Ravi Wagh, president of the Blind Cricket Association, they were able to exercise their franchise.

Voters with visual impairments can bring a companion to assist them, but with accessibility measures such as Braille ballots and EVM markings they are encouraged to vote on their own. The EVMs have Braille markings next to the voting buttons (numbers engraved in Braille next to each candidate button) and consequently a visually impaired voter can feel them and press the button that corresponds to the candidate they wish to elect.

Sakina Bedi, voter

While Bedi told The indian express Although the voting experience was smooth for her, she admitted that there was no instruction sheet with Braille features listing information about the candidates or parties. “Rules regarding physically challenged people were followed at booth number 75 of Kroot Memorial School in Azad Nagar. Despite the queue, I was allowed to pass ahead of everyone. However, I was not given instructions in Braille and had to ask my colleague for help to vote,” Bedi said.

Wagh, who works at BJ Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, said despite the challenges, he has been voting for the past 34 years. He said he was very happy to be able to vote as it was his basic right.

Bapurao Gund, voter

Accompanied by his wife Sanjeevani Wagh, also visually impaired and principal of a government school in Yerawada, the couple exercised their right to vote with the help of their son Tushar. “Normally we get a Braille sheet in Lok Sabha elections, but in these local elections we did not get any such sheet,” he said.

“Voting gives us a voice”: a 58-year-old man travels with a striking hat urging citizens to vote

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Be it gram panchayat, zilla parishad, civil or general elections in the country, Shripatrao, 58, also known as Bapurao Gund, from Phursungi, Haveli tehsil in Pune district, draws up a detailed program and tours towns and cities on his motorcycle, dressed in clothing adorned with slogans encouraging people to vote and wearing eye-catching headdresses. On Thursday, Gund, who is a social worker, was seen at several traffic intersections encouraging people to vote. At St Mary’s junction on the Pune-Solapur highway, Gund said the reason for these activities was to encourage citizens to vote. “This is your right. Voting gives us a voice in choosing our leaders and shaping public policies. We all need to vote and strengthen our democracy,” he said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a senior editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, he is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism on health, science, environment and research developments. She also has a keen interest in covering women’s issues. Professional Background Education: Gold Medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and Masters in Literature. Author: She is the author of the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of the WHO. Key Focus: Combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human interest narratives. Awards and Recognitions Anuradha has won several awards including Press Council of India National Award for Excellence in Journalism in Gender Based Reporting Category in 2019 and Laadli Media Award (Gender Sensitivity -2024). She received the Lokmat Journalism Award (Gender Category-2022) and was also shortlisted for the RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism-2021. Her first book, At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the inaugural Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, was also nominated in the People’s Choice category of the JK Paper AUTHER Awards. She has also held competitive fellowships including Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious India 2025 cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Featured Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer and Specialty Healthcare “Tata Memorial finds a way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells” (November 26, 2025): Report on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, Diet and Purpose; How a 97-Year-Old Professor Challenges Aging” (November 15, 2025) Report on Professor Gururaj Mutalik, the first head of department at Pune’s BJ Government Medical College, who at 97 attributes his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose 2. Environmental health (“Breathless” series. Pune”) Prolonged exposure to even “moderate” air causes chronic heart, lung and kidney problems” (November 26, 2025) – Part of a research series highlighting that even “safe” pollution levels are harmful to vital organs. “For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was a 6-8% increase in medicine sales” (November 23, 2025) – Using commercial data to demonstrate the direct link between air quality and respiratory diseases in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News “They Didn’t Let Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Stop Them From Traveling” (December 22, 2025) – A collaborative article featuring survivors sharing practical tips for traveling with chronic illnesses. At age 17, his blood pressure shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study points out why hypertension in children and adolescents doubled between 2000 and 2020” (November 12, 2025) – a report that focuses on a 17-year-old’s hypertensive crisis and reflects the growing global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Infrastructure and Recognition To promote science and communication and gender diversity: IUCAA professor featured in Nature” (November 25, 2025): Covers global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe” (December 3, 2025): A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe had only 1.5 billion years. , one of the first to be seen so far Signature Beat: Health, Science and Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her reporting on COVID-19, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed information on the trials of Covishield and Covaxin. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, and often profiles women researchers who are breaking the “leaky pipeline” in STEM fields. health experts from the institutions.
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