Text, voice-enabled VAADA app for differently abled voters

Hyderabad: TheGreater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Dana Kishore interacted with the volunteers of Voter Accessibility App for Differently abled (VAADA) here on Monday.

"This mobile app makes the voting process for the differently abled convenient and increases the accessibility factor. The app will be a boon to the over 20,000 persons with disabilities (PwD) who can now take part in the electoral process easily," Dana Kishore said.

In GHMC limits there are over 3,634 Braille voter cards issued to the visually impaired PwD voters. GHMC has been arranging autos, mini vans and mobile vans for safe pick up and drop of the PwD voters in co-ordination with the RTA Department on the day of poll towards free transport.

Facilitating the PwD voters to register their details on VAADA app and the type of assistance on the day of poll, 1,388 wheel chairs are specially made and available towards mobilisation of the PwD and also senior citizen voters.VAADA can be downloaded from Google play store. The user has to enter their mobile number, type of disability and the assistance required. These details can be filled in text and is also voice-enabled.

VAADA application has a text, voice as well as GIS (Geographic Information System) interface. The voice interface has been specially included keeping in mind the challenges of persons with disabilities. The GIS interface enables locating the user. The locations of persons with disabilities abled will be geo-tagged to the respective polling stations to facilitate providing logistic services of transport, attendant with preference of time.

The app is also voice enabled and this feature will allow the user to record their details without the need for typing. Once these details are entered the location details are also captured using coordinates. Geo referenced GIS maps, generated by GHMC-GIS cell, showing all the polling booth locations that have been used and linked to the app.

Reaching out to the polling booth is so difficult to people with muscular dystrophy. There are no ramps to take the wheelchair up and even the counters are placed so high, it is hard to reach the machine. The booths are also quite small and it is hard to navigate the wheelchair inside. Keeping all these in the mind, VAADA volunteers need to help PwDs at the polling station, said Dana Kishore.