Despite examples like Sadhan Gupta, India’s first blind parliamentarian, and Minati Barik, the first female wheelchair user elected in Odisha, persons with disabilities continue to face biases and stereotypes that hinder them from contesting elections. There is a general trend of disability being under-represented in politics. This article covers key challenges for people with disabilities – such as inaccessible nomination forms without an option of disability disclosure, lack of institutional campaign support, absence of affirmative action for political representation, and marginal attention from political parties. Biases and stereotypes need to be addressed and persons with disabilities must not be seen merely as a ‘voter bank’. They must also be candidates, policymakers, elected representatives, and decision-makers. 

Akeel Ahmed Usmani, Devarnav Sharma and Soumya Goyal write for India Development Review (IDR). Read the full article here.