Celebs urge voting by people with disabilities

Mumbai: Bollywood celebrities Dia Mirza and Esha Deol Takhtani have backed a campaign urging greater voting by people with disabilities in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) together with the National Disability Network has launched a public interest campaign called ‘REV-UP - Register, Enable, Vote'. Coena Mukherjee, a girl with cerebral palsy, who interns at The Network, Mumbai, has been a part of the development of the campaign.

Dia, Esha and producer Deepshikha Deshmukh have already shared the campaign and message on social media.

"Globally, 1 in 7 people are with disabilities. This makes them the world's largest minority. Their voices must be heard and hence I stand by the Rev-Up campaign. It's time to be inclusive and step-up, and help persons with disabilities to register, enable and vote," Esha, daughter of BJP MP Hema Malini, said in a statement.

Reeta Gupta of The Network who guided Coena to develop the campaign said it brings together disability rights organisations in the country and all corporates who support disability rights.

Arman Ali of NCPEDP said that on a more holistic note, the campaign is also about revving up the participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process as candidates and representatives.