Arpita Banerjee, 39, from Baranagar, West Bengal, faces tough challenges during the electoral roll revision. Despite being on voter lists before, she received a notice about a “logical discrepancy” over the spelling of her surname Banerjee. She and her elderly father waited three hours for a hearing where officials took her photo and accepted her disability certificate. This left her traumatised. Other disabled voters share similar troubles. Lokman Sheikh, visually impaired from Murshidabad, had to wait in line with no special facility. A Kolkata parent of a non-verbal autistic child waited nearly five hours in the queue, causing the child to face severe anxiety. Election Commission of India (ECI) data shows West Bengal had over 5 lakh voters with disabilities in the 2024 rolls. ECI issued a directive in January to exempt disabled voters from physical hearings. Those who send requests can avoid hearings and have verification at home. However, activists say officials give short notices—sometimes just one or two days to appear—forcing voters to attend in person despite hardships. Shampa Sengupta, a disability rights activist, said, “Most voters are being asked to appear within two days or even the very next day. As people are already anxious and under great stress, they are not taking any chances and are rushing for hearings despite great hardships.” A senior ECI official said local Booth Level Officers handle exemption requests as they know families well. V. Muralidharan, general secretary of the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled, criticized the situation, saying disabled voters face "unnecessary harassment" during voter roll revisions. He added, "Many disabled persons have complained of being humiliated and treated in an undignified manner. With the exercise now increasingly resembling a citizenship verification drive, it is apprehended that many disabled people will not only face disenfranchisement, but also be forced to prove their citizenship."