Kathmandu, March 7 -- They walked for hours through rugged hills and navigated narrow voting spaces. On Thursday, many persons with disabilities across Nepal made determined efforts to cast their ballots in the snap parliamentary elections, triggered by the deadly anti-government protests last September.

The enthusiastic participation of Nepalis with disabilities hints at some improvements, but many obstacles still make it difficult for them to vote.

About 2.2 percent of the country's population is disabled, according to the 2021 census. Around 650,000 people live with some form of disability, with slightly higher prevalence among men (2.5 percent) than women (2 percent).

Despite constitutional guarantees of equal participation, howeve...