It’s about a week now. A group of visually-challenged graduates in the city has been on indefinite fast demanding employment in government sectors for qualified persons in their community.

When social welfare minister B. Valarmathi, who called on them on Sunday, said she would need some more time to decide on their placements, the protestors did not budge and continued their fast.

Ph.D student M. Banu­g­o­p­an is among the nine visually-impaired protesters who are demanding that 3 per cent reservation under the persons with disabilities Act be followed in all government jobs, including placement of teachers in government schools after they had appeared in the teacher eligibility test (TET).

“A majority of us take up teaching as our profession as it provides us a suitable working environment. Many more visually impaired persons would pass the TET if the government provided us coaching,” Mahendran, a visually challenged protester, told DC.

The protesters said scores of visually impaired persons whom the government had trained in book binding, with the promise of employing them, were left in the lurch as the training did not suit modernised binding works.

“Passing school and college education itself would be a big deal for us. If we continue to be a burden on our families by not being employed, no one would care for us. We do not want to beg or steal; we want to lead a decent life. We have the qualifications needed for a teacher’s job or jobs in other sectors. And the government is the only institution to provide us the platform,” said J. Sakthivel (28).

The lack of quality education and suitable vocational training for visually challenged persons has not been addressed for several years now, points out disabled rights activist P. Simmac­h­a­n­dran.

“Education and employment would be the tools for disabled persons to lead a dignified, independent life. The government should step in immediately and place the deserving and qualified persons in government institutions,” he said.

He added that compared to socially disadvantaged groups, disabled persons needed more attention.

Source: Deccan Chronicle