National federation of blind demands special exam, job quota

Trichy: The National Federation of the Blind has urged the state government to conduct a special recruitment exam for the visually impaired and immediately fill vacancies in offices for the disabled. The federation warned of a state-wide protest if the demands were not met.
Addressing a press conference in Trichy on Saturday, federation leaders also demanded an increase in the monthly pension for the blind. "For over a decade, we've been pressing for basic livelihood rights, including space to run petty shops in public areas like corporation zones, municipalities, panchayats, and bus stations," said S Manoharan, general secretary of the federation.
He criticised successive governments for ignoring the blind community. "After Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, no administration has shown real concern. Neither of the major parties sees us as a vote bank. There are over 13 lakh blind people in Tamil Nadu, yet no MLA speaks for us in the assembly," he said.
Citing a specific case, he alleged that in Vannarpettai, the local corporation has refused to allot space reserved for the blind, despite government orders. "The promised special eligibility test for government jobs, due in 2023, hasn't been conducted yet. If our demands, including the blind subsidy, aren't addressed, we will launch a state-wide protest," Manoharan added.