Reinforcing her right
 
 Twenty-three-year-old Rutuja Mahagande lives in Satara, Maharashtra. Her father works in Jamshedpur with Tata Steel and mother is a housewife. Rutuja is 80& visually impaired due to an eye condition called Cone Dystrophia which affects the cone cells of the retina.
This makes her extremely sensitive to light. Even at school, she used telescopic classes for studying and read and write in dim light. She is a Commerce graduate with a first division. After completing her education, Rutuja desired to be employed but due to her low vision, she faced many rejections by private sector employers.
Most people disregarded her qualifications and aptitude because they assumed that a blind individual cannot function independently. So, Rutuja decided to apply for government vacancies, and she prepared for competitive exams. She was selected for the role of a Grameen Dak Sevak (GDS) in the Indian Postal Services.
 
But unfortunately, she was posted in a remote area, far from her home, and was expected to ride a bicycle in mountainous terrain to deliver posts. This was clearly something that a person with low vision could not possibly do. So, she requested the officials to grant her a more viable role near her residence. But her request fell on deaf ears.
She then reached out to the Eyeway Helpdesk, desperate to retain her job. The counselor heard her out and shared the issue with our advocacy officer, who in turn contacted the Superintendent Inspector of the Post Office. The Eyeway representative shared the guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel and Training which state that persons with disabilities should be given a preferred choice of location near their home. The official was also apprised of the challenges faced by Rutuja of living alone in a remote location, and inability to cycle herself to perform her duties.
 
The officer comprehended the issue and offered an alternate posting to Rutuja near her home, along with a mandatory two-month training. Rutuja’s parents were also counseled by the Eyeway team, so they could offer her the necessary support during the training period as she learns to adapt to a new role and responsibility.