World disability day: govt reinstates visually impaired woman fired over ‘unsatisfactory performance’.
It took a legal battle of around four years for Nilima Surve, 29, to walk back into Chetna college and resume duties as a junior clerk. Surve, who re-joined recently, is visually impaired, and even though she can type at a speed of 80 words per minute, was terminated from the job after three months into it. The reason cited was unsatisfactory performance.
Surve stays in Kurar village, Malad (East), with her mother who works for a private company. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, she enrolled with the employment exchange. On November 6, 2006, the Chetna Public Trust advertised for a junior clerk-cum-telephone operator’s post. After a typing test and a personal interview, Surve was appointed. However, the software for the visually impaired, which reads out what is typed on the computer, was not installed on the workstation allotted to her.
Within three months, after being issued two memos citing unsatisfactory work and sleeping on duty, her services were terminated on March 20, 2007.
“I moved an appeal against the termination order before the commissioner of handicapped development. The authority rejected my appeal. I had no choice but to move the Bombay high court, as I badly wanted the job,” she said.
Advocate Chetan Agrawal, who appeared for Surve, said, “The disabled can always work just as well provided they are given the necessary devices and equipment. But the authorities don’t care for them. The state also is not helping them become capable by properly implementing the different laws enacted to protect their rights.”
Surve said, “The termination was a major shock as it not only took away my livelihood, but also spoiled the excitement over my first job for no fault of mine. Sitting at home was affecting me. Hence, I decided to pursue legal options for getting justice.”
The state government recently re-instated Surve with the promise that the software JAWS will be installed on her workstation. The expenses for its installation, which she had been asked to bear, will now be borne by the state. Surve said, “I am happy to return to my seat.”
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