On 10/12/18, Asudani, Rajesh <rajeshasud...@rbi.org.in> wrote: > Friends > Following is the text of article about VIBEWA’s report on the working > conditions of VI in banking industry which was submitted to Dr. Jitentra > singh minister-in-charge DoPt about two years ago. > > Challenges before blind bank employees > > Recently, something noteworthy happened which, as it goes, could not capture > glaring media attention amidst insurgency and surgical strikes. > A delegation of Visually Impaired Bank Employees Welfare Association, > VIBEWA, met Dr. Jitendra sing, the Union minister of state in PMO and > submitted a report on "Challenges in employment of the visually impaired > bank employees in Indian public sector banks. > > The event is noteworthy in more ways than one: firstly, VIBEWA is the first > of its kind industry association of blind and low vision bank employees > across banks and cadres established to strive for creating enabling work > environment for them and thereby maximizing their productivity in addition > to protecting their and industry interests. > Secondly, VIBEWA, with its limited resources could do in a couple of years > what mammoth NGOs can only dream of in decades--it studied the actual > implementation of various government guidelines and laws about employment of > visually impaired by collating the actual lived experience of blind and low > vision bank employees from all the banks by commissioning the survey on its > website and obtained banks' version about the implementation through > information under RTI and put forth constructive suggestions furthering the > implementation by setting up monitoring mechanisms and plugging a few > normative inadequacies in the existing guidelines. > This is of utmost significance in a country which can boast of highest per > capita count of statutes but which at the same time suffers from perhaps one > of the worst catastrophes of "Unimplemented statute book". > > The implications of disability--particularly sensory disability of sight > sound etc.--are not exactly apparent even to well-educated, let alone a > layperson. Disability is created as a result of interaction of individual > differences in body and mind and the prevailing social, attitudinal and > physical infrastructure at a given time. > So, for example not being able to see does not necessarily result in not > being able to read, write and do myriad other tasks usually done visually > provided the required assistive technology is made available. > Assistive technology is the technology which makes available the visual > things in audio, tactile or enlarged format to the visually impaired. for > example, softwares in computer and mobiles read out whatever appears on the > screen or presents in a magnified form for the low vision. > However, if things are done in their usual visual way only in hard copy, for > example, file notings, vouchers, forms, and all other documents in the > office, the blind employee will feel left out totally and be marked as being > unproductive or perceived as a non-performing asset. > However, if all these things are done in electronic mode or required human > assistance is provided for reading, etc., blind employees can do as much if > not more, as their sighted counterparts. > Thus, it is adoption of inclusive practices and infrastructure which can > give the needed impetus to visually impaired (VI) bank employees and the > required accessible work environment and convert them into fulfilling and > fulfilled employees. > Blind and low vision persons have been working in Indian banks since long > but many have joined only since the beginning of this century as 3% > vacancies for persons with disabilities. including 1% for blind and low > vision persons, have been reserved in all government jobs including banks > vide section 33 of Persons With Disabilities (Equal opportunities, > protection of rights and full participation) Act, 1995. > The effort of the banks in recruiting persons with disabilities including > the visually impaired is praiseworthy even though the required strength of > 1% of VI employees is still not achieved in banks. > However, right from recruitment to retirement, there are myriad junctures > where a visually impaired employee strives to prove herself or himself and > where all of us, can pitch in to make it a mutually beneficial endeavor. It > is for this purpose that VIBEWA came into being through the initiative of > VI bank employees themselves to engage meaningfully with all stake holders. > There do exist legal and professional standards in almost all the major > countries including USA, UK, Australia and India about not only reserving > jobs and affirmative action for persons with disabilities but providing them > reasonable accommodation, assistive technology, accessible and inclusive > work environment, and non-discrimination. > In India too in addition to Disabilities act of 1995 mandating 1% > reservation in government employment for blind/low vision, DoPT issued on > March 31, 2014, OM No. 36035/3/2o9-Estt.(Res) > providing for facilities to persons already in the employment of > government. On VIBEWA's insistence, the same was forwarded to Ministry of > Finance which it in turn sent to all the public sector banks, RBI IRDA etc. > for compliance. It includes positive guidelines on almost all the aspects of > employment right from suitable job mapping, all types of training including > training on assistive technology, exemption from routine transfers, > provision of assistive technology etc. which form the core of work > experience for visually impaired. > It was expected that the guidelines would make a substantial difference on > the ground very soon and would alter the working conditions of all the > employees with disabilities including the visually impaired for the better. > However, this is precisely what they have failed to do according to the > study by VIBEWA. > With regard to the overall strength of VI employees in banks, they comprise > only 0.29% of the total staff strength; 0.24% at officer cadre, 0.44% at > clerical level, and 0.10% at the sub-staff level, far below the stipulated > quota of 1%. > None of the banks has representation of PWDs on interview boards, and most > of them do not sensitize the interview panel about disability issues. > Almost 85% of respondents say jobs were not identified or were partially > identified. > More than 50% respondents reported their job is not suitable for them. > None of the banks has any policy for suitable job mapping. > More than 50% of employees have not been provided any screen reading and OCR > software which are basic essentials for the VI employees to perform their > jobs. > In around twenty banks, a screen reader is either not provided or provided > to very few employees. > 30% of respondents need magnifying software but have not been provided. > In most banks, respondents reported that assistive technology is not updated > to newer versions. > 67% of respondents say that internal applications and sites are fully or > partially inaccessible. > It means that they cannot read or use them with assistive technology like > screen reading softwares. > In their replies to RTI queries, none of the banks said that all their > internal applications and portals are compliant with W3C standards. > In most of the banks respondents reported that they are not given posting to > their hometown, nor are they exempted from routine transfers or transfers on > promotion. They also reported discrimination in promotion including hurdles > like mandatory operational, rural-semi urban or branch head assignments. > Only ten banks came forth in RTI to say they exempt VI from mandatory > operational/rural assignments. > Banks' response to RTI queries revealed that there are hardly any officers > at higher scales like scale 3 and above, indicating that VI employees are > not provided equal opportunities. > Actually non-mapping of the appropriate functional areas coupled with little > provision for assistive technology and inaccessibility of sites and > softwares used in banks make the field non-level for the VI bank employees > and tilt the odds against them. > Implementation, as usual is the bane of all legal provisions. If only > implemented rigorously in the right spirit they have the potential to > transform the working life of VI. Almost all the suggestions put forth by > VIBEWA to the government of India emphasize the actual implementation of > extant guidelines right from recruiting 1% blind actually even by special > drives to imparting all types of training equally and accessibly to them, > undertaking a multi-factorial job mapping optimizing their productivity, > providing required assistive technology and making the sites and softwares > accessible by having accessibility audits conducted to make them compliant > with international guidelines, exempting them from needless routine and > promotional transfers and providing equal opportunities to them in > promotions and implementing supreme court's recent judgment on reservation > in promotions. actually having liaisoning officers for employees with > disabilities and grievance redressal cells for them like SC ST, as is > mandated by guidelines would go a long way in ensuring implementation of all > guidelines. > However, there do exist a few normative inadequacies like no provision for > pre-recruitment training to the VI on the lines of SC and ST and no explicit > mention of accessibility of Information technology including internal > softwares and sites. Actually accessibility of IT products has to be figured > at the time of procurement itself and has to be continuously kept in mind > throughout the development life cycle of the all products. Banks would do > well to take efforts for this as it would benefit not only VI employees but > would also make their work processes inclusive and beneficial to all. > > It is high time government takes this unique endeavor of a self-organized > group in the constructive spirit and acts upon the suggestions and takes a > step towards implementing United Nations Convention on the Rights of the > Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, which India has ratified and which > provides for universal principles of Equality, Dignity, Non-discrimination, > and Accessibility for Persons with disabilities including blind and low > vision. > > > सादर / With thanks & Regards > राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani > सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM > बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU > भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India > नागपुर Nagpur > > 0712 2806846 > > President > VIBEWA > Co-Moderator > VIB-India > > A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and > laughter. > > > ________________________________ > > Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls > asking for personal information such as your bank account details, > passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. 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