SHIMLA: After visually impaired persons have been sitting in protest for nearly three years, their long-running struggle for jobs, accessibility and equal rights has now reached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, with the Blind Persons Association accusing the State of failing to fully implement the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016.
In its detailed reply filed in CWPIL No. 12 of 2019, the Association has placed before the High Court a sweeping set of grievances concerning employment, reservation, accessibility, education, social security and the functioning of the State's disability-rights machinery.
The Association's case comes against the backdrop of a prolonged protest by visually impaired persons, who, despite remaining on the streets for years seeking government intervention, have alleged that their core demands have not been adequately addressed.
The affidavit points to the State's own data to underline the scale of the problem. It says that while 2,269 posts reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities have been filled across 36 departments, 1,284 identified reserved posts remain vacant, including 306 posts specifically earmarked for visually impaired persons.
The Association has described the figures as evidence of continuing non-compliance with the RPWD Act, particularly as the matter has remained under judicial monitoring for several years.
It has further identified 237 backlog vacancies in 19 departments and alleged that 17 departments have failed to provide meaningful information about their backlog positions. The Association has sought special recruitment drives to clear the backlog.
Three years on, protest turns into a legal battle
For the visually impaired protesters, the issue is not limited to recruitment numbers. Their demands encompass what the Association describes as the basic right to live, study, work and participate in public life on an equal footing.
The Association has told the court that inaccessible government buildings, examination systems, websites and public transport effectively exclude visually impaired persons from rights guaranteed under the Constitution and the RPWD Act.
It has alleged that the State's status report focuses largely on filling vacancies while remaining silent on several mandatory obligations under the disability law.
Higher government jobs remain a major concern
The Association has also questioned the pattern of employment of visually impaired persons, pointing out that their representation is overwhelmingly concentrated in Group C and Group D posts, while representation in Group A and Group B services remains negligible or absent in several departments.
It has argued that the identification of posts has effectively restricted visually impaired candidates to lower-level employment and left higher government services largely inaccessible.
Demand for 1,284 vacancies to be filled
The Association has asked the High Court to direct the State to fill all 1,284 vacant reserved posts, including 306 posts for visually impaired candidates, within six months. It has also sought filling of the 237 identified backlog vacancies through special recruitment drives.
It wants every government establishment to formulate an Equal Opportunity Policy, appoint Liaison Officers and maintain updated disability employment records. It has also demanded a Special Employment Exchange for persons with disabilities and an effective unemployment allowance mechanism.
Accessibility is not charity, Association tells court
The Association has argued that accessibility must be treated as a legal entitlement rather than a welfare measure. It has sought independent audits of government offices, hospitals, educational institutions and courts.
Among its demands are tactile paths, Braille signage, audio-enabled facilities, screen-reader compatible websites and accessible public transport.
For examinations, it has sought mandatory provision of scribes, 20 additional minutes per hour, separate examination space, accessible question papers and separate cut-offs for the visually impaired category.
A wider battle for dignity and equal opportunity
The Association has also sought district-level distribution of assistive devices, priority healthcare, rehabilitation centres, inclusion in welfare schemes and a dedicated sports policy for persons with disabilities.
It has asked for a publicly accessible, real-time dashboard showing the status of disability reservations across government establishments and a State-level task force headed by the Chief Secretary to monitor implementation of the RPWD Act.
The Association's reply was filed before the High Court on April 13, 2026, turning what has been a prolonged street protest by visually impaired persons into a wider legal challenge over the State's implementation of disability rights.This version puts the three-year protest right at the centre of the story, rather than treating the court filing as an isolated legal development.
