MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF
VISUALLY CHALLENGED
EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION ANDHRA PRADESH
The Visually-challenged Employees Association (VcEA),Andhra Pradesh, registered under AP Society Registration Act 2001,with the Reg.No171/2013, has tirelessly been working for the cause of persons with disabilities in general and the visually-impaired in particular.
Some of our major achievements are given here under:
Major Achievements
· In the year 2022:
As per VCEA’s representation, on 28/01/2022, Visually challenged employs were exempted from transfers in medical and health department. And also given first priority.
AS per Visually challenged employs association representation, government has released GOMS 41 dated 1/4/2022. Through this order, visually challenged employs have been exempted from district alocations.
On 11/05/2022, as per visually challenged employees association’s representation, 11th prc recommended to government enhancing convenience allowance from 1350 to 2000.and also PRC recommended to government enhancing reader allowance to 800, 1000 and 1200 orderly for sgt, school assistants and junior lecturers orderly. In this connection, government of Andhra Pradesh released GOMS 101 dated 111/05/2022. Through this, some hundreds of employees have got monitory benefits.
As per Visually challenged employs association prakasam branch, on 25/04/2022 prakasam district collecter has issued exemption from tirm duties.
,On 07/06/2022, government of Andhra Pradesh finance department issued GOMS 116 regarding employs transfers. as per VCEA’s representation, visually challenged employs were exempted from transfers. And provided that those who seek for transfer will be given priority.
On 07/07/2022,As per Visually challenged employs association’s representation,for visually challenged employs working in commercial tax department,Government has given exemption from transfer and given first priority in transfer for those who are seeking.
On 31/07/2022, As per visually challenged employs association’s representation, the department of treasuries and accounts of Andhra Pradesh provided some options for enhanced conveyance and reader allowances bills submission for disabled employs in cmfs portal.
On 28/08/2022, as per visually challenged employs association’s representation,commission of school education has exempted all visually teaching and nonteaching employs working under comissionerate from facial recognition. And also ordered all managements to maintain a manual attendance register for visually challenged employs. Through present sree S. Suresh kumar I.A.S. RC no: ESE02/498/2022 dated 29/08/2022. By this order, all the visually challenged teaching and non teaching staff has highly relaxed from their mental pressure.
After a grate struggle, faced by visually challenged employees association, government of andhrapradesh has extended one year provision of passing departmental test exemption to get promotions through GO number 87 dated 02/09/2022 through this, many visually challenged employees can be promoted to higher categories.
On 11/11/2022, As per visually challenged employees association’s representation, director of technical education Andhra Pradesh has given exemption from facial attendance to visually challenged employees who are working under technical education department
On 28/11/2022,as per visually challenged employees association’s representation, director of medical and health department has given exemption from facial recognition app for visually challenged employees who are working under DM and HO.
On 10/12/2022,Asper visually challenged employees association’s representation, comissionner of school education andhrapradesh has given exemption from transfers to visually challenged teachers and given first priority. The teachers who are seeking transfers were given exemption from rationalization.
· In the year 2021:
As per VCEA’S representation, on 18/01/2021,honorable high coart declared that in 2021 teachers transfors should not be shown to visually challenged teachers who got promotion in 2019
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As per VCEA representation, On 31/01/2021, election commission has exempted all disabled employees from election duties.
On 03/05/2021, Director disabled and senior citizens has issued orders to fecilitate disabled employees to work from home.
On 12/05/2021 commissioner of collegiate education has issued circular fecilitating employees to work from home.
On 15/09/2021 Government of andhrapradesh higher education department has issued GO245 exempting visually challenged lecturers from transfors.
On 08th/10/2021, government of andhrapradesh municipal administration has released GOMS 125 transfers for municipality teachers. As per VCEA’s representation, visually challenged teachers working under municipalities were exempted from transfers.
As per VCEA’s representation, on 29/12/2021, through GOMS 86,government has issued scribe guidelines for those appearing for SSe exams.
In the year 2020:
On 11th/03/2020, as per VCEA representation, state election commission, issued orders to exempt visually challenged persons from election duties, and to provide sepparate queues for disabled persons, and escarting from home to poling stations.
On 30/03/2020, on in response to VCEA representation to director differently abled and senior citizens, AP government fecilitated all disabled emploies to work from home in accordance to guidelines issued by government of india.
03/07/2020, commissioner school education andhrapradesh issued circular exempting all disabled teachers as per VCEA’s representation.
On 15/07/2020, Director disabled and senior citizen has written to all HODs to fecilitate all disabled employes to work from home in response to VCEA representation.
On 12/10/2020,in response to VCEA, commissioner of school education has issued GOMS54 which exempts all visually challenged teachers from mandatory transfors.
As per VCEA representation,On 10/11/2020,Social welfare department has issued GOMS 65 exempting teaching and nonteaching staff from transfors.
In the year 2019:
AS per VCEA request, government has clarified that in order to avail reader alvins, readers need not come to classes.
The VCEA has requested the Gov. of Andhra Pradesh to issue clarification to that some of the people in the society are intentionally insulting the differently abled persons with the words i.e kuntodu, guddodu & chevitodu etc. and we are therefore requesting to issue specific orders for not using such words as per the sec. 92 (A) of the type of Persons With Disability ACT 2016. In response to the request, the principle secretary to gov. department for women, children, differently abled and senior citizen welfare issued memo .no. WDC01/126/2019/TROG.II Dated. 29/7/2019.
● VcEA played in a pivotal role in the Issue of Go.Ms.No 45 Department of Finance, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Dated: 02/06/2019, exempting visually challenged employees from the transfers.
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● The Election Commission of India nominated our beloved President Sri G. Ravindra Babu Garu as one of the State Level Committee Member for systematic voter education & electoral preparation (SVEEP) for persons with disabilities vide G.O Rt No.552, core committee Dated: 12/03/2019
● The VCEA represented before the government of A.P on 11-09-2018, for the exemption of biometric system which was widely regarded as a chaos to the Visually Challenged Employees. The Government Readily conceded to the appeal and issued Memo no.14/103/2017-Prog.II/A1 Dated: 01-01-2019 (supported document attached)
On the representation of VCEA, AP government permited visually challenged aspirants who appear for sachivalayam exams to bring their own scribe with one step less educational qualification.
And also, AP government redused cutoff marks for sachivalayam exams in response to VCEA representation.
*In the year 2018:
● The VCEA represented before the government of A.P on 31-08-2017 with a recommendation to extend the provision of Laptops to Visually-challenged Graduate pursuing students. The Government Readily conceded to the appeal and issued G.O.Ms no.171 WD, CW & DW (DW) Dept dated 17-09-2018 (supported document attached).
● The VcEA represented before the government of A.P with a recommendation to enhance the reader allowance to visually-challenged teachers. The Government Readily conceded to the appeal and issued G.O.Ms no.24 WD, CW & DW (DW) Dept dated 20-08-2018 (supported document attached).
● VCEA played in a pivotal role in the Issue of Go.Ms.No 54 Department of Finance, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Dated: 02/05/2018, exempting visually challenged employees from the transfers.
*In the year 2017:
· VCEA, in collaboration with the Differently Abled Cell of Andhra University and Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons of University of Hyderabad, organised the first ever consultation programme/workshop on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities As 2016 and the rules to be made by the Central Government there under, Visakhapatnam 19th February 2017.
● VCEA actively collaborated with Rural Development Trust (RDT), Anantapur in organising a consultation programme/workshop on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and the rules to be made by the Central Government there under, Anantapur, 26 February 2017.
● VCEA, WITH ACTIVE support from like-minded individuals and organisations, conducted a consultation programme/workshop on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and the rules to be made by the Central Government there under, Guntur, 3rd march 2017.
● Duly taking into account the suggestions received from the stakeholders who participated in our consultation programmes on the Draft Rules for Persons with Disabilities held in Visakhapatnam (19th February 2017), Anantapur (26th February 2017) and Guntur (3rd March 2017), VCEA submitted comprehensive recommendations to the Central Government on 9th march 2017, and a good number of these recommendations found place in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2017 notified by the Government of India on 15th June 2017.
● VCEA has been playing a constructive role in the preparation of Andhra Pradesh Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, which are likely to be notified anytime soon.
● VCEA played in a pivotal role in the Issue of Go.M.No 64 Department of Finance, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Dated: 21/04/2017,exempting visually challenged employees from the transfers.
● VCEA had a major role in the issue of G.O.Ms.No 32 Department of School education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Dated: 04/06/2017, exempting visually challenged teachers from transfers.
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*In the year 2016:
● The Government of Andhra Pradesh nominated our beloved President Sri G.Ravindra Babu Garu as one of the state executive committee member for the protection of rights of persons with disabilities vide G.O Ms No. 104, Dated: 22-05-2016.
● The VcEA intervened in the discriminatory policy guidelines with respect to the totally blind employees and represented before the Director, Andhra Pradesh General Life insurance on 06-05-2016 with a request to change the discrimination against the Blind and visually impaired employees in sum assured APGLI policies. The Director APGLI agreed the request and responded positively and issued Memo No. 16/Genl/2015-16 dated 03-08-2016. (Supported documents attached). This Memo now offers a great financial relief to more than 2000 totally blind employees in the State.
● The VcEA represented before the Director & Commissioner for the Welfare of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh on 21-09-2016 with a request to issue necessary instructions on the modalities to be followed in extracting the work from the visually challenged employees themselves instead of engaging other persons in their place. The director responded positively to the request and issued Lr.No. C1/3469/2016, Dated: 05-10-2016 (supported documents). The circular under reference has now become an important instrument for almost 50% of the visually-challenged employees in the State who have long been facing harassment in the hands of their employers.
● The founder and President of VcEA filed a petition in the court of the State commissioner for Persons With Disabilities under the PWD Act 1995 on 22-02-2016, challenging certain decisions of the District Collector and Magistrate, East Godavari with respect to the Backlog Recruitment Notification of 2015. The Hon’ble Court of the State commissioner under the PWD Act 1995, after due examination of the case on its merits, delivered a judgment upholding the contentions raised by our petition. It is now a foregone conclusion that had VcEA not intervened in the matter and alerted the Hon’ble Court of the State Commissioner under the PWD Act 1995, the Backlog Recruitment in East Godavari District would have been full of irregularities beyond comprehension. (copy of the judgment enclosed).
*In the year 2015:
● The VcEA represented before the government of A.P on 23-07-2012 with a request to change the 6th roaster point reserved from Blindness or Low Vision (Woman) to blindness or low vision open. After protracted deliberations and debate, The government responded positively and issued G.O.Ms no.3 Department for Women, Children, Disabled & Senior Citizens (PROG.II) dated 12-02-2015(supported document). The Government Order under reference has now become a game changer in the lives of more than 10,000 qualified men and women with blindness and low vision.
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*In the year 2014:
● The VcEA represented before the government of A.P on 08-01-2014 with a recommendation to exempt the visually-challenged employees from passing of the departmental tests. The Government Readily conceded to the appeal and issued G.O.Ms no.193 Genl. Admn.(Ser.C) Dept dated 28-05-2014 (supported document attached). The Government Order under reference greatly improved the promotion avenues for almost all the visually-challenged employees in the State.
● The VcEA represented before the government of A.P on 22-08-2014 with a request to take into account on special grounds the preferences of the disabled employees during the regular transfers. The government readily agreed with the suggestion and issued G.O.Ms no.186 Finance (DCM –
II) dated 05-09-2014(supported document attached) .The Government Order under reference has now become a boon for more than 6,000 differently abled employees in the State.
*In the year 2013:
● The VcEA Represented before the 10th pay revision Commission on matters of differently abled employees, particularly with reference to the Enhancement of convenience allowance, reader allowance, provision for special casual leaves, etc. The Pay Revision Commission responded positively And recommended all our points to the State Government, which were subsequently accepted by the latter. (supported document) More than 6,000 differently abled employees in the State reap benefits from the implementation of recommendations initially taken up by the VcEA.
● The VcEA filed a petition in the Hon’ble court of the State Commissioner for Persons With Disabilities under the PWD Act 1995 on 01-02-2012 challenging the discriminatory rule of reservation adopted by the O/o of the commissioner for commercial taxes. The Hon’ble court of the State Commissioner under the PWD Act 1995, after due deliberations, and based on the merits of the case, delivered a judgment upholding the contentions raised in our petition. (copy enclosed).
***Activities:
On 14/09/2022, the election commission of india has nominated our honourable president of visually challenged employees association G. Ravindrababu garu as one of the member of Andhra Pradesh inclusive and accessible electoral steering committee.
On 04/01/2022, In collaboration with radio udaan, VCEA has
On 08/03/2022, VCEA west Godavari branch celebrated world womens day in eluru.
On 03/01/2021, In collaboration with radio udaan, VCEA has celabrated SIR LOUIS BRAILLE day.
On 08/03/2021, VCEA visakapattanam branch has celebrated world womens day at pensioners hall visakapattanam and felicitated Visually challenged women who acheaved milestones in their career.
On 05/07/2020, our president G. ravindra babu garu has participated in the discussion on challenges faced by visually challenged people in covid pandamic, wich was held in radio udaan.
On 24/07/2020, VCEA has established VCEA welfare fund from which, every deceased VCEA member’s family will be given RS. 10000.
On 08/03/2020,VCEA state body and West godavari branch have celebrated world womens day at girijan bhavan near collectorate in eluru and felicitated 200 women presented and presented best individual working on issues of visually challenged award to all women state EC members.
Our Founder President G.Ravindra Babu garu receved best individual working on the issues of visually challenged award from state government on the occasion of 61st world disable day held on 3rd december2019.
VCEA has spent 350000 rupees in helping 328 persons by providing them provisions during covid pandamic.
● Our Founder President, as the only invitee from Andhra Pradesh by the Election Commission of India, has taken the privilege to attend the two-day national consultation seminar for accessible and inclusive elections organized by Election Commission of India which was held in New Delhi, during 3rd and 4th July 2018.
● The VceA in collaboration with both the Government and non-governmental Organizations, with an active involvement of the like-minded individuals, published the VcEA Government Employees Service Rules Manual and Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 in Telugu on the occasion of 3rd State Level Annual Convention, held in Siddartha auditorium, Vijayawada. Wherein more than Eight hundred Visually-challenged delegates participated across the State.
● The VcEA in collaboration with both the Government and non-governmental Organizations, with an active involvement of the like-minded individuals, published the VcEA Government order reference guide on the occasion of Louis Braille birth anniversary celebrations, held in Railway auditorium, Vijayawada. Wherein more than twelve hundred Visually-challenged delegates participated from across the State.
● We also actively collaborated with the NIVH in the distribution of ADIP kits( smart cane, daisy players, Braille kits) worth Rs/- 6 lakhs to 150 visually challenged students.
● The VcEA, under the leadership of its Founder President Sri G.Ravindra Babu participated in MANA NEERU, MANA MATTI, MANA AMARAVATHI and PRAJA RAJADHANI programmes (press clippings as supported documents attached).
● The VcEA organized Blood Donation Camp at Mahanadu 2014 (photos as supported documents attached).
● The VcEA donated Rs.10,000 for new capital fund (press clippings as supported documents attached).
● The VcEA Designed an information portal <http://www.vcea.org.in> to disseminate the legal information for visually-challenged.
● The VcEA Collaborated with Smt. Vimala, a philanthropic retired officer, in running a computer training for visually-challenged in Vijayawada, Krishna District.
● The VcEA Organized a socio-political awareness programme-cum-workshop for the visually-challenged employees in the State on 27th January, 2013, in Ravindra Bharati National Auditorium, Hyderabad, wherein a record number of five thousand Visually-challenged delegates participated from across the State.
● We took an active part in the united Andhra Pradesh movement from Vijayawada to Delhi (press clippings as supported documents attached).
● Our Founder President Participated as an invited speaker in a two-day seminar entitled, Challenges before Persons with Disabilities in the Twenty-first Century, held in Vishakapatnam, during 4th and 5th May, 2013.Chaired a session on ‘the Rights of Employees with Disabilities’ in the above seminar.
● The Founder President of VcEA has a distinction of participating as a special Guest in the 19th International Convention of Telugu Association of North America (TANA), held in Dallas, USA, during 24th to 26th May, 2013 (supported documents attached).
● The Founder President of VcEA Participated as a special Guest in a national seminar on the rights of persons with disabilities, conducted by the Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons, University of Hyderabad, on June 12, 2013.
Felicitations received by the Founder President of the VcEA
Felicitations
● Felicitated by the Adharsha Andhula Sankshema Sangham, on 19/05/2013.
● Felicitated by the Hellen Keller Institute on 03/07/2013.
Felicitated by the Alluri Seetharamaraju Andhula Sankshema Sangham, West Godavari on 24-08-2015.