When Systems Fail: A Visually Impaired Man’s Struggle for Access

Inas Martis, a 30-year-old from Korlai village in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, has lived with visual impairment since birth. Throughout his life, he has had to deal with a lack of awareness and poor implementation of disability-related provisions—both in educational institutions and local government offices. Inas started school in a mainstream government setup, where he was initially allowed to give oral exams. But in fifth grade, the school suddenly asked him to leave, claiming they could no longer accommodate him. With no immediate alternatives, Inas dropped out for four years before returning to education. 

He completed his 12th grade in the science stream but switched to commerce during graduation because of accessibility barriers in science practicals. During his first year of college, Inas was denied a scribe for exams. Not knowing how to resolve the issue, he contacted Eyeway. The counselor shared the UGC guidelines, which state that visually impaired students are allowed a scribe with lower qualifications and extra exam time. This helped Inas make his case and ensured he could complete his exams as per the rules. After completing his B.Com, Inas faced difficulty finding a job in the private sector. 

He began preparing for competitive government exams. In the meantime, his family relied on financial support from the disability pension, the Divyang Kalyan Nidhi scheme, and a 50% concession on property tax in rural areas. In 2025, when Inas went to avail the property tax concession, the officials denied the request, claiming that one cannot avail both the Divyang Kalyan Nidhi benefit and the property tax concession. Inas reached out to Eyeway again. The counselor provided him with the government resolution outlining eligibility for rural property tax exemption. 

There was no such restriction mentioned. Inas returned to the Gram Panchayat office with the document. After reviewing it, the official admitted the error and clarified that the Sarpanch and others were unaware of the rule. The property tax concession was eventually granted.

But the larger issue remains: without adequate training and awareness, government officials continue to misapply rules, putting the burden of enforcement on the very people the system is supposed to support.

Team Eyeway