KALLAKURICHI: Polio at a young age left R Vasanthi (45) 75 per cent physically disabled, but she has always managed to earn her keep as a librarian in Shankarapuram.
But, owing to a recent reshuffle in postings, Vasanthi has to now travel 45 kilometres to and from her home to reach her new branch library at Thirukovilur taluk. Just like Vasanthi, other disabled librarians demand that their posting allotments be altered to consider aspects of accessibility for the community.
"I can not climb stairs like a person normally, but my job wants me to go up and come down frequently to check on the computer section on the ground floor, the reading room and the library on the first floor. It takes two hours for me to come to the library from my home in Kallakurichi. My previous posting was
"Anyone who sees me crawling would know the hardship of movement. I am extremely disturbed and hurt by the posting for me here in the Thirukovilur branch library. I have represented my issue to the department yet no action has been taken so far. I demand justice for a disabled person like me to get posted in a more accessible library in the district."
According to official sources, librarians in the State were under deputation for the last seven years and were cancelled recently by the director of public libraries K Elambahavath. Indiscriminate cancellation of deputation had left Vasanthi and Thiyagarajan to settle down at the same library with stunted access to the infrastructure. They demand transfer to libraries that would be near their residence and accessible, said Vasanthi.