Rule barring visually-challenged from physiotherapy course stayed

The court has permitted Purohit to complete her four-year course,subject to her passing in the subsequent years. Director of the Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually-Challenged (XRCVC),Sam Taraporevala cited the example of a visually-challenged head of the department at a Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur and said,“Blind physiotherapists have been working shoulder-to-shoulder with their sighted counterparts.”

The council appointed under the Maharashtra State Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Act,2002,had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Dr V S Gupta,to frame draft guidelines for admission to the course. The committee,in its report had stated that visually-challenged candidates should not be admitted to the degree course in physiotherapy as they would not be able to undertake procedures such as interferential current therapy,laser therapy,especially for wounds and also give gait training to disabled persons. The state government had approved of the committee report on November 9,assistant government pleader G W Mattos informed the court.

Taraporevala,however,told the court that talking devices had been developed by the XRCVC that would enable visually-impaired students undertake the course training.

Taking note of the submissions made by Pamnani and Taraporevala,the court granted the interim stay and allowed Purohit to continue her course.