The never-ending struggle of physically impaired and differently-abled people doesn’t seem to end in Tamil Nadu as the government in the state denies a license to the persons with monocular vision. Despite the Centre’s order to permit license to those who are legally blind in one eye in the country, the Tamil Nadu government is yet to implement the rule and declare them eligible to drive. The state government does not allow a license to those with the monocular vision to drive as it believes that the permission poses a potential risk.
However, few countries including the United States and the United Kingdom have already taken off the license ban and allow one-eyed persons to drive. According to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), doctors study people with the monocular vision before deciding that such persons could be given a driver’s license if three conditions were met.
According to the study –
- They must have a horizontal visual field of 120 degrees or more.
- Their visual acuity in the non-affected eye must be at least 6/12.
- The individual must have had adequate time to adapt to the loss of vision in one eye (6 months minimum).
As per the study, the Centre has asked all the state governments to allow for permission of driving license to those who met the criteria. Nevertheless, the Tamil Nadu government implemented the same quite late. Activists in the state have also claimed that RTOs in the state reject the applications of any monocular candidate.
Also Read: When God errs, man corrects: Goa Governor on blind cicketers
Even the doctors are not supportive of this, as they deny a certificate to those who approach the doctors for proof to achieve a license. Former Director of the Government Ophthalmology Hospital stated that the field of vision for those with monocular vision is impaired slightly but that they do get adjusted to the same within time.
