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December 2007
Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is a dyslexic, but no one around him knows that. Ram Nikhumb (Aamir Khan) puts his faith in Ishaan and helps him work on his weaknesses and enhance his strengths.
Click here to read one of the reviews of this movie
'Free help to disabled can't be enforced'
Source Times of India, 30th Dec 2007
This is a significant
development and a new hurdle posed by The Federation of Indian
Airlines (FIA) — a joint body of Air India, Jet, Kingfisher, Deccan,
GoAir, IndiGo, Paramount and SpiceJet who have declared that
'Free help to disabled can't be enforced'
This is the response of the FIA towards the new Civil Aviation
guidelines that DGCA (Office of The Director General of Civil
Aviation) for "Carriage by Air of Disabled Persons or Persons with
Reduced Mobility" that establishes regulations for the protection of
and provision of assistance to persons with disabilities and persons
with reduced mobility traveling by air.
Private sector reluctant to hire disabled
The Hindu, Dec 24, 2007
People with disabilities find it difficult to get jobs, both in the private and public sector undertakings, even a decade after the Persons With Disabilities Act 1995 came into effect.
Click on this link for more details
Accessibility project at Alexander Nevski Cathedral
The Bulgarian Disability Movement succeeded to mediate an agreement among institutions for an accessibility project at Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia – with God's help and thousand of sacrifices and compromises the miracle happened on October 26 2007.
All parties involved, governmental ministries, the mayor and the Bulgarian Church, decided to work together on the national board of the project. This peaceful co-operation will help Bulgaria to see positive changes.
Ability Foundation - EmployAbility 2008
Ability Foundation is a cross disability non-government organisation that works for the empowerment, inclusion and rights of people with disabilities.
Employ ABILITY2008, the job opportunities fair for qualified persons with disabilities to be held at New Delhi on February 24th 2008. Employ ABILITY2008 is being organized by Ability Foundation and CavinKare (P) Ltd., in association with the National HRD Network Delhi Chapter and Naukri.com.
Click here for the news in detail
10 days Special Casual Leave Provisions for Employees with Disabilities
The Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) OM No. 28016/02/007-Estt (A) dt. 14-11-2007, provides provision of 10 days Special Casual Leave Provisions for to differently-abled Central Government employees to participate in conferences, workshops, seminars, trainings related to Disability & Development related programmes organized at National and State level.
Source: Anjlee Agarwal, Executive Director, Samarthya, samarthyaindia@yahoo.com
Airline displays callousness
Source: Hindustan Times, 19th Dec 2007
A person with disability including wheelchair users are forced to sign an APPLICATION FOR THE CARRIAGE OF MEDICAL PASSENGER - which to my mind and understanding is meant for persons with disabilities. However, it appears only the “VISIBLE” health conditions i.e. using mobility aids like walkers, sticks, wheel chairs, stretchers are targeted for filling up the above mentioned application. Personally I felt very bad to sign the application but had no choice because the airline can deny one to fly……Experiences of Sanjeev Sachdeva
Admission Notice for CBR training courses
Information and application forms on CBR courses offered by Bangalore University for the academic year 2008-9 have been announced.
For more details kindly contact CBR Network, Email: cbrnet@airtelbroadband.in
Bangladesh ratified UN Convention on 30th November 2007
The Government of Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh has ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 30 November 2007.
South Africa has also ratified this Convention on the same date.
Spain has ratified this Convention on 3 December 2007 becoming the 10th country of the world to ratify this convention.
Amend Disability Welfare Act - Bangladesh
Source: Daily Star
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday called for amendment to the Disability Welfare Act 2001 in order to ensure the rights of physically challenged people.
"It is a useless act. The framework of the law is too weak to help establish the rights of persons with disabilities," said Dr Akbar Ali Khan, chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC).
Action on Disability and Development (ADD) organised the roundtable titled 'Rights of people with disabilities: Need for legal reforms and effective institutions' at the Spectra Convention Centre in the city.
For further details click on the following link
Rs. 21 m to empower disabled – Sri Lanka
Source: Daily News
Rs. 21 million has been granted to the Government Agents of all districts except Mannar and Mullaitivu for Community Based Rehabilitation Programmes (CBR) for 2007.
The aid was granted by the Government and Non-Governmental organisations headed by the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry to create a barrier free environment to persons with disabilities. Secretary to the Ministry V. Jegarasasingam stated this at the Community Based Rehabilitation Review Programme meeting held for the District Co-ordinating officers, Assistant Government Agents, at the Ministry, recently.
For further details click on the following link
Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Source: United Nations
Announcement of USAID Disability Funding Opportunity
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been advocating for and working toward fuller inclusion of people with disabilities in their foreign policy and development efforts. In support of these efforts, USAID announced to Missions and Washington Offices the availability of funds to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities within its development activities.
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UN Renames International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Source: United Nations, MEDIA ADVISORY
19 Dec 2007: The United Nations General Assembly renamed the International Day of Disabled Persons, observed every year on 3 December as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Click here for further details
European Commission to the European Day of disabled people 2007
On the 5th and 6th December 2007, the European Commission held the conference, entitled "People with disabilities: Active players in the Internal Market", in the Charlemagne building, in Brussels.
For further details click on the following link
Including the Disabled in Poverty Reduction Strategies
Handicap International and Christoffel-Blindenmission have brought out a publication in Jan 2006 titled “Making PRSP Inclusive” click the following link to view the same
http://www.handicap-international.org.uk//files/Making%20PRSP%20Inclusive.pdf
For a summary of the highlights of this book and why it matters, click on http://wecando.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/including-the-disabled-in-poverty-reduction-strategies/
World Bank South Asia Regional Development Marketplace: Tackling HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination
On November 26 the South Asia Development Marketplace on AIDS related stigma and discrimination was launched. Proposals for innovative ideas to tackle stigma can be submitted until January 31 by CBOs, NGOs, foundations, private sector groups, universities and schools, local municipal bodies and government institutions - in collaboration with (other) NGOs and CBOs. The 75 candidates who will be selected from India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, will be invited to the regional Development Marketplace in Mumbai 15 May, and there 25 winners will be selected and awarded up to US$40.000 each for an 18 month implementation period.
To know about the South Asia Regional Development Marketplace: Tackling HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination, please click on this link.
REGIONAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
Project Partners - AWWD ( India), SARPV (Bangladesh), AKASA (SriLanka),
HLWW (UK), Supported by: DFID, UK
Creating Space for Women With Disabilities to Communicate & Advocate for their Rights
The initial ‘master’ training will facilitate a group of 25 Women with Disabilities (WWD) from the South Asia region including India , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka , Nepal , Bhutan , Pakistan , Afghanistan and the Maldives in leadership & advocacy skills within a rights based framework. Those attending will in turn be supported to organize and run national level leadership and advocacy trainings when they return home. They will also develop country strategic advocacy plans, and be offered small seed grants to enable the implementation.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
If you are interested to attend this workshop please email a one page letter outlining:
* your interest in this field of work
* your experience in disability activism and rights based approaches
* your experience and capacity to take the work forward at national
level
to - Ms Kuhu Das: info@awwdindia.org (Regional coordinator - AWWD
India )
and Mr David Curtis : curtis.d@healthlink.org.uk (Head of Programme
and Capacity Development, Healthlink Worldwide , UK )
BPO enabled by differently enabled
Source TOI, 2nd Dec 2007
It's a company with a difference - the difference being its 81 employees who are people with different kinds of disabilities including physically challenged, hearing impaired and visually challenged persons. The company, Vindhya E-Infomedia in Bangalore, has grown from a small data entry firm launched in June 2006 to a full-fledged non-voice BPO with profits touching a crore. Its profit in the initial months was just Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.
Pavithra Y S, who started the company, attributes its success entirely to the ''dedication, focus and hard work'' of her employees who, she says, are not just as good as any employee but ''better in every way''. ''I am very proud of the sense of belonging that each employee has in this company of 96 people. This company is not owned by Pavithra but by every employee of Vindhya who made it what it is today,'' she says. She found most of her employees through the Karnataka government's department for the disabled and the NGO Enable India.
For more details on this article click here
The 9th issue of EMPOWERED newsletter covers South Asia Region including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the period July to September 2007.
This issues has focused on articles related to Inclusive Education and Mainstreaming Disability in this newsletter.
Please click on the following links to get to EMPOWERED newsletter
HTML Version (online)
PDF Version (online/download)
Another useful resource on Disability Development and Human Rights
Newsletter from the Sierra Madre, December 2007, Number 60, is now online!
List of Contents:
Child-to-Child" with Disabled and Non-disabled
Children in Michoacán, Mexico: An effort to make schooling more
inclusive and
enabling
Structure and Itinerary of the Workshop
Goals of the Child-to-Child Workshop
Hands On Practice
Discovering Innovative Ways to Include Disabled Children: "Community
Diagnosis"
Slide Shows of Street Theater
Evaluation and Future Possibilities
Prospects of Child-to-Child in School System
PROJIMO Update
Click here to view all their online newsletter.
Click here to get Newsletter 60 directly.
Hiring for special skills
Source TOI, 2nd Dec 2007
Pasha Bhai happens to be one of the most popular salespersons for Pepsico in Chennai and is hugely popular with his clients. Pasha Bhai cannot hear or talk. He is part of Pepsico's new initiative in hiring disabled persons in their sales division.
After employing 150 persons with different kinds of disabilities in seven plants, Pepsico has selected 50 disabled persons for sales. Pasha Bhai, for instance, does not need to talk. He shows a book to the shopkeeper who enters his order in the book; he delivers the order, collects payment for the delivery, cleans the cooling equipment and moves on.
For more details on this article click here
Rs. 2-a-kg rice for disabled persons
Source - The Hindu, Dec 03, 2007
HYDERABAD: The State Government has decided to provide rice at Rs. 2 a kg for all persons with physical disabilities from April next year.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced a series of sops on Sunday during his interaction with representatives of several organisations of the disabled. The meeting comes in the light of the demonstration staged by physically-challenged persons under the leadership of Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti president Manda Krishna Madiga who, however, was not present in protest against the Government refusal to convene an all-party meeting.
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Braving chill, hundreds of disabled continue sit-in
Source: earthtimes.org
Hyderabad, Nov 27 - Braving the chill, hundreds of physically challenged people spent the night in an open ground here and continued their sit-in Tuesday to press for their demands including a disability pension of Rs.1,500.
Visually and physically challenged and hearing impaired people from all over the state have been sitting on the ground of the Nizam College in the heart of the city to press their demands. They have even threatened to commit suicide if police arrest them or disrupt their protest.
Click here to read more about this news
Release of VSO Information Handbook on Mainstreaming Disability
This VSO (Volunteer Service Overseas) Handbook aims to give practical guidance to support development organisations to mainstream disability into their work. Initially intended for VSO programs, the Handbook is also a valuable resource for NGOs, governments, and donors, since it contains information on stigma, fear, and training on equity and diversity.
The handbook is drawn from the experience of VSO
DREAM-IT (Disability Rights, Empowerment, Awareness & Mobilisation –
Indonesia & Thailand), a five-year disability program carried out
jointly by VSO Indonesia and VSO Thailand. Mainstreaming has been a
key theme of this programme from the beginning.
A team from DREAM-IT and VSO International reviewed lessons learned from DREAM-IT for this new Handbook. They interviewed VSO programme staff, volunteers and partner organisations, including organizations of persons with disabilities from around the world, to collect their experiences on mainstreaming.
Differently abled too getting on well
Kantipur Online, Nepal
As the world prepares to celebrate International Day of
Disabled Persons on Monday, with the theme 'Decent work for
people with disabilities', ...
Against All Odds
Kantipur Online
8% Indian population disabled, says report
Delhi Newsline, India -
29 Nov 2007
The International Day of Disabled persons is observed on
December 3. The figures are debatable since the proportion of
disabled people in India vary from ...
Disabled World Cup for
volleyball kicks off in Cambodia
Inquirer.net, Philippines -
23 Nov 2007
PHONM PENH -- Cambodia on Saturday kicked off its first
international sporting event in more than four decades, opening the World Cup for disabled ...
IBM Bid for Accessibility for Disabled
Source: Techtree.com
The first ever "Human Ability and Accessibility Center" has been
inaugurated in the country by IBM India.
Its
mission statement being to make information and technology easily
accessible to people with visual, cognitive, hearing, and motor
disabilities. And in the event, possibly drawing upon an untapped
resource -- namely, differently-abled people who might otherwise be
able to make some contribution to the overall quality of life.
Located out of the India Research Lab in New Delhi, the "Human
Ability and Accessibility Center" aims at catering to diverse needs
of accessibility stakeholders, including government bodies,
corporates, academic institutions, researchers, and NGOs.
The
key objectives of the center include: to provide technology to
empower differently-abled people, which includes people who are at
an educational- and economical- disadvantage; to provide technology
to other companies working towards widening the net of education and
information; and to collaborate with key government bodies on
accessibility-related policy and standards in the country.
Announcing the initiative, Shanker Annaswamy, managing director of
IBM India & South Asia, said, "India faces a growing need for
inclusive development that fundamentally depends on addressing
social, economic, and physical disadvantages, and creating
opportunities for every individual to realize the fullest
potential".
"Globally and in India, IBM champions accessibility needs by
bringing technologies and innovations that empower the differently-abled
and the socially disadvantaged through initiatives such as these."
The
center will deploy some innovative solutions developed by IBM
Research; including Easy Web Browsing for the visually impaired,
WebAdopt2Me for people with cognitive impairments or low vision, IBM
a Designer, a disability simulator, Hindi Speech recognition, and
Sensei, an English assessment tool, to facilitate human capability
so that everyone can maximize their potential, regardless of ability
or disability.
Meanwhile, the meaning of accessibility is to enable IT hardware,
software, and services so that they can be used by more people,
either directly, or in combination with assistive technologies.