Thinking out of the wheelchair

Souce: Pankaj Butalia - http://www.indianexpress.com/story/230269.html

Posted online: Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 0000 hrs

How Arun Sondhi rediscovered life, living and helping others like him. We hear of the Sabeer Bhatias, the Lakshmi Mittals and the Deepak Chopras but not many talk about the Arun Sondhis. In 1983, a speeding bus ran into a stationary motorcycle at a traffic light in Delhi. On the motorcycle was Arun Sondhi, then a 21-year-old student at Delhi’s St Stephen’s College. The bus dragged him along and made a mess of both his legs, spine and back.

 

Rogue bus conductor arrested
- Disabled students thrown off moving vehicle fall on teacher

Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007
Two deaf-and-mute students were allegedly pushed off a private bus by a conductor on Monday, after they produced their handicapped cards and refused to pay their fares.

Bapi Mukherjee and Satyabrata Mukherjee fell on their teacher Nandini Sengupta, who was travelling with them and had got off the bus. Tapan Mondal, the conductor, also fell on her. The 28-year-old teacher suffered a deep cut on her left temple and injuries on her arms.

The driver and the conductor, who had also allegedly abused the three, were arrested. They have been slapped with an attempt-to-murder charge. The other conductor is absconding.

 

Rs. 75 lakh allotted to fund social security schemes for the disabled

The Hindu
Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: A sum of Rs. 75 lakh has been allotted to fund social security schemes for persons with disabilities, Social Welfare Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna said on Monday.

The Government has drawn up schemes to provide solatium for accidental death, loss of limb or loss of faculties, support for pension, marriage, education of children of persons with disabilities, and during maternity. All these schemes will be implemented through the Tamil Nadu Welfare Board for the Disabled, she added. Some of the money would also be spent on supplying aids and appliances for persons with disabilities.

Meet will discuss impact of religion on woman's sexual rights

The Hindu
Monday, Oct 29, 2007

Aarti Dhar

HYDERABAD: The impact of religious fundamentalism on woman's sexual and reproductive health and rights will be one of the issues to be debated at the Fourth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSH) that begins here on Monday.

The issue is expected to produce a lively debate, considering religion has an impact on sexual behaviour of women and limits their access to health care and sexual choices.

"Disabled people have rights too"

"People with disabilities have rights too and there have always been deep and persistent negative stereotypes, prejudices and fears about people living with disability and particularly about their sexuality. There are 650 million people in the world living with a disability and this figure is increasing. These prejudices are consistent across most countries and cultures and in many cultures, to have a disability and to be a sexual being is a double taboo," said Jane Chivers, manager Family Planning NSW, Australia.

 

With help from tech, you can make it big anywhere

An interesting article on the use of techonology and in addition has information on the following -

Screen readers
OCR software
Mobile screen readers
Audio book readers
Braille programs

 

Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities
Asia Pacific Photograph Competition

Asking you to publicize or get actively involved in an ILO/DPI/Irish Aid regional Asia-Pacific awareness campaign to promote the UN International Day of Disabled Persons. The theme of the campaign this year is Decent Work and People with Disabilities. The campaign centers around a photo contest that will be launched in Bangkok on 25 October at 10:30 AM and will close at noon on 21 November. The timeframe is short but the opportunity to promote decent work and disabled persons is great.

 

'Destiny'- a New Digital Aid for Indian Market by Starkey

A state-of-the- art digital hearing aid targeted for children

US-based global hearing solutions company, Starkey, would enter the Indian market with its digital hearing aid called 'Destiny' by November this year. The aid is specifically targeted at children.

 

Disabled get short shrift

Source: Deccan Herald, Dated 23 Oct 2007

By Rashmi R Hebbur,DH News Service,Bangalore:

Despite Karnatakas stipulation of 5 per cent reservations to the disabled through its orders in 1995, 2002 and 2005, the Education Departments method of reserving posts for the disabled during recruitment for primary school teachers has actually reduced that figure...

The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995 specifies 3 per cent reservations for the disabled in all Government recruitments, unless the same is barred by the State Government with justifiable reasons.

Despite Karnataka’s stipulation of 5 per cent reservations to the disabled through its orders in 1995, 2002 and 2005, the Education Department’s method of reserving posts for the disabled during recruitment for primary school teachers has actually reduced that figure.

 

Good News for Indians - Launch of satellite channel dedicated to disability rehabilitation and education
Bringing good news and a ray of hope to over two crore people with disability in India, the Rehabilitation of Council of India (RCI), launched a joint venture satellite channel dedicated to disability rehabilitation and education. The channel will be used to telecast lectures, teleconferences and classes by having one way video or two way audio interactions. Most of the programmes will be interactive in nature.

''It will uplink around 100 RCI study centres in the first phase and 237 in the second,'' said Major General (Retd.) Ian Cardozo, Chairman, RCI.

 

'Education's Missing Millions
This report focuses on how the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) Partnership is tackling the challenges of disability and inclusion in education.

 

Report on National Consultation meeting on Disability Certification
For the report on national consultation meeting on Disability Certification held at Svayam, New Delhi email: subhash.vashishth@svayam.com or subhashvashishth@gmail.com
Web: www.svayam.com 

 

Calling All Children and Youth: The CRPD for Young People
UNICEF is calling all young people to share their ideas for the child-friendly text of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

 

Disabled and Election Agenda – India
For the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, the three major political parties of Himachal Pradesh would include issues pertaining to the disabled in their manifestos. In a panel discussion on 'Disabled and Election Agenda', organised by Society for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (SDRS), Himachal Pradesh Chapter, at Press Club of Shimla on October, 19, the senior leaders of state BJP, Congress and CPM made a public commitment in this regard.

 

 

Abilityfest 2007 features films that show disability in the “right light”

Source: The Hindu, 06 Oct 2007

CHENNAI: The cinematic experience is both powerful and inspiring. Yet, the medium remains alien to those with no access to its magic. Theatres in India remain inaccessible to those with disabilities and the films themselves are insensitive to the special needs of this segment of the population.

Abilityfest 2007, India International Disability Film Festival, is a film festival focussed on the special needs and abilities of the differently-abled.

Addressing press persons here on Friday, on behalf of the organisers of the film festival Ability Foundation, actor and vice chairperson of Abilityfest Revathy said the festival was one that would feature films that spoke about or showed disability in the “right light.”

 

India ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

United Nations | October 02, 2007 1:05:16 AM IST
Souce: http://news.webindia123.com
 

India has ratified a UN convention to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of those with disabilities as also respect for their inherent dignity.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday deposited with the UN the instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the UN General Assembly on Dec 13 last year.

The adoption of the convention "to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity" followed four years of intense negotiations.

The convention marks a major step toward changing the perception of disability and ensures that societies recognise that all people must be provided with the opportunities to lead a life to their fullest potential, the permanent mission of India to the UN said in a press release.

India is committed to the elimination of barriers that persons with disabilities face and the Constitution of India implicitly mandates an inclusive society for all, including those with disabilities, it added.

(IANS)

 

India to ratify U.N. Convention on rights of disabled

Source: The Hindu, 1st Oct 2007

New York: Home to an estimated 70 million disabled people, India will ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Monday.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would submit the instruments of ratification for the Convention, the world body said on Sunday.

The Convention, termed first human rights treaty of the 21st Century, provides the states ratifying it to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights, and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

So far, 115 countries have signed the convention, which was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly on December 13, 2006 and opened for signature on March 30, 2007.

Twenty ratifications or accessions are necessary for the treaty to come into force, and so far five countries have ratified it — Jamaica, Hungary, Panama, Croatia and Cuba.

 

Launch of new WHO MIND Project Website
Source: DPI E-News for Week Ending 28th Sep 2007

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just launched a new website to share information about its Mental Health Improvement Nation's Development (MIND) project. The website will share information on mental health policy development, mental health human rights legislation, and mental health development.

 

Disability Resources

Source: DPI E-News for Week Ending 28th Sep 2007

The Disability Research Network E-Newsletter is a collaborative effort between the Disability Studies Association (UK) and the Research Institute for Health and Social Change (RIHSC), Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. This month's Newsletter focuses on work with groups in Malaysia and Afghanistan.

 

Conferences

Source: DPI E-News for Week Ending 28th Sep 2007

Rehabilitation International (RI) invites persons with disabilities, academics, and medical practitioners to attend RI's World Congress and Governing Assembly to be held 23-28 August, 2008 in Quebec, Canada. This year's theme, "Disability Rights and Social Participation: Ensuring a Society for All," explores the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Closing date for submission of Abstracts is 31 October 2007.