May 2008
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol Enters into Force
Entry into Force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol, New York, 12 May 2008
For more information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=474
INDIA
Access standards not met at the new Bengaluru International Airport, Karnataka, India
“As a wheelchair user, I went to access the toilets designed for "Persons with Disabilities" at the arrival terminal of the newly inaugurated Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), however I was shocked to find that the way the doors open out, the way the grab-bars are designed and fitted and the other fittings in the toilet are not meeting any National or International Standards of "Barrier Free Access". A complaint has been sent to BIA and Commissioner (Disabilities), Karnataka - C. Mahesh, Advocacy Coordinator, advocacy.cbrforum@gmail.com
Paraplegic abandoned in aircraft
It was a rather turbulent flight for paraplegic tennis player Salil Chaturvedi, who represented India in wheelchair tennis at the Australian Open in Melbourne. On Friday night’s Chennai-to-Delhi SpiceJet flight, he was not provided his wheelchair to disembark from the aircraft and was left cramped in his seat for over an hour.
Singapore Airlines launches disabled support service at airport
Chennai,May 27 Singapore Airlines today launched its exclusive services for the disabled air travelers, which would become fully operational at the airport from June one.
The services have been introduced to simplify air travel, keeping in mind the difficulties faced by the disabled at the airport.
New Guidelines On - Carriage by Air of Persons with Disability and/ or Persons with Reduced Mobility.
Effective: 1st May 2008 - Office of The Director General Of Civil Aviation have issued a new guidelines on “Carriage by Air of Persons with Disability and/ or Persons with Reduced Mobility” - http://dgca.nic.in/cars/D3M-M1.pdf
"Once again disabled electorates of Karnataka get betrayed"
“The first phase elections of Karnataka legislative assembly held on 10th May 2008, thousands of disabled voters rushed to the respective poling stations with excitement and joy to cast their vote with dignity maintaining secrecy of the ballot. The conditions at the poling stations were as usual inaccessible and insensitive with no change.” - Paul Ramanathan, Secretary, KARO - Karnataka Angavikalara Rajya Okkuta - secretariat.karo@gmail.com
AARTH-ASTHA NATIONAL TRUST DISABILITY HELPLINE
The Disability helpline is part of the Aarth-Astha Disability Resource Centre. The Aarth-Astha Resource Centre serves as an information resource and provider for children and persons with disabilities, their families and other stakeholders.
Send information about your organization to aarth.helpline@gmail.com or call - 011 – 26466250
New Building Bylaw-Delhi misses date: ministry says sorry, MCD can't devise it
Indian Express 11 May 2008 Delhi Newsline
AFTER toiling for years, a special, five member MCD team's layout of new building bylaws for Delhi has got the axe from the Law ministry. Reason: the ministry says the Municipal Corporation of Delhi does not have the authority to make building bylaws.
http://www.svayam.com/?q=node/680
By Lillian DCosta
The government should address low vision problems in children.
Rehab International World Congress
The RI World congress will be held in Quebec in August 2008.
Send brief of all the activities with special focus on the inclusive education held in our country latest by 10th June to -
Dr. Uma Tuli
Chair - Education Commission, RI
Asia Pacific Region
National Secretary - RI, India
Founder & Managing Secretary, Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust
HC comes to accident victim's rescue
Source: The Times of India
27 Apr 2008, 0553 hrs IST,TNN
HYDERABAD: Justice Nooty Ram Mohan Rao of the AP High Court said where loss of vision in each eye is so high that the person cannot perform his regular functions, it must be deemed as total disability.
Disabled girl raped in Naswadi tribal school
Vadodara, April 13
In yet another incident of rape of a minor tribal girl in the state, a 14–year–old disabled student whose right hand and leg are dysfunctional, of Ashramshala has allegedly been raped by its employee in the school premises in Ratanpur village of Vadodara's Naswadi taluka.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com
INTERNATIONAL
National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal broke the hunger strike
National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal broke the hunger strike on Sunday May 11th, 2008 at 7.00 PM while the President of the NCP Maoist Mr. Prachanda presented in the venue convening hunger strike and expressed commitment to fulfill the demand of the Federation to nominate at least one person in the constitutional assembly among the 26 members to be nominated by the cabinet.
NFDN and its countrywide network had decided to commence the hunger strike by five members team led by the President Mr. Birendra Raj Pokharel with other members, Mr. Bishnu Khanal, Ms. Rampyari Karki, Ms. Pabitra Thing and Mr. Arjun Timsina. Immediately after breaking the hunger strike, NFDN has requested its countrywide network for stopping all action of agitation all around the country.
Deaf woman in landmark legal battle to lift jury ban
A DEAF mother of two barred from jury service because she cannot hear is to launch a landmark legal action aimed at quashing the ban.
Visualizing Rights: India and Bolivia Under Scrutiny in New CESR Fact Sheets
Economic and Social Rights in India and Bolivia Scrutinized in New CESR Fact Sheets
These fact sheets are intended to contribute to ongoing monitoring work to hold states accountable for their economic and social rights obligations. The Center for Economic and Social Rights hopes that they will be helpful to various UN and other intergovernmental human rights mechanisms including the Treaty Bodies, Special Rapporteurs and the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review.
New Zealand honoured by UN for lead on disability - 18-05-2008
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the Government and people of New Zealand, the recipient of this year’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award, for their efforts to improve the lives of those living with disabilities
http://www.abeceder.co.uk/newsarticle_3447.php
First Board of Directors for the Global Partnership for Disability and Development
World leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Oceania representing civil society organizations, governments, and multilateral agencies including the World Bank and UNESCO unanimously approved a Charter and elected the First Board of Directors for the Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD). For more information about GPDD and how you may become involved, please contact Maria Reina, Executive Director at mvreina@law.syr.edu
Disability hasn't stopped dancer from catching a break
Breakdancer Luca 'Lazylegz' Patuelli, who was born with arthrogryposis, demonstrates his skills for children at Bloorview Kids Rehab
http://www.insidetoronto.ca/Lifestyle/Arts/article/48740
China Adopts Amendment to Law on Protection of the Disabled
Last week, the Chinese government adopted a law amendment to better protect the country's more than 83 million persons with a disability, in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in September.
The amendment to the Law on Protection of the Disabled, which has been discussed twice by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in February and April, was expected to go into effect on 1 July 2008.
www.cdpf.org.cn/english/index.htm
Reuters
This year Natalie du Toit has concentrated on fulfilling her childhood dream - swimming at the Olympics - and her success has proved an inspiration way beyond South Africa and the world of swimming...
Brown showed the two recently that all is not lost when a piece of you is taken away. He showed them that life goes on and that nearly anything is possible, despite the loss of a limb or two, in the case of Brown's visitors.
Man, 75, gets 6 years for raping woman who has mental disability
A jury convicted Vern W. Root, 75, last month on counts of rape, criminal deviate conduct and sexual battery. The former care worker said he didn't know the woman lacked the competency to consent to sex, but prosecutors said his actions amounted to sexual assault.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080524/LOCAL18/805240480/1195/LOCAL18
Victim with mental disability competent to testify in Mansfield rape case
MANSFIELD — A 55-year-old woman will be allowed to testify against her accused rapist.
Richland County Common Pleas Judge James Henson declared the woman, who is mentally retarded, competent Monday morning after asking her a series of basic questions. She is scheduled to testify against Loy Hogan II, 45, who is charged with one count of rape.
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/UPDATES01/80505010
Hingham - Being blind need not be a limiting factor.
That’s one of the many things Hingham resident Larry Guihan has learned from sitting on the MAB (Massachusetts Association for the Blind) Community Services board of trustees, and from volunteering through this social service agency for the past 13 years.
Ghana: Disabled Women Call for Better Medical Care
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805161015.html
Zambians pledge stronger voice in disability advocacy
By Ntuv Tunka , African News Journal
April 18, 2008
Early this year, Arc members Amy Hewitt from Institute on Community Integration, and Sandy Beddor visited Zambia, met families and individuals with disabilities and made connections with government and education professionals. It was during this time when a learning exchange between the two formalized.
WAL-MART TO PAY $300,000 TO REJECTED JOB APPLICANT WITH DISABILITY
Source: TradingMakerts.com
Friday, April 18, 2008; Posted: 10:21 PM
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will pay $300,000 to a Hardin, Mo., man to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
In its suit, the EEOC alleged that Wal-Mart refused to hire Steve Bradley, who has cerebral palsy and uses crutches or a wheelchair for mobility.
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1396746/
Yoga's appeal broadening to disability community
By Georgiann Caruso, CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A middle-aged woman arrives at yoga class, a guide dog beside her wheelchair. She slides onto a mat on the floor and begins warming up with help from the instructor, stretching her knee and leg muscles to the side.
Low Cost Sport Wheelchairs One Step Closer to Mass Market
An exciting new initiative to design a low cost sport wheelchair for Basketball and Tennis is underway through a partnership between Motivation Charitable Trust, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). The International Paralympic Committe (IPC) was instrumental in bringing the partners together to address a major gap in low cost high quality equipment currently available for athletes worldwide.
For more information please contact Amy Farkas, IPC Development Manager at amy.farkas@paralympic.org
Why are people with intellectual disabilities so poor?
- A Public Dialogue on Poverty and Intellectual Disability
TORONTO, April 18 /CNW/ - Canadians with intellectual disabilities and their families are among the poorest members of our society - 77% of adults with intellectual disabilities live in poverty. These staggering poverty rates are direct results of the lack of supports and a history of institutionalization. Given the high incidences of abuse and poverty – why isn't this issue on the public agenda?
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/18/c7227.html
Launching of World Blind Union’s Right to Read Campaign
Source: DPI e-update - 9 May 2008
On 23rd April 2008 the World Blind Union's International Right to Read Campaign was launched in Amsterdam. The campaign, which advocates globally for accessible books, was organised in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Amsterdam 2008 World Book Capital (WBC) which celebrates this year’s theme under "open book."
For more information on the campaign, email Christopher Friend, Chair WBU Copyright and Right to Read Working Group at cfriend@sightsavers.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
National Leadership for Woman with Disabilities
AWWD is organising the next level - National Leadership Training for WWDs. We have planned to have two trainings at National level - one for the East and North East states and the other one for the states of North, South and West.
For further details contact - kuhudas@awwdindia.org
1st Asia-Pacific Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Congress
DPI e-update - 9 May 2008
The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Royal Thai Government welcome you to the 1st Asia-Pacific Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Congress, 9-11 December 2008, at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok.
This will be the first opportunity for CBR implementers, policy-makers and representatives of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) from all over the Asia-Pacific region, to share their experiences, to form a network, and to be updated with the latest trends in CBR in the content of the Asia-Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003-2012) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). For information, go to http://www.cbr-asiapacific.org/
National Seminar on Adult Needs of Persons with Cognitive Impairments
On November 8, 2008, at India International Center, New Delhi.
Organized by the Society for Child Development (SFCD).
For more information on the Seminar, please click on www.sfcd-india.org
Computer Software for use by Persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired
DPI e-update - 16 May 2008
Microsoft Corp. joined with industry and advocacy group leaders worldwide to launch new software that will make it easier for anyone to create documents and content that will be accessible for persons who are blind or visually impaired. The new "Save as DAISY XML" add–in is designed for Microsoft Office Word 2007, Word 2003 and Word XP. It can be downloaded by Microsoft Office Word users free at http://www.openxmlcommunity.org/daisy
VIII International Human Rights Colloquium
“60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Challenges for the Global South”
8 to 15 november 2008, sao paulo, brazil
http://www.conectas.org/coloquio/home_en.html
RESOURCES
Skills development through community based rehabilitation: A good practice guide
Published by - ILO - Field Study by Peter Coleridge
Free Employment Manual
Source: DPI e-update - 9 May 2008
AccessAbility has produced a manual titled “Employing the Disabled,” which covers everything from where to place job advertisements so that they can be read by persons with disabilities to how to conduct accessibility audits of office premises. Free download is available at http://www.accessability.co.in/files/Employing-the-Disabled.pdf
It’s About Ability - An explanation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Recently UNICEF launched a child friendly version of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_43893.html
DPI e-update - 23 May 2008