Nov 2008
A: INDIA
A01: What do we do this World Disability Day?
JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION AT INDIA GATE, NEW DELHI ON 3rd DEC AT 3:00 P.M
DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUP CALLS FOR A NATIONWIDE PROTEST
OVER TEN THOUSAND DISABLED PEOPLE TO MARCH TO NEW DELHI FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF INDIA TO HOLD AN ALL NIGHT CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
DRG DEMANDS
- A SEPARATE MINISTRY FOR DISABILITY AFFAIRS
- FULFILL PROMISES MADE IN THE XIth FIVE YEAR PLAN
- EVERY KEY MINISTRY SHOULD HAVE A CLEAR CUT PLAN ON DISABILITY
- EACH MINISTRY MUST ALLOCATE 3% OF ITS RESOURCES FOR DISABILITY ISSUES
For details visit www.wdd.co.in
A02: PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR BANKING FACILITIES TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS
The final IBA (Indian Banks Association) Circular dated 18 Nov 2008 on Providing Banking Facilities to Visually Impaired Persons has been pasted at the end of this page/ newsletter.
Information provided by Ms. Kanchan Pamnani, Advocate & Solicitor, Mumbai, kanchanpamnani@gmail.com
A03:Parliamentary panel laments government's laid back attitude on disabled people
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) A parliamentary panel has frowned at the ministry of social justice and empowerment for the lackadaisical manner in which a scheme meant to provide counselling to disabled people at the district level is being implemented and for not adequately disseminating information on another scheme to provide artificial limbs to the disabled.
A04: Committee recommends separate department to deal with disabled people
New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) There should be a separate department to deal with persons with disabilities, a parliamentary committee said in a report Monday while noting that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had not done enough for such people.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/29688
A05: Differently abled must get govt protection: SHRC
Bangalore: The government should support social movements that help implement rights of the differently abled, and start programmes to ensure fair treatment and facilities, State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairperson S R Nayak said.
A06: Visually impaired seek access to print materials
By L Subramani, DH News Service, Bangalore:
Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), an organisation researching on the impact of internet on society, has initiated a signature campaign to persuade the Indian government to support the Treaty for the Improved Access for the Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons.
A07: Dimapur, Nagaland - 'Disability a human rights issue'
In order to sensitise the issue of disability in Nagaland, a state-level workshop on disability and law was organised by Prodigals Home, Dimapur, in association with Disability Law Unit North-East, 'Shishu Saruthi'. The seminar, while focusing on the role of government and citizens to address the issue of disability, also accepted the ignorance about the help and support that could be given to disabled children to make them grow up as productive and happy individuals in spite of their impairments.
http://www.morungexpress.com/local/8702.html
A08: Epilepsy - An invisible disability
ENNAPADAM S. KRISHNAMOORTHY
On the even of National Epilepsy Day, a look at what we need to develop special legislation that is sensitive to the needs of people with disabling epilepsy in India?
A09: Blind wins gold at Chess Olympiad
From Veerendra P M, DH News Service, Shimoga:
Srikrishna Udupa, a visually challenged from the city has done the Nation proud by winning gold medal in the 13th Chess Olympiad for Blind and Visually Impaired held at Crete island in Greece.
B: INDIA – DISABILITY AND LAW
B01: Government gets notice on job quota for disabled
CHENNAI: The First Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered two weeks notice on a writ petition praying for a direction to the government to appoint persons with disabilities to the tune of not less than three percent of the total sanctioned teachers and non-teaching staff post in the government aided colleges numbering about 160 in the State.
C: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
C01: NGO starts monitoring human rights of PWDs
Quezon City (31 October) -- The Katipunan ng Maykapansanan sa Pilipinas, Inc. (KAMPI) has launched a campaign to monitor the human rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in partnership with Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI), university-based project in Canada.
C02: Dear Noel, is life really not worth living?
Paralysed after being attacked by neo-Nazis, Noel Martin is planning a trip to Switzerland to commit suicide. Here, disabled broadcaster Liz Carr, who met Noel for a BBC Radio 5 Live report, writes an open letter urging him to think again.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7733166.stm
C03: Woman loses assisted suicide case
A woman with multiple sclerosis has lost her High Court case to clarify the law on assisted suicide.
Debbie Purdy, 45, from Bradford, is considering going to a Swiss clinic to end her life, but fears her husband may be charged on his return to the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7697200.stm
C04: German family granted Australian residency
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Australia's immigration minister has granted permanent residency to a German family whose application was twice denied because their 13-year-old son has Down syndrome.
C05: Australia blocks physician's residency request over son's Down syndrome
SYDNEY, Australia | Lukas Moeller has Down syndrome. His father is a doctor who came to Australia from Germany to help fill a shortage of physicians in rural communities.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/870367.html
C06: Deaf soccer player not slowed by disability
The first thing you notice about No. 30 on the Stonewall Jackson Middle School soccer team is the blazing speed he possesses. He sprints down the outside flank calling for a pass, then turns and races back to cover his marking assignment after the opposition has taken the ball.
http://wvgazette.com/Sports/200811151076
C07: Labour victimises disabled claimants with attack on incapacity benefit
The New Labour government has brought in changes to disability benefits this week that will make it even harder for sick and disabled people to claim benefits.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=16320
D: RESOURCES – Newsletter, Journal, Guideline, Website
D02: Design for All India
The Nov 2008 issue of Design for All India is available for download here:
http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_Nov2008.pdf
D03: Asia-Pacific EFA e-Newsletter November 2008
http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=19
E: ANNOUNCEMENTS
E01: First Committee of Experts on Disability Rights Convention Elected:
(New York, United Nations, November 3, 2008): Today, the first Conference of States Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) elected the new Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of the CRPD.
E02: PG Diploma in Rehabilitation Therapy at APD Bangalore
APD is planning to conduct one year course in PG Diploma in Rehabilitation Therapy. The training will be starting from 20th November 08.
Course Details: This is a comprehensive rehabilitation course for therapists working in urban poor areas & rural communities. A wide range of disabilities will be covered, including locomotor, visual, hearing impairment and mental retardation.
For details contact: Ms. Thulasi, 080-25475165, 25489594, 25470390
E03: Call for Papers – Fourth IZA/World Bank Conference on 'Employment and Development'
Bonn, Germany -- May 4-5, 2009
We invite submission of papers on labor markets, job creation and labor market policies in developing countries. We will consider detailed abstracts, but will favor full papers – particularly empirical ones – that focus on one of the 7 topics of research listed at:
http://www.iza.org/en/webcontent/research/ra7/index#topics
E04: Postponement of the 1st Asia-Pacific Community Based Rehabilitation Congress, 9th to 11th December, 2008, Bangkok
It is with great regret that we, the organizer of the 1st Asia-Pacific Community Based Rehabilitation Congress (the Congress), announce the postponement of the Congress, which was originally scheduled to take place on 9th to 11th December, 2008.
http://www.cbr-asiapacific.org/
Kindly email advocacy.cbrforum@gmail.com for
- Contributing news/ events to this E-news bulletin
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PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR BANKING FACILITIES TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS
No.CE/RB-1/vip/1766
November 18, 2008
The Chief Executives of all Member Banks
Dear Sirs,
Providing Banking Facilities to Visually Impaired Persons
We refer to our circular No.CIR/RB/1230 dated February 4, 2006 enclosing procedural guidelines on the captioned subject. Subsequent to which, we have received several representations from visually impaired persons regarding the facilities and services being provided by banks and the ground level difficulties being faced by them. As you are aware, procedural guidelines were issued in the context of the order dated September 5, 2005 passed by the Court of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, New Delhi regarding facilities to be provided to visually impaired persons.
Following complaints from Visually Impaired Persons, the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities had again issued an advisory to the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in May 2008 to take necessary steps to ensure that visually impaired persons are not denied normal banking facilities.
Subsequently, the RBI, vide circular DBOD.No.Leg BC.91/09.07.005/2007-08 dated 4th June 2008 advised banks that all banks must render the same services to a visually impaired person as it would to any other person without discrimination. The Circular stated that the banks, must provide the visually impaired with every facility viz., cheque Book facility, ATM facility, net banking facility, locker facility, retail loans, credit cards etc.
Following the above RBI circular, we had examined the need to revise the procedural guidelines issued in February 2006 in consultation with IBA Sub-committee on Customer Service and Customer Rights. We also had interactions with a Mumbai based voluntary organization working for the welfare of Impaired persons. The interactions indicated that technology innovation in the recent years had greatly empowered visually impaired persons in leading a normal life. Technology applications such as screen readers for computers and mobile phones, which are being used by the visually impaired persons for online/net banking, were demonstrated to us. Visually impaired persons can read and understand printed documents etc. by first scanning them and then getting them read out by the screen reader.
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Further, we have seen demonstration of finger print technology being developed by software firm which would enable banks to store thumb impression of visually impaired persons in place of signature in their system. Cheques authenticated by them with thumb impression can be scanned and the image compared with that stored in the system to honor the cheque. It is suggested that when this technology is fully developed and made available in the market, banks should consider integrating it with their core banking platform so that cheque book facility can be extended to a larger segment of visually impaired persons.
Our attention was also drawn to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which clearly commits to rights of persons with disability and their access to services. Article 9 of the Convention enables persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and also gives them access to facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and rural areas. Additionally, Article 12 states “ Parties shall take all appropriate and effective measures to ensure the equal right of persons with disabilities to own or inherit property, to control their own financial affairs and to have equal access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit, and shall ensure that persons with disabilities are not arbitrarily deprived of their property."
It is expected that the guidelines issued by the RBI would result in an increase in the number of ATM cards issued to visually impaired persons. This would enhance the case for installation of talking ATMs to facilitate hassle free operations by visually impaired persons. Banks are requested to consider installing talking ATMs wherever feasible.
Keeping in view the above, we have revised the procedural guidelines for providing banking facilities to visually impaired persons, copy of which is enclosed. While finalizing the document the Sub-Committee took into consideration that request for ATM facilities, online banking facilities etc., would come only from visually impaired persons who are capable of using the applications. Members are requested to kindly consider the revised procedural guidelines and issue necessary instructions to the operating staff.
Yours faithfully,
K Unnikrishnan
Dy. Chief Executive
Encl:A/a
PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR BANKING FACILITIES TO
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS
I. General Instructions
- Banking facilities for visually impaired persons should be offered at all branches of the bank.
- Banks should not equate visually impaired customers with illiterate customers.
- All Banks must provide the same facilities to a visually impaired customer/prospective customer as it would to any other customer. But at the same time the customers should be made aware of the risk involved in some of these facilities which may be higher than that for a normal customer.
- Additional facilities like reading and filling up of forms, slips, cheques should be provided to a visually impaired customer, if required.
- Banks should not deny any services to visually impaired customers including visually impaired customers who use their thumb impression for operating the bank account.
- A visually impaired customer must not be forced to operate the bank account jointly with any person or in the presence of any person.
- Visually impaired customers may be allowed to appoint a person/persons as their Power of Attorney or Mandate Holder to operate their bank account if the visually impaired customer so desires.
II. Opening of Bank Accounts
- All banking products offered by the bank should be made available to visually impaired persons.
- The bank must follow the same procedure for opening the account of a visually impaired person as it does for its other customers.
- He / She must be allowed to open the account either singly or jointly with others.
- The Bank must allow the visually impaired customer to open a joint account with anybody that he/she chooses including person(s) who is/are visually impaired.
- The Officer / Manager of the branch should read out the rules of business and other terms and conditions in the presence of a witness, if required by the customer.
- The bank branch manager must inform a visually impaired customer/prospective customer of his rights and liabilities before opening the account.
- The documentation requirements of a visually impaired customer must be the same as any other customer.
- The account has to be clearly marked as "the account holder is visually impaired".
III. Withdrawal of cash / Cheque book facility
- Facilities for withdrawal of cash as are provided to all customers regarding cash payments must be provided to visually impaired customers.
- In case a visually impaired customer makes cash withdrawals at the bank then the payment must be made in the presence of another bank employee/officer. No outside witnesses are required unless the visually impaired customer requests that such witnesses be present.
- Operations should not be restricted to self-withdrawals.
- Cheque book facility should not be denied to visually impaired person.
- All procedures pertaining to the use of such cheque books by visually impaired customers must be in accordance with that the other customers.
- Cheques issued by visually impaired persons to third parties should be honoured, if otherwise in order.
IV. Credit Cards /Debit Cards
- Visually impaired customers must be issued credit cards/debit cards on request.
- All rules and regulation regarding credit/debit card must be available on the web-site of the respective bank in accessible format. These should be read out to visually impaired persons and perceived risk factors explained to them.
- Banks may consider issuing Credit/Debit Card with Photograph. This Photograph will work as a identification/verification.
V. ATM/Debit Cards
- Visually impaired customers must be permitted to avail of ATM facilities.
- Banks should also ensure that the ATMs are accessible to other categories of persons with disabilities such as the orthopedically disabled.
VI. On Line Banking / Mobile Banking and Tele Banking/Phone Banking
- All banks must have Accessible websites and conform to international accessibility standards.
- All customer facing applications such as web applications, desktop applications and mobile applications should be accessible to visually impaired persons.
- The banks should have alternate methods of user authentication/password verification.
- All features especially those related to customer security must be accessible visually impaired persons.
VII. Lockers
- Visually impaired customers should be provided with locker facility on request.
- Suitable lockers conveniently located for operations may be allotted.
- Bank procedures for issuing a locker to a visually impaired customer must be the same as to any other customer.
- A visually impaired customer may be given the following options for operation of locker:
- Operation – Singly
- Operation - Singly with the assistance of a reliable person, as per the choice of the Applicant.
- Operation - Jointly.
- A visually impaired customer may request the person in-charge of the locker to be present when the locker is opened or to check if nothing has been left behind or fallen after the locker is closed.
VIII. Loans
- Loans must be made available to visually impaired customers as are offered to other customers and their impairment of vision should not be a criterion for sanctioning/denying a loan.
- No additional burden of interest payment, collateral and other terms should be imposed on the visually impaired customer.
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