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CBR Forum E-News Bulletin
A Compilation of News, Information and Updates in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities
August 2009
Disclaimer This e-news is a collation of articles/ news from national and international sources. The contents of the same do not necessarily represent the views of CBR Forum.
A: INDIA
Disabled moves court against dad
Chennai: A disabled and mentally retarded 32-year-old daughter moved a family court, seeking a permanent maintenance of Rs 5 lakh from her retired father.
Schizophrenic moves HC to get job back
MUMBAI: A Goregaon youth who suffers from schizophrenia has moved the Bombay high court in the hope of getting back his job with the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).
Consumer forum aids autistic child
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum at Bangalore (Urban) has come to the aid of a six-year-old autistic child who was dismissed from a school for no valid reason.
People with 40% disability to get monthly pension in Bihar
PATNA: The Bihar cabinet today decided to give pensions to those with 40 per cent disability removing the earlier criteria that the disabled persons should have an annual income of Rs 30,000 to be eligible for the pension.
ID numbers for state’s disabled
Jamshedpur, Aug. 19: Jharkhand Viklang Sansthan (JVS), a city-based NGO, has decided to issue identification numbers and ID cards to physically challenged persons in the state, much like the initiative taken by the district administration of Giridih.
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 25 2009: The president of All Tribal Disabled Union, Manipur (ATDUM), Momo Tantanga expressed discontentment and condemnation towards the state government for not taking care of the needs of the disabled people in the state
Centre wants disabled-friendly buildings
New Delhi, Aug 16, DH News Service:
Five years down the line, the Centre wants all buildings in the country to be disabled-friendly.
Comprehensive policy for welfare of disabled in the offing
New Delhi, Jul 31 A comprehensive policy for the all-round welfare of the disabled people in the national capital is in the offing, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today.
Disabled ill-treated in rly coaches
Chennai, Aug. 16: The special coach introduced by railways for the disabled no longer seems to serve the purpose. The physically handicapped who board the coach are treated harshly by the RPF and guards, and able-bodied persons also board the coach.
UP cops slaps criminal charges on disabled man
Lucknow: In Etawah district, some 300 kms from Lucknow, Ale Hasan, a man with 80 per cent disability, has been booked for attacking a police team during a clash between two groups in Bakewar town of the district.
Hospital staff rapes disabled girl
SAMBALPUR: Police have arrested an employee of VSS Medical College Hospital for allegedly raping a physically-challenged girl inside the hospital. The accused, Jaysingh Behera, a Group D staff at the hospital, was produced in court on Saturday.
Parents want mercy killing for 4 disabled sons
LUCKNOW: A farmer and his wife in Uttar Pradesh have sought President Pratibha Patil's permission for the mercy killing of all their four sons who have turned into virtual vegetables.
Will India allow these children to die?
A farmer and his wife in Uttar Pradesh have sought President Pratibha Patil's permission for the mercy killing of all their four sons who have turned into virtual vegetables. The four, aged 10 to 16 years, have been afflicted by muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease that has confined them to bed.
Cop, 3 others, held for beating disabled man to death
A sub-inspector was arrested, along with his son and two others, for beating a physically challenged man to death in Burari, North Delhi, on Sunday night.
Physically challenged student brutally ragged
Thrissur, Aug 24 (PTI) A physically challenged student of a polytechnic was allegedly beaten up by his seniors when he resisted their attempt to strip him during ragging.
In India, around 13 to 14 per cent of all school children suffer from learning disorders. Unfortunately, most schools fail to lend a sympathetic ear to their problems. As a result, these children are branded as failures
Dyslexic students can avoid maths, science in SSLC
Children with specific learning disability (SLD) or dyslexia have a reason to celebrate. The State government has given them an option to drop mathematics and general science from their studies in SSLC.
Education for disabled: Schools may get screen readers
New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Educating disabled children could soon become a smooth affair as secondary schools are in the process of getting Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and software, including screen readers and braille printers, to facilitate access to them.
HC extends helping hand to city's disabled
CHANDIGARH: City’s disabled, looking forward to a house of their own, now have a reason to smile as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the chairman of Chandigarh Housing Board to take a decision within six months on allotment of land or residence to them on concessional rates.
Disabled swimmer Masudur to cross Palk strait
Kolkata, Jul 30 (PTI) Twelve years after he crossed the English Channel, physically diasbled swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya today announced his next mission -- to cross the Palk Strait in July next year.
On Rakhi day, disabled Sarita inspires others to rise
ALLAHABAD: Rakshabandhan changed Sarita's life. She lost three limbs (both hands and a leg) in an accident involving a power cable at her mama's
(maternal uncle) residence on Rakhi festival a few years ago. But she has not let disability deter her determination and today she inspires others with numerous awards in her kitty.
Bollywood first for blind actor
A blind Indian is preparing for what is believed to be the first time a person with such a disability will perform a starring role in a Bollywood film.
Orissa govt to pay damages to eye surgery victims
BHUBANESWAR: After dithering for months, the state government has finally decided to pay compensation of Rs 1 lakh to each of the 13 persons, who had lost their eyesight, wholly or partially, following state-sponsored cataract operations at the Kalahandi district headquarter hospital at Bhawanipatna on January 22, 2007.
A01: SPECIAL SECTION ON - DEBATES ON RIGHT TO EDUCATION BILL AND INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Children’s education bill faces protests from disability activists
NEW DELHI: The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2009, which is being considered by the Lok Sabha, has invited protest from disability activists. They are of the view that the bill leaves out 20 million differently-abled children out of its ambit.
Rights groups cry foul over education Bill
KOLKATA: The Right to Education Bill tabled in Parliament could deny 400 million children in India the right to study, NGOs and social rights groups have pointed out.
Physically-disabled demanded provision in education bill
NEW DELHI - Hundreds of physically-disabled people staged a demonstration here, demanding provision for the differently abled in the new education bill.
Right to Education bill was presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday (July 30).
Education Bill fails to make a mark
Bengaluru, Aug 14: While politicians might see it as historic, the Right to Education Bill has failed to satisfy experts in the field who see several loopholes in it. “It says little and what it does not say is of great worry. It is inadequate, gives too little too late and continues to sideline the country's differently-abled children and the girl child,” say several educationists, who want to see suitable changes incorporated in the Bill to make it more responsive to the needs of the people, before it becomes law.
The wrongs in the Right to Education Bill
WHILE HRD minister Kapil Sibal’s 100-day plan has drawn mixed reactions — we need to congratulate him on taking such bold steps as scrapping of class X board exams and suggesting the setting-up of an accreditation board to rate schools.
Differently-abled come out on streets against Education Bill
Disability activists took to the city streets on Monday to protest against the Right to Education Bill. They demanded that the Bill be stalled until it is amended to include provision for disabled children.
Disabled left out of Right to Education Bill
CHENNAI: Activists of disabled rights groups are sour over Union Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal’s reported statement that the government lacks funds to spend on children with disability when they drew his attention to the Right to Education Bill not having a proper mention about disablity.
Disabled kids must have right to education too: NGO
New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Distraught that the Right to Education Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha Friday, does not specifically mention the rights of disabled children, a rights group here said the bill should be amended to make it more inclusive.
Students’ body protests against ‘flawed’ Right to Education Bill
Days after the Right to Education (RTE) Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) held a protest today. Many students and teachers from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia took part.
PM tells Sibal: factor in concerns of the disabled
Responding to concerns raised by activists that the Right to Education Bill excludes disabled children from its ambit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to have asked Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to make a statement in the House tomorrow before the Bill is put to vote.
Disability activists jubilant after PM assurance
CHENNAI: Activists of the Disability Rights Group are upbeat with the reported assurance of the prime Minister that the the Right to Education Bill would not be passed without taking their concerns into consideration.
Sibal faces Big Two quiz on school bill
New Delhi, Aug. 3: Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh today quizzed human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, concerned about a growing clamour for changes to the right to education bill under discussion in the Lok Sabha.
Rights of disabled children protected in RTE: HRD
NEW DELHI: The HRD ministry is understood to have convinced UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who made enquiries on Monday about the `shortcomings' in the Right to Education Bill, that the rights of disabled children are protected in the proposed legislation promising free and compulsory education to children in the age group of 6 to 14.
Sibal speech gets thumbs-up from disability rights activists
Disability rights activists have welcomed Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal’s Lok Sabha speech, made before the landmark Right to Education Act was passed on Tuesday.
‘Draft dilutes their fundamental rights’
Education Bill ignores disabled children: Experts
Latha Jishnu: The right to cut-rate education
The right is limited to some children for some kind of schooling with no guarantee of universal access or quality education for all.
Will education Bill guarantee equality?
Bill does not focus on learning outcomes
Educationists express concern over Right to Education Bill
The Right to Education Bill, passed this week by the Rajya Sabha, stops short of providing a common schooling system and discriminates between students in government schools and private unaided schools, say educationists.
B: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Australian Quadriplegic Wins Landmark Right to Die Case
An Australian court on Friday issued a landmark ruling that a quadriplegic man who wants to die had the right to stop being fed by his carers.
To sanction assisted suicide for the disabled is to rate their lives as less valuable
Debbie Purdy was "ecstatic" at winning her case, but it was received with dread by the majority of disabled people.
Cambodia cancels landmine pageant
A beauty pageant for landmine victims has been cancelled by the Cambodian government, which branded it an insult to disabled people.
Disabled soldiers to be fielded in Lankan polls
Colombo: Sri Lanka's ruling UPFA has decided to field three soldiers, who lost their limbs in the war against LTTE, in the polls for the Southern Provincial Council next month.
Read more:
Police officer 'denied promotion due to dyslexia'
A senior officer in Gloucestershire Police lost out on further promotion and was ''victimised'' after raising his dyslexia late in his career, a tribunal was told today
Disabled ski team defies gravity
It was a case of "swing low, sweet chariot" when members of the British Disabled Ski Team took time out of their Winter Games racing schedule to play with gravity at the Shotover Canyon Swing
The first Disabled British Open
Richard Saunders marches up to me on the first tee and firmly clasps my hand. A few seconds later, I have no memory of what the handshake actually felt like, only a lasting impression of strength. Saunders, a Thalidomide victim, was born with no wrists, short arms and very small hands, the right with two fingers, the left with one.
Japanese 'robot suit' to help disabled
A Japanese company has unveiled a robotic suit that is designed to help people with weak limbs or limited physical range to walk and move like an able-bodied person.
C: RESOURCES – Newsletter, Publication,Journal, Guideline,Website
Get Inspired - Airborne To Chairborne - MP Anilkumar
All my attempts to move my limbs ended futilely. The pain in the neck was excruciating and it intensified by the second. I was stumped for a moment but quickly recovered to realize the seriousness and significance of my inability to get up.
UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Indian debates on abortion are riddled with anxieties about privileging the rights of the child over those of the woman, writes Chirosree Basu
Watch Short Films Made by Young Persons with Disabilities
I am writing to you about some short films made by Young Voices members, which you can now view on the You Tube. "Young Voices" is a Global Network of young persons with Disabilities. It brings together Young People, with different types of Disabilities, from across 18 Countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. - Gopal Mitra, International Campaigns Co-ordinator, Leonard Cheshire Disability
The videos can be viewed at:
www.youtube.com/youngvoiceslcd
Family of Disabled (FOD) is a registered charitable trust engaged in the service of people with disabilities since 1992. Being a cross-disability organization, FOD is able to serve people with different disabilities.
D: ANNOUNCEMENTS
12th DUSKIN leadership training has been announced.
This program is intended for persons with disabilities in Asian and Pacific regions who have potential to be community leaders.
For more information Contact duskin_training@dinf.ne.jp
Announcement of availability of Funds to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities within USAID's development activities
In light of President Obama's recent decision to sign the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, July 30; we are pleased to inform you that funding has been made available to USAID Missions and Washington Operating Units (WOUs) to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in development activities.
Please contact the local USAID Mission and/or Rob Horvath rhorvath@usaid.gov or Sue Eitel seitel@usaid.gov
8th National Training Course on CBR for Programme Coordinators
ActionAid Disability Unit is happy to announce 8th National Training Course on CBR for Programme Co-ordinators (Hindi) scheduled from 29th Oct – 4th Nov 2009 at Jaipur.
Disability News and Information Service (DNIS)
The August 15 issue of Disability News and Information Service (D.N.I.S.) is now on. Log on to www.dnis.org to get the stories of the disability sector.
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Disclaimer: This e-news is a collation of articles/ news from national and international sources. The contents of the same do not necessarily represent the views of CBR Forum.