February 2009
A: INDIA
CBSE launches helplines for special children
New Delhi: In an effort to help special children in solving their queries related to board exams, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for the first time has started special helplines with designated educators to answer the queries of disabled students who are taking Class 10 and Class 12 exams.
HC asks Delhi govt to form committees for disabled kids' edu
The Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Government to constitute two committees which will monitor the implementation of existing government schemes for the welfare of disabled children so as to boost their education. A bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Sanjeev Khanna directed the Delhi Government to form two committees-- one Advisory and other Monitoring committee-- both headed by the Secretary Education, Ms Rina Ray.
600 hearing impaired in mainstream schools
CHENNAI: Balavidyalaya school for the young deaf children on Wednesday celebrated its 39th annual day taking credit for rehabilitating about 600 hearing impaired children and putting them in mainstream schools.
Revised guidelines of National Trust for operation of bank accounts by LLCs
The revised guidelines of National Trust for operation of bank accounts by LLCs effective from 30.5.08 for your perusal. For further details, see the national trust website, www.thenationaltrust.in
Their determination drives disability to the fence
Cricket tournament held for physically challenged in Tiruchi
Film festival cancelled due to inaccessible location for disabled people
PANAJI: Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG), which comprises of differently abled people, has claimed that the Tri Continental Film Festival 2009, which was organized in Goa in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) at the Marquinez Palace in Panaji, has been cancelled as the venue was not disabled friendly.
Mothers in lonely struggle to raise disabled children
MUMBAI: Five-year-old Ahana, whose mother Anandita Mishra was stabbed to death by a jealous colleague in Navi Mumbai last September, is fighting
for life in intensive care. Her father, who works in Delhi, left the family several years ago, and has not even called after Anandita's death. Her grandmother, Purnima Goswami, worrying about the child-who suffers from severe cerebral palsy - and says she does not know what it was that made her son-in-law leave, but fears that Ahana's disability could have been one of the factors.
LIC pulled up for denying constable disability claim
New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) A consumer court here has pulled up the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for rejecting the claim of a disabled applicant and warned the insurance sector not to reject rightful claims of consumers on flimsy grounds.
Louis Braille - postal stamp released
To commemorate the birth bicentenary of Louis Braille, the Government of India has released a postal stamp of Rs. 5.00. Another interesting fact is that the name Louis Braille is embossed in Braille itself.
Indian websites not designed for the visually impaired
New Delhi: Ajay and Sonu are both students at the Delhi University. Being visually impaired doesn't stop them from pursuing their Masters in Political Science. But there's something else that does.
"I have a computer, an internet connection, a software that reads out the text for me but the problems is I cant access the websites," says Ajay.
Web access guidelines have been changed
Congratulations! We scored a major victory. Henceforth, all Government websites will be WCAG 2.0 Level 1 compliant. Today the IT Minister will launch India's first accessible portal – www.India.gov.in
Javed Abidi, 17.02.2009
New facility for air passengers
NEW DELHI: Delhi International Airport Limited has set up a new facility at Indira Gandhi International Airport here to cater to passengers with special needs.
India's Garment Industry Steps Up Efforts to Hire People with Disabilities
Training programs in India prepare people with disabilities for jobs in the garment industry.
Polio-crippled Indian joins the race for Oscars
Meerut, Feb 3 (ANI): Overcoming his polio handicap, an Indian man joined the race for Oscars from a non-descript part of Meerut after appearing as the lead protagonist in the Oscar nominated documentary 'The Final Inch'.
CBR Forum partners’ meeting concludes in North East and East
Dimapur, February 13 (MExN): The ten partners of the Community Based Rehabilitation Forum (CBRF) from North East India held a partners’ meeting on February 12 and 13.
http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/14086.html
Click here for news about the CBR Forum Partners Meet in Orissa for the CBR Forum Partners from the East
http://www.newsweb.co.in/news_article_en.php?article=125
B: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
First session of CRPD
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will hold its first session from 23 to 27 February 2007 at Palais des Nations in Geneva.
All relevant documentation concerning the session is available on the secretariat's website at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crpd/sessions.htm
Time to get serious on helping the disabled, congress told.
Delegates from 69 countries in Asia and the Pacific joined a congress of community based rehabilitation (CBR) in Bangkok this week to improve the lives of people with disabilities, to empower them and promote an inclusive and barrier free society for them.
"Rudely Interrupted"
This is about members of the rock group "Rudely Interrupted" that preformed at the UN during the International day of Disabled persons last year. Five out of the 6 members share a range of both physical and intellectual disabilities but most importantly, a common interest in self expression through music. Their achievements, both personal and professional to date are extraordinary.
http://www.rudelyinterrupted.com/biography.php
Activists demand resignation of House reps with disability
Disabled rights activists yesterday demanded immediate resignation of legislators representing people with disabilities in Parliament allegedly for failing to address properly the issue of albino killings
http://ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2009/02/03/130856.html
Disability commission rejected
New Zealand
The Government has rejected a parliamentary committee's recommendation that a single agency should be established to oversee the disability sector.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4843240a11.html
Hope for Viewers with Hearing & Speech Impairment
The government of Bangladesh has decided to bridge information gap with people with Hearing & Speech Impairment by the promotion of sign language interpretation through Bangladesh Television and other private TV channels in the country.
Wheelchair user sues LIRR for public embarassment
Having lived with cerebral palsy all his 22 years, Anthony Faggiani has become accustomed to occasional stares as he goes out in his wheelchair.
But he never expected the kind of attention he got in August while riding on the Long Island Rail Road, said the East Islip man who is suing the agency for drawing unwelcome attention to his disability.
Spina Bifida has limited my mobility but not my ability to create thought provoking images
"I was born with spina bifida which means I can't climb mountains and get into the wilderness. That's why I started using the old-world technique of photograms that I am now interpreting in a new way which I call Rodergrams" says Rod Westbrook from Tasmania.
http://users.bit.net.au/Rodergrams/slicesofnature/index.html
Athlete with cerebral palsy will be honored
'She focuses on her ability, not her disability'
Cerebral palsy has proved to be an opportunity, rather than a disability, for Sally Ann Heath.
Victoria Brignell, The tragic death by assisted suicide of a young rugby player who chose to die because he'd been rendered paralysed raises all sorts of difficult ethical issues
Italian woman in right-to-die case dies
The woman at the heart of a bitter right-to-die debate died, just as lawmakers began debating a bill designed to keep her alive, news reports said. Eluana Englaro, 38, had been in a vegetative state since she was involved in a car accident 17 years ago.
Helping autistic adults to grow
Program seeks to instill greater self-sufficiency and social skills
3rd South Asian regional confce on autism held
The Welfare of Autistic Children (SWAC), the pioneer institution in Bangladesh to fight autism, organised the 3rd South Asian Regional Conference on Autism recently. The theme of the conference was 'Support through Understanding'.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=74349
Taxi driver fined for disability discrimination
A TAXI driver has been fined more than £2,000 for refusing to take a booking for a woman and her guide dog.
http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/articles/1/8885
Airline insisted that man needed an attendant to fly
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered Air Canada to pay $10,000 to Eddie Morten -- a Vancouver man who is deaf and with limited vision in just one eye -- on the basis the company discriminated against him by demanding he fly with an attendant.
Caregiver ordered to pay $40,000
A former Wanganui caregiver has been ordered to pay $40,000 in damages and costs for inap-propriate sexual behaviour with a disabled teenager in his care.
Autobiography depicts life with disability
Allison Wetherbee doesn't mind talking about her disability; in fact she wrote a book about growing up with it. Wetherbee, who was born without arms or legs, talks about growing up with the disability in her new book entitled "I Was Born That Way"
Stem cell injection offers fresh hope for MS sufferers
Stem cell injections can reverse the crippling effects of multiple sclerosis, a study published today says.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-02/02/content_7439309.htm
Hotels' disability accessibility will show on Web sites
OAKLAND — A disability rights class-action lawsuit filed against two of the nation's largest Internet-based travel agencies was settled this week, giving disabled travelers a way to search and book rooms accommodating their needs. Expedia.com and subsidiary Hotels.com have agreed to offer new search functions on their Web sites allowing wheelchair users to search and book accessible rooms, a service that had been unavailable.
Sex and disability: what can we learn?
Their sex lives have always been an uncomfortable topic of conversation. Now the disabled are determined that we listen and learn. What are they able to teach the rest of us about sexual fulfilment?
The road to equality can be bumpy for disabled
I have learned a great deal over the years while using a wheelchair to move around. When I was 11 years old, I could not wait for my first day of band practice. With drum sticks in hand, I followed the rest of my fellow classmates to the gym, only to discover that stairs separated me from the classroom.
Shawn Murinko is the state Department of Transportation's ADA compliance officer and serves as a commissioner on the state Human Rights Commission. A member of The Olympian's Diversity Panel, Murinko, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, can be reached at smurinko@comcast.net.
http://www.theolympian.com/479/story/757233.html
Recession, Job Losses Hit Those with Disabilities Hard
Weak economy, massive job cuts and poor health leave people with disabilities struggling; knowing when and why to apply for Social Security disability is essential to their financial future.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/Allsup/SSDI/prweb2054694.htm
Parents of Children With Disabilities Face More Daily Stress
Raising a child with a disability can cause more daily stress and long-range health problems than parenting a child without disabilities, according to a new study that looked at a clinical measure of stress along with parents’ survey responses.
http://www.cfah.org/hbns/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1849
C: RESOURCES – Newsletter, Publication,Journal, Guideline,Website
DPI's Guide to CRPD
Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) has developed "Guidelines on Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)"
Click here to download the DPI's Guide to CRPD.
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/details.php?page=950
"Deaf people and Human Rights"
World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and Swedish National Association of the Deaf (SDR) are proud to release the report "Deaf People and Human Rights", written by Ms Hilde Haualand, Researcher, and Mr Colin Allen, Project Co-ordinator of the Global Education Pre-Planning Project on the Human Rights of Deaf People.
For anyone who would like to download the written English version of the report, it will be available shortly from WFD web site for free. The website is http://www.wfdeaf.org/projects.html
Disability News India (DNI)
Disability News India (DNI), is a disability News service dedicated to providing a quality up-to-date information to the Indian Disability. DNI's news section is updated two times a week, though we also add breaking stories as and when they occur.
http://www.disabilityindia.com/html/news.html
SPASTN NEWSLETTER
To subscribe contact The Director, SPASTN thespasticssocietyoftamilnadu@gmail.com
Disability Rights Law and Policy International and National Perspectives
Editors: Mary Lou Breslin and Silvia Yee
http://dredf.org/international/book.shtml
National e-Governance Plan
Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Govt. of India. Public services closer home, Available Soon: Services related to Public Welfare, Education (Scholarships, Admissions, Results), Pension (Old Age, Widow, Handicapped), Ration Card, Public Grievance Redressal, Police (First Information Report), Right to Information and many more
Media dis&dat
Reflections on media images of people with disabilities and disability issues...
http://media-dis-n-dat.blogspot.com/2009/01/film-festival-in-one-city-in-india.html
UN Youth Flash
WELCOME to the UN Youth Flash, a service of the United Nations Programme on Youth to keep you informed about the work of the UN on youth issues. UN Youth Flash can also be read on-line at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/flash.htm.
D: ANNOUNCEMENTS
Disability Rights Fund Releases 2009 Request for Proposals: 3 New Countries Targeted in First Round
BOSTON, MA – The Disability Rights Fund (DRF)—a groundbreaking grant making collaborative supporting the human rights of people with disabilities—today announced its first 2009 grants round, “Raising Our Voice,” targeted at disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs) in three countries: India, Mexico and Ukraine.
Contact: Diana Samarasan, Director
Email: dsamarasan@disabilityrightsfund.org
Invitation for Conference on Accessible Transportation & Tourism on 24-25th March 2009 at IHC New Delhi
For details contact - Subhash Chandra Vashishth
Program Coordinator - Svayam
Jindal Centre, 12 Bhikaiji Cama Place, New Delhi - 110066
Board Numbers: +91 (11) 26188360-74, Direct: 41462323
Mobile: 9811125521, Fax: (+91 (11) 26161271, 26170691
email: subhash.vashishth@jindalsaw.com, subhashvashishth@gmail.com
Web: www.svayam.com
IDA - Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the CRPD Implementation and Monitoring
MANILA DECLARATION, February 11-12th, 2009
http://www.apids.org/page10.htm
Master's Degree in International Development
Gallaudet University offers a Master's Degree in International Development which prepares students to collaborate with a variety of groups which wish to include people with disabilities in their organizations, development projects and programs.
For more information about the Master's Degree, please visit: http://edf.gallaudet.edu/x2607.xml or contact Amy Wilson at amy.wilson@gallaudet.edu mailto:amy.wilson@gallaudet.edu
Scholarships Applied Sign Language Studies in India
The Deaf Empowerment Foundation is offering scholarships for students in the 2009/2010 academic year for study in the newly launched 4-year BA (Hons) Applied Sign Language Studies.
For further information contact Sibaji Panda at spanda@uclan.ac.uk
See also www.def-intl.org and www.uclan.ac.uk/islands
Deaf students of all nationalities who fulfill the scholarship criteria are eligible. To apply, please email Claire Perdomo at CLPerdomo1@uclan.ac.uk and ask for an application pack to be sent to you.
Please Save the Date: Roundtable on Women with Disabilities in Development, March 10th (9 am - 2 pm), Washington DC
For details contact:
Laura McDonald
The World Bank