March 2009
A: INDIA
Alert
Election Special - Refer to the last section on What you can do?
Disability rights group welcome CPI-M manifesto
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Disability groups Wednesday hailed the Communist Party of India-Marxist election manifesto (Search for Differently Abled People at http://www.cpim.org/manifesto.pdf ), saying the party was the first to recognize and address administrative issues on disability.
Amid democracy and economic progress, India is home to 230 million hungry people
An Indian paradox: 42.5 pc kids malnourished, By Somini Sengupta
Disabilities commissioner chair saw four faces within one year
PUNE: Instead of using the disabilities commissioner post to serve the underprivileged, the appointees consider it more as a punishment posting…
Smile Pinky documentary grabs an Oscar
Each year there are 35,000 children born with Cleft - They face a life of shame and isolation - Smile Pinky
Concessions for dyslexic children during exams
Bangalore, DHNS:
Dyslexic children of Karnataka enjoy concessions while writing 10th Standard examinations this year.
Government restores extra hour for visually handicapped students
CHENNAI: The government has decided to cancel an official communiqué that withdrew the extra time for visually handicapped students writing the Board exams, according to senior government officials. No existing concession will be withdrawn, government officials told The Hindu.
More specially-abled students to appear for CBSE board exams
Sangeetha B K and Sandeep Moudgal, DH News Service, Bangalore:
It is an indicator of changing attitude of society towards specially abled students. As many as 3,935 specially abled students will appear for the CBSE board examination beginning from Monday.
Blindness has not kept her from chasing dreams
Jagadish Angadi, DH News Service, Bangalore:
Young and energetic, pursuing her Arts degree here, her's is an unsung tale of success. A multi-faceted personality, Indiramma has bagged several prizes in state and national level sports events.
When this better half made her life whole
R Venkatesh, Bangalore, DH News Service:
This true love story began three years ago, on the eve of Women's Day. When Venkatesh, friend of Hemavathis brother, expressed his love for her, she brushed it aside as a show of sympathy.
Bangalore, dhns: The women's Day special story published in these columns on March 8 under the headline “When this better half made her life whole” has received an overwhelming response from our readers.
Regional centre for disabled to open in state
PATNA: The foundation stone of the much-awaited Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for persons with disabilities will be laid here on Friday.
Women with disabilities discriminated even by family members’
Chandigarh: This observation was made by Era Walton, coordinator of the local chapter of Deafway Foundation, an NGO, during a seminar held on women’s empowerment at the Chandigarh Club on Friday.
Women with disabilities miss out on employment opportunities: survey
CHENNAI: The survey, done by Tejas, a self-advocacy group of disabled women, dealt with the status of employment of women with disabilities.
Three teachers held for sexually exploiting schoolchildren
Shimla, March 18 (IANS) Three teachers, including a school principal, were arrested Wednesday in the Himachal Pradesh capital on charges of sexual exploitation of six deaf and dumb children, the police said.
Father Seeks Permission to Kill Disabled Son
Driven by abject poverty, a father in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh has appealed to local authorities to permit the mercy killing of his three disabled sons, officials said on Thursday, 29th January.
Court asks UPSC to appoint visually impaired man
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday provided a ray of hope for a visually impaired man and asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to appoint him within six weeks on the basis of the civil service examination he cleared in 2006
B: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Eleanor Simmonds receives her M.B.E
Dwarf Athletic Association aims to make regular sporting opportunity accessible and enjoyable to anyone and everyone of restricted growth in the United Kingdom.
Psychiatric disabilities need accommodation in the workplace
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1997 provides protection from discrimination in the workplace for those with both physical and mental disabilities. But what about the less visible psychiatric disabilities? How well have they been accommodated?
Facing death, a plea for the dignity of psychiatric patients
A talk with Judi Chamberlain
A seriously ill baby has died just hours after a judge ruled doctor's should turn off his life support machine against his parents' wishes.
How Obama can make up for his gaffe
When President Barack Obama joked to Jay Leno that his inept bowling skills are “like Special Olympics or something,” my first reaction was to feel outraged and betrayed on behalf of my brother. On reflection, however, I agreed entirely with the response offered by Obama spokesman Bill Burton—that Obama made “an offhand remark,” and didn’t mean any harm.
On 27 February 2009, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation decided its first case concerning regulations and procedures for assessing legal capacity, one of the key issues affecting people with mental disabilities and their participation on an equal basis with others in exercising basic human rights.
One-armed TV host scares kids, parents say
Experts say that adults’ wariness of BBC TV show host is ‘old-fashioned’
Brenda Power: Sorry but being fat is a choice, not a disability
Bernadette Treanor is claiming discrimination against an insurer who loaded her premium because she was obese
Sex matters: Relationships and disabilities
Lucy Baxter's appeal for a woman to have sex with her son, who has Down's syndrome, shone a light on one of society's last taboos. Nina Lakhani reports
"Intellectual disability" is the new "mental retardation"
The Washington Legislature is scrubbing the term "mental retardation" from state laws, and replacing it with "intellectual disability," reports the Associated Press. The House passed HB 1835 unanimously today, and it now goes to the Senate. Supporters say "mental retardation" is an outdated and offensive term. And Joe Turner says the legislature isn't doing anything....
CSUN Center on Disabilities breaking stereotypes and advocating for educational equality
A multiple-choice exam begins and students hurry to take out their pencils and scantrons.
United Airlines to Pay $850,000 for Disability Discrimination
United’s Policy Denied Employees With Disabilities Opportunity to Work Overtime, EEOC Charged
Respect disability as a human diversity
Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource Centre - working towards ensuring a life of respect and dignity for persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka
New leg for mine blast elephant
An elephant in Thailand has been fitted with a new false leg, after outgrowing her original prosthetic.
C: RESOURCES – Newsletter, Publication, Journal, Guideline, Website
"Mathematics Braille Software" - WIMATS
In collaboration with International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), Webel Mediatronics Limited (WML) has developed an advanced Mathematics / Scientific Text to Braille Transcription Software in English following Nemeth Code.
Visit www.braille-aids.in for further details
Download presentations of Pre-Congress Workshop
AIFO has posted the presentations on CBR and mental health, CBR and UN Convention on rights of persons with disabilities and CBR and leprosy held during the Asia Pacific Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) Congress, Bangkok, Feb 2009
Leonard Cheshire Disability International - South Asia Regional Office, click the following link to view the Empowered Volume 4 Issue 3
Newsletter of Design For All Institute of India
Click on the following link for February 2009 Vol-4, No-1 Newsletter of Design For All Institute of India
Your Right to Fly and other interesting materials
The UK Equality and Human Rights Commission have recently published some interesting materials
Global Initiative to Enfranchise People with Disabilities
Welcome to IFES' "ElectionAccess.org" - the first and only clearinghouse for information on the participation of people with disabilities in the electoral process. http://www.electionaccess.org/
Human Rights Council holds Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Human Rights Council, 6 March 2009
D: ANNOUNCEMENTS
Small grants programme for deaf children
Since 2002, Deaf Child Worldwide has supported organisations working to help deaf children overcome the barriers that contribute to their poverty and isolation. Round 8 of Deaf Child Worldwide’s Small Grants Programme (SGP) open on 19 March 2009.
Deaf Child Worldwide is focusing its activities in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania), South Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and Latin America (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). You must be based in one of these countries to apply to SGP.
Visit: www.deafchildworldwide.info
IGNOU to offer BA programmes for deaf and speech-impaired persons
New Delhi, March 05: At part its efforts to educate and empower deaf and speech-impaired persons, IGNOU has decided to enter into an understanding with University of Central Lancashire (UCL) to offer a bachelor programme in 'sign language education' and BA in 'applied sign language studies.'
Scholarships for Deaf Students
BA (Hons) Applied Sign Language Studies - An initiative by: International Centre for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies, Preston, UK, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India and Deaf Empowerment Foundation, The Netherlands.
For more details visit http://www.def-intl.org/?q=node/20
Bangalore, DHNS:
The office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Karnataka along with Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Bangalore will provide free legal service to disabled at the office of the Commissioner for Disabilities. The service will be offered every Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm at No 40, Thambuchetty Road, Cox Town. For more information call 25482641.
B.Ed. Special Education Admissions – 2008-09
Karnataka State Open University, Manasagangotri, Mysore – 570 006.
For details contact CBR NETWORK (South Asia) cbrnet@airtelmail.in
11th International Training Course on Disability and Development, May 2008-Bangalore
The ten-day intensive exercise is intended for Programme Managers of organisations and projects involved in development and disability work.For details and application contact The Training Co-ordinator, ActionAid, Tel: 0091-80-25586682 Fax: 0091-80-25586284, raghavendra.b@actionaid.org
International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights
ILS Law College, (Pune, India), the Indian Law Society and the World Health Organization are pleased to announce admissions for International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights the academic year 2009-10.
For more information, go to http://www.mentalhealthlaw.in/
CALL FOR PAPERS: “Female Entrepreneurship: Constraints and Opportunities”
The Gender and Development unit in PREM, World Bank, in collaboration with the International Policy Center at the Gerald R. Ford School, University of Michigan is organizing a Conference on “Female Entrepreneurship: Constraints and Opportunities.” to be held in Washington DC, at the World Bank Headquarters, on June 2-3, 2009.
For details visit http://www.worldbank.org/gender
Braille without Borders - International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs offers One Year Course on Empowerment
For more information visit http://www.bwb-iise.org/ or email: BrailleWB@gmx.net
Alert
Election Special - What you can do?
What can you do to enhance the visibility of persons with disabilities during these elections and to ensure that the issues of persons with disabilities are firmly included in the election manifestos during this election?
1. You can write letters to the Chief Election Commissioner and to respective State Election Commissioner urging them to ensure polling booths are accessible and ensuring publicity in the media to encourage persons with disabilities vote.
2. You can write to/ approach Political Parties/ Candidates to include the issues of persons with disabilities in their manifestos.
3. You can motivate all persons with disabilities and their families to vote
Please find below the drafts of the 2 letters/ notes drafted by Shri. Javed Abidi, Convenor, Disability Rights Group (DRG) that you could adapt in your campaign.
Do keep us posted about your campaign…
Draft#1
Letter that you could adapt to write to the Chief Election Commissioner/ State Election Commissioner
Shri. N.Gopalaswami
Chief Election Commissioner
Nirvachan Sadan
Ashoka Road
New Delhi – 110 011
Dear Sir,
Subject: Building awareness and Ensuring Persons with Disabilities vote during this elections
In the case of DRG Versus Chief Election Commissioner & Anr., Writ Petition (Civil) No. 187 of 2009, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has very clearly and specifically directed you to not only create special facilities for disabled people to exercise their franchise in the elections, with safety and dignity but to also give sufficient publicity regarding these measures.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court has clearly stated, “…sufficient publicity should also be given in the print and electronic media about the availability of such facilities so that persons with disabilities are aware of the facilities beforehand and are, thus encouraged to go and exercise their franchise.”
Sir, as you are aware, this Order was passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in October, 2007. Sufficient time has elapsed since then and now we are at the doorstep of the General Elections 2009.
Thus far, we have not seen a single advertisement either in the print media or on radio or on television. We request you to take urgent steps to remedy the situation.
We are not aware if it is the Election Commission, which directly issues/ commissions advertisement and publicity campaigns or is it that on your express direction, the Central Government (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, etc.) and also the State Governments and Union Territory administrations will do the needful. Whatever be the case, this huge opportunity must not be lost.
As far as we in the Indian disability sector are concerned, for us it is a huge moment. For us, the General Elections 2009 will be the Nation’s first accessible and disabled friendly elections since India became independent in 1947! The significance of this turn in our democratic history must not be lost. Now, it is upto you Sir, to please ensure that disabled voters are not only made aware but are also “encouraged” to go out and vote.
With best regards,
Copy to:
1. Shri Navin Chawla, navinchawla@eci.gov.in
2. Dr. S.Y Quraishi, syquraishi@eci.gov.in
Draft#2
Letter that you could adapt to write to/ approach Political Parties/ Candidates to include the issues of persons with disabilities in their manifestos
Dear Smt/ Shri/ Political Party
Greetings,
We would like to draw your attention on the status of persons with disabilities in India
- 55 per cent of the disabled in India were illiterate and about 9 per cent completed ‘secondary and above’ level of education and
- Out of every 1000 persons with disabilities – 749 were out of labour force (Source 58th Round of National Sample Survey 2002)
5-6% of India's population is persons with disabilities. Conservative estimates suggest that at least 70 million people in our country have one disability or the other.
It was only in 1995 that Persons with Disabilities Act was enacted to guarantee them some of their rights. It has been over 13 years since the passage and enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act and yet it remains only on paper.
Recently the Government of India ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities on 1st October 2007.
In 2007, the XIth Five Year Plan was also formulated which contains a detailed section on Empowering Persons with Disabilities.
It has been more than a year now but these instruments also remain only on paper.
Whether it is the area of education or employment or basic health, disabled people continue to suffer.
Educational institutions (Govt./ Private) don't always follow the 3% reservation and even if they do, the campus is totally inaccessible to a student with disability.
Most government employers have not fulfilled the 3% quota either and the private sector continues to remain as insensitive as ever.
One of the biggest needs of the disabled people is accessibility and a barrier-free environment and nothing has been done in this regard either. If a disabled boy or girl, man or woman cannot even step out of his or her home and when the public transport is totally inaccessible, the public buildings are not barrier-free, than how does he or she attain education or go to a job or just live a simple living. It is as much the right of a disabled person to be able to go to cinemas or shopping or to a public park as any other citizen of India.
We strongly feel that the time has come for the Indian Government to focus urgently and specifically on the needs and aspirations of India's 70 million disabled citizens.
As persons with disabilities and organisations working for the rights of persons with disabilities we urge you to include the following points in the manifesto of the Congress Party.
- Set up a separate Ministry for their cause, namely the Ministry of Disability Affairs.
- Ensure that the 3 instruments namely - The Persons with Disabilities Act, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the XIth Plan are firmly acted upon in letter as well as in spirit.
- Ensure all Ministries, particularly the key Ministries like Health, HRD, Railways, Rural Development, Urban Development, Information and Technology and so on will have to realise their responsibility and ensure persons with disabilities are able to access the services/ facilities without any barriers/ restrictions.
- Ensure that each of these Ministries realise their responsibility and in the light of the above three instruments, draw detailed plans and guidelines and that a minimum of 3% of their total budget is allocated towards this purpose.
We look forward for your positive response.
With warm regards
Best wishes
We hope you liked this issue of the E- News Bulletin…