"Towards Ability" On Thursdays 8:30 am, AIR Chennai

Tune in on Thursday mornings at 8:30 am to All India Radio Madras for a 15-minute capsule especially for persons with disabilities.

Scripted in Tamil, 'Thiramayil Disayil' (Towards Ability) is divided into three principal sections, the first of which is 'Arivom, Unarvom' (to understand, to realise) which provides useful information to the person with a disability, to the parent, the teacher and/or the caregiver.

Since the first step to demanding rights is to know them, the 'Chattam Enna Chollugirathu' (what the law says) section looks into the rights and entitlements that are the due of disabled people, and their implications. Various aspects of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 are discussed, since it recognizes the rights of disabled people, and spells out the obligations of the government and the rest of society in ensuring and promoting the full participation of disabled people in society. Also in focus is the National Trust Act, which specifically looks at people with mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy, whose specific needs are not covered under the PWD Act.

In 'Santhippom, Pesuvom' (we meet, we speak), there is first-hand information from eminent people, disability activists as well as policy makers, who elucidate new thinking and developments in this field. And finally, Revathy Menon answers one question per week in 'Neengal Kaetta Kaelvi' (the question you have asked), the helpline segment.

As yet the questions border on the simple reflecting that most people do not even know where to turn for initial problems like: 'My daughter has low vision and needs a school which is sensitive to her needs. Where do I go? Is a blind school the answer? Can I admit her in a mainstream school?' Or, 'My son is a spastic, a wheelchair-user, and has to appear for an exam and the hall is on the first floor. The authorities won't help, is there something I can do?'"

The presentation is upbeat and positive. Says Jayshree Raveendran, Director of Ability Foundation, whose brainchild this initiative is, "the idea is to get the disability sector out of the charity mode. We have to come out of this 'will you help me?' attitude of desperation and helplessness. It is not about being thankful for what is being doled out but to assert ourselves. And that can only come from empowerment that again comes from education. That will remain the focus of this program."

Jayshree benefited from her interaction with Jean Parker of Empowerment Productions, an independent producer from Denver, USA. Parker, a visually impaired creator, producer and program host of Disability Radio Worldwide, is quoted in an interview in Success & Ability (the Foundation's bi-monthly publication) as saying that her programmes, which discuss disability from a human rights perspective, get a surprisingly enthusiastic response from non-disabled persons too.

Per-station sponsorship support per program costs about Rs 700 (US$1=Rs48) and across the whole of Tamil Nadu, a program of this duration needs only about Rs 4,000 of advertising support.

Hope many more States follow suit!

Source: DIN Newsdesk