From the States

Government to redesign its flats

The UT Administration is planning to redesign the houses of its handicapped employees in accordance with Section 46 of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.

Senior UT Employees Union's office-bearer, Rakesh Kumar criticized the UT Administration's House Allotment Committee saying that it is an unfair move for those with 20-40 percentage handicap who are presently staying in government accommodation.

Another office-bearer of the union, Bal Kishan decried the exclusion of employees of Punjab and Haryana governments.

Rued Vijay Kumar, president of National Federation of the Blind (Haryana chapter), "Our voices go unheard whenever we raise it against such unfruitful policies for the handicapped."

Meanwhile, Chandigarh Administration has invited applications from handicapped government employees in possession of government accommodation allotted by the secretary of house allotment committee, UT.

Applications giving the details of modifications, along with disability certificate issued by the medical board are to reach the office of director of social welfare, latest by May 15, 2007.

Source: Walia, R: Barrier Free Homes Fail to Mend Fences for the Disabled. Times News Network, 7 April 2007.

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Bhagavad Gita in Braile

A Braille version of the Hindu devotional and philosophic book, Bhagavad Gita, has been developed for the benefits of visually impaired persons by a spiritual institution in Kerala. The two-volume unabridged version in Malayalam Braille covers all the chapters and shlokas (stanzas).

The first ever Braille version of the Gita, was developed with the help of the Association of Blind and Software experts, according to Swami Sandeep Chitanya of the School of Bhagavad Gita. “It is interesting to note that the Gita opens with Sanjay describing the scene of the epic Kurukshetra war to the blind king Dritharashtra. So it is fair that visually impaired persons in our time should not miss an opportunity to read and grasp this eternal work,” Chaitanya said.

“When you go through the Gita, you can see how graphically Sanjay describes every minute detail of the scene to a blind person,” he added.

Source: Bhagavad Gita in Braille. Mumbai Mirror, Daily, 14 April 2007.

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Computer center donated by Indian Express group

The Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC), Khadki, has a new computer centre with 14 computers for the use of its tetraplegic inmates. Paraplegic are also allowed use of the new centre.

Being set up at a cost of Rs 13.90 lakh, the centre will be ready in two months. The facility is an initiative of The Indian Express and will be inaugurated on the occasion of PRC’s Foundation Day celebrations on June 27. The PRC looks after the rehabilitation of disabled defense personnel. 

The centre will consist of computer with the latest configuration, inverters, printers and Internet connection and will impart training to tetraplegics who have lost all four limbs and have no control over their bladder and bowels.

The Pune Sub Areas Commander Brigadier RJ Sharma was handed over a cheque for Rs 13.19 lakh by The Indian Express Deputy Resident Editor, Pune, Vinod Mathew Jacob. Accepting the cheque at the Pune Sub Area office, Sharma said, “It is a generous gesture on the part of the Express group. Initiatives like this infuse fresh enthusiasm amongst the PRC inmates and boost their morale.

Source: Express group funds computer centre for disabled in Army. Indian Express, Daily, Mumbai, 15 April 2007.

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LD in India

There are more than 20 million pupils with learning disabilities in India. Due to the lack of training, teachers tend to ignore their behavioural and psychological problems, which at a later stage affect the child’s self esteem and mental health. Senior pediatrician, Dr. Rajeev Seth, at Rockland hospital says, “Dyslexia or LD is an unexplained condition which occurs in children with normal intelligence but results in significant delay in one or more areas of learning, despite normal vision, hearing, and no physical handicaps”.

Adding to the woes is the fact that teachers are not able to identify the problems which adds to the difficulties in handling such children, which in turn creates an unwanted pressure on the latter to perform in exactly the same way as other children their age. Thus, it is not that they have not learnt what is taught in class, it is just that they are unable to reproduce it in the manner presently acceptable in our examination system.

Joyshree, Consultant, Child Development at Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (VIMHANS) emphasizes that if children are given remedial education together with a structured programme, they can cope up with the regular school system, and also help them improve their self esteem. She further says, “If the LD is identified in a child below the age of 7 years then it is possible to zero down the problem.”

At present, Maharashtra is the only state in India, where children with this disorder are recognized legally and are imparted special education and given extra 25 per cent time during examinations. “Unless the child is given special care, it will be difficult to treat the problem. There is an urgent need to develop guidelines to recognize and manage children with LD. Moreover, schools in India should be oriented towards developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for children with learning disorder counsels Dr. Rajeev Seth.

Source: 20 m children affected with learning disorder. The Statesman, Daily, New Delhi, 16 April 2007.

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Access audit reports lie unheeded

Sminu Jindal is seized with a passion to remove obstacles in the way of the disabled be it on roads, airports, schools, hotels petrol pumps.

The wheelchair-borne chairperson of SJ Charitable Trust, which provides consultancy service to organizations to make their buildings easily accessible to the disable, says she would like to have NHOs on board too. “In fact, anyone who is willing to walk with us,” she says.

The fee is over Rs 1 lakh for private buildings while the government ones get the service for Rs 50,000. The fee, she says is intended to make government and companies take the reports seriously.

But Sminu is disappointed with the government. She says her trust carried out accessibility audits for the New Delhi Municipal Corporation facilities as well as sites under the Archaeological Survey of India. None of the two have implemented her suggestions.

The trust is now walking to HPCL and BPCL, which plan to make all petrol pumps accessible to the disabled. ITC has also asked for a report and so has the NDMC, which wants to make its school buildings disabled-friendly, says Sminu, who is disappointed that most buildings and roads in the country are hostile to the disabled. 

The trust also sends resource persons to various organizations to sensitize employees on the needs and abilities of persons with disabilities. It is now looking at Rajasthan and Haryana governments as partners in making buildings and thoroughfares accessible. “Haryana is my native state and I would love to work with the government there. I am hoping that the day comes soon,” she says.

Sminu, who was handicapped at the age of 11 when she met with an accident, hopes to reach out to more people through her website, which brings together information on education, rehabilitation, employment and even matrimony and companionship.

“The idea is to enable each person with disability to access all the information he or she needs,” says Jindal, adding, “I want disabled persons to meet and chat and marry though my website.” 

Source: Making it easier for the disabled. Business Standard, Daily, New Delhi, 9th April 2007.

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