From the States

Chennai

Imphal

New Delhi

Lift ban on Lottery..

The physically challenged lottery vendors in the city are yet to have their case heard since the state banned lottery three years ago. More than 300 members of the Chennai Lottery Small Vendors and Handicapped Association had gathered to urge the government to consider their plight and lift the ban on lotteries.

Dayalan (37), a welder who lost his leg in an accident and later set up a lottery shop could earn Rs 50 a day and look after his family. The job was easy. Now, after the ban he says that his family is living in poverty and that his wife has to work as a labourer. She earns Rs 30 a day and they have to support three children from that.

Hundreds of physically challenged people like Dayalan are yet to find an alternative employment with their physical disability posing a challenge. Similar meetings were held in other parts of the state urging the state to lift the ban too.

Source: Physically challenged urge govt. to lift ban on lottery. Indian Express, Chennai, 10 February 2006.

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Discrimination against blind candidates in competitive exams..

The Common Forum for Persons with Disabilities, COMFORD, is planning to stage a mass rally in Imphal to register their protest against the discrimination meted out to a visually impaired candidate in the recent MCS/MPS preliminary examination conducted by the Manipur Public Service Commission.

At an emergency meeting held at the Manipur Press Club, the organization decided to press for withholding the results of the examination and also decided to file a writ petition in court in this regard. The forum has also sought amendment of the relevant rules to avoid such discrimination in the future.

According to a statement issued by COMFORD, mass protests would be staged against the MPSC's discriminatory attitude by wearing black badges. Further, a mass protest rally would be held in the course of which a memorandum listing the demands raised by the forum would be submitted to the State Governor and the Chief Minister.

It should also be noted that S Janobanta, a visually handicapped candidate for the MCS/MPS combined preliminary examination could not appear in a recently conducted examination as necessary facilities were not extended to him by the examination authorities.

Source: Disability to rally on February 16. The Sentinel, Guwahati, 12 February 2006.

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Inclusive education only on paper

A potential workforce of 60 million is prevented from contributing to the nation, says a report prepared by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People. The reason - despite having workshops and talks on inclusion in education every other day, the percentage of physically disabled students actually receiving education is very low.

However, the report fails to highlight the effort made by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest advisory body to advise the Central and State Governments in the field of education in implementing recommendations.

According to a statement made by Arjun Singh, Union minister for human resource development, the need for inclusive education arises precisely because it is now well understood that most children with disabilities can, with motivation and effort on the part of teaching institutions, become an integral part of those institutions.

Some schools and institutions of higher learning are now recognizing inclusion of disabled students as a step towards the holistic development of other students as well. Lady Sri Ram (LSR) College for instance, not only welcomes such students in mainstream education bus also nurtures and encourages them to participate in co-curricular activities.

Kanika Khandelwal, media coordinator of LSR said that not only did they have around 10 physically disabled students in their college (among a total student population of over 3000). Kanika said that they were trying to induce a disabled friendly environment in their college.

They give them four hours to write their examinations, help them in filling out forms during admissions, and give National Social Service hours to students who read lessons to the vision impaired students and hence sensitize other students too.

Surbhi Verma, educator and therapist at Sparsh, a special school, emphasized that disabled students did not need sympathy but support. She said that the feeling of being special had to be taken away from them and they needed to be integrated into the mainstream by making regular institutions more disabled friendly.

She added that sensitizing fellow students and college authorities could go a long way in making lives easier for disabled candidates. JNU is a staunch supporter of inclusion in education. Satyabhushan Sharma, faculty member, Equal Opportunity Office said that although they had a hilly terrain, facilities like ramps and disabled-friendly hostels ensured easy access to all.

They have a unique arrangement called the Equal Opportunity Office, which provides financial, academic and emotional assistance to disabled students. Other facilities like scholarships are awarded to deserving disabled students too. JNU has around 90 students with special needs.

Anupriya Chadha, a senior consultant on inclusive education with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and an expert on learning disabilities said that the need of the hour was to enhance links between special and mainstream education and a push in the right direction by policy-makers.

Source: Breaking barriers. The Times of India, New Delhi, 13 February 2006.

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Goverment aided NGOs to incorporate the disabled in their workforce..

With some government will at work, the disabled may finally get access to 3% the jobs in NGOs. Seeking to restore the lapses in government rules, the Social Justice Ministry has added the disabled to the group of beneficiaries, besides SC/ST/OBC's, for job reservation in NGOs receiving government grants above Rs 20 lakh.

The ministry's memorandum to all ministries and government departments came after the General Finance Rules (GFR) 2005 (which govern quota rules in NGOs) gave a complete go-by to 'persons with disabilities'.

In force since July 2005, the GFR stipulated that the SCs/STs and OBCs be given reservation in NGOs as per the existing quota norms. To ensure that the attempt to give a place to the disabled in NGOs does not remain on paper, the Social Justice Ministry has sought an annual report from all ministries on the status of employment of the disabled in voluntary organizations receiving aid from them.

The Ministry has based the rationale of extending quota to the disabled on the Persons with Disabilities Act. It mandates 3% jobs for persons who have visual impairment, hearing impairment and locomotor disabilities/cerebral palsy, against posts identified for them, in all government and aided establishments.

Incorporating the criteria for reservation in NGOs from the GFR, the order states the voluntary organizations, with an annual grant of Rs 20 lakh and workforce over 20 persons, would have to implement the quota regime.

Source: In govt.-aided NGOs, 3% of jobs for disabled. The Times of India, New Delhi, 13 February 2006.

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Promise of reforms in the railways sees a sorry path..

The Disabled Rights Group (DRG) claimed that the Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had assured the disability sector that issues relating to the non-implementation of the 10-year-old Disability Act in the railways would be looked into ahead of the Railway Budget.

In a statement issued here after a meeting with Mr. Prasad, DRG convenor Javed Abidi said that the 'breakthrough' was achieved after an impromptu 'dharna' staged by disability sector activists outside the North Railway headquarters.

Yet today three weeks down the road, DRG and its convenor Javed Abidi have another story to tell. They speak of unkept promises and the fact that with just two days to go there has been no sign of any movement.

The railway is the lifeline of the common man and apart from concessional travel offers little else. The demands placed by the sector include: Listing identified jobs for physically challenged people pending for over five years now.

Other issues raised include a special requirement drive to ensure compliance of the 3% job quota in the railways, and setting up of a high power committee to ensure better access for the physically challenged in trains and on platforms.

Some of the other demanded include uniform concessions for all categories of persons with disabilities, concessions for them in Rajdhanis and Shatabdis, and making 'disability' a priority area for development in the Railway Budget.

Source: Lalu's assurance to the physically challenged. The Hindu, Delhi, 10 February; and personal information received from the DRG, 22 February 2006

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