From the States

New Delhi

Bhopal

Guwahati

Wake up call: Blindness on the Increase!

The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Ex-Servicemen Cell has expressed concern over the rising graph of blindness in Chamba district. It has underscored the need for remedial measures for blindness control.

After gathering figures from the Health Department about the people suffering from eye ailments, Grp. Caption Bhupender Chauhan (retd), general secretary of the BJP Ex-Servicemen Cell, said that the district was lagging behind in achieving its target of conducting eye operations.

He lamented that the target was 1350 operations for the current year, while it had been observed that between 500 and 700 operations could be conducted. He further added that, "if the eye operation target for this year is not achieved, the number of the blind may mount to 4,396 persons in the district."

Source: Blindness on the rise in Chamba: BJP. The Tribune, Daily, New Delhi, 4 July 2006.

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DU wakes up to the plight of the blind

There may be good news waiting for blind candidates applying for the Delhi University MA programme this year, even if it has come a tad late. Dean Student's Welfare Dr. SK Vij has written to Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental, asking for a waiver in the deposit fee for the MA applications of blind students.

At present, students in the general category pay Rupees 300 as application fee, while the SC/ST category pays Rupees 100. The proposal seeks to bring the application fee for the blind on par with SC/STs. However, the waiver can be availed only for those courses for which applications are still open.

"The proposal is as good as passed. We are just waiting for a formal notification," Vij says.

At present, DU only has 100-seater hostel for blind male students at the Kingsway Camp. Now the Blind Students Association in DU has also proposed hostel facilities for blind girl students.

Source: DU likely to cut MA application fee for the blind. Indian Express, New Delhi, 1 July 2006.

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Desire for Disabled Friendly Colleges

Eighteen-year-old Pooja Sharma, paralyzed from waist-down, has secured admission in Shri Ram College of Commerce through the disabled quota. But now the wheelchair-bound student is in a dilemma-whether she should take admission in the college or not, because she was told that the college hostel was not disabled-friendly.

In fact, the college would be introducing ramps and wheelchairs in the campus only this year. "We've been told that all facilities in the college will be provided but I'm more concerned if they'll extend the disabled-friendly facilities to the hostel or not," she said.

It's a problem disabled students face every year while seeking admission in DU. This year, DU received 320 applications for 900 seats in the physically-challenged quota. The figure clearly indicates that the quota seats are never filled to capacity.

Javed Abidi, from the Disabled Rights Group, said that in recent years, the number of applications in the quota seats have gone down further. He attributed this downfall to the poor facilities in DU colleges for such students. "We have been after the DU authorities for over a decade to make the university and campus more disabled-friendly, but it was only about four years ago that the 3% disabled students quota was introduced. Even then, colleges have not done anything," said Abidi.

He added: "After we got frustrated with their response, we filed a PIL against DU a year back. But the response filed by the university was very flimsy. A little bit has been done here and there in some colleges, but the entire picture itself is very depressing. Not a single DU college has a hostel which is disabled-friendly".

Colleges, on their part, insist that adequate facilities for physically-handicapped students have been provided whatever required. Sri Venkateshwara College, in addition to their already existing facilities or the disabled, is adding some more services. "We are acquiring two Braille computers from the university and are going to introduce wheelchairs, so that the disabled students find the college library more accessible," said principal A S Reddy. Following in the footsteps of other colleges, Hansraj College is also making ramps in the college for disabled students this year.

"The disabled quota usually goes empty but we want to be prepared for any student who seeks admission in the disabled quota this year," said a senior official.

Bhim Singh Sen, principal of Kirori Mal College claimed the college was prepared for the physically-challenged and they were also planning to revamp the college and introduce more facilities. "We have about three blind students already enrolled. Our college has facilities like a Braille section in the library, typewriters and ramps for them. We also try to accommodate disabled students in the hostel whenever possible," he said.

Others believe that the facilities apart, people need to be made aware of the difficulties faced by the disabled. "The admission process for disabled students should be decentralized and students who clear the cut-off percentage, must take admission in the general category, not quota," said Dr Ratan Lal, senior lecturer, Department of History at Hindu College.

According to him there was a lack of sensitivity in the admission procedure for the disabled candidates. "Unlike other students who have the option of switching to other colleges/courses if they clear the cut-off in the second or third list, disabled candidates have no such advantages. They have to remain in the course and college allotted to them by the university in the first list," he pointed out.

Hindu College, however, boasts of a number of extended facilities for the disabled candidates, right from ramps, software programmes for the blind to special toilets.

However, Meera Ramachandran, principal, Gargi College said that the college structure of Gargi was such that it was not possible to connect all the buildings with ramps. "Every college should offers 1-2 subjects which the college is known for, to the disabled students, Classes for these courses can be held on the ground floor so it is easier for them," she said. Gargi so far, has admitted three students in the disabled quota this year.

Source: For them, going to college is a challenge. The Times of India, New Delhi, 3 July 2006.

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Education for Disabled Children

Integrated Education of Disabled Children (IEDC) project sponsored by the Government of India has been specially designed to provide educational opportunity to the disabled children in regular schools.

The project is being implemented through a Non Governmental Organization, which is provided for by the education departments of the State and Union Government with educational materials, assistance equipment and salary of special teacher/instructoRupees The primary aim of the project is to provide all kind of facilities to the disabled children.

Source: Disabled children to get benefit from IEDC. Central Chronicle, Bhopal, 27 June 2006.

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Efforts Bear Fruit

Astha, a socio-economic NGO of Digboi organized medical camps for the disabled persons in the AOD school complex auditorium recently.

The meeting was attended by Lakhi Nandan Saikia, District Programme Officer (Integrated Education for Disabled and Early Child Education), Tinsukia, Dr PK Saikia DGM (Med) AOC ltd (AOD), Dr (Prof) PK Choudhury, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Jogesh Baruah, SDO, Margherita, NP Dash, a social worker of Digboi and the president of Astha Smt Mangala Bhattacharjee.

The elderly Citizen of Digboi NP Dash and other eminent people present on the occasion spoke highly of Astha for taking the cause of the poor disabled persons.

Prof RK Choudhury of Assam Medical College, speaking at the meeting called handicap, a challenge. These unfortunate people do not get the necessary help. This problem of disability requires the generous help of government as well as the society. There is a national commission for disabled person. There is an Act to meet this problem.

In Assam, there are four centers and Dibrugarh is one such centre. There are various causes for disability and the number is increasing day by day and eventually they become the burden of the society. It is a good thing that a socio-economic organization has come forward for the cause. The action of Astha is praiseworthy, he said.

Lakhi Nandan Saikia, district programme officer, (Integrated Education for Disables & Early Child Education) Tinsukia speaking on the occasion said, "I have attended such camps, but this time, I find the camp with a difference.

He explained that there is a National Act but the state of Assam has not been properly developed. "We are doing it voluntarily; these unfortunate disabled persons have got the right to live." He appreciated the endeavor of Astha as a great service.

Later a medical camp was held there and was attended by around 100 disabled persons. Some instruments were distributed and some cases were referred. The assessment of disability was checked by the doctors of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh.

Source: Medical camp for disabled at Digboi. Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 27 June 2006.

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