From the States

Lucknow

New Delhi

Political party for the Handicapped

Rashtriya Viklang Party (RVP) that has been set by physically challenged people for fighting for their own rights. This party will specifically contest elections and will cater to the welfare of the physically challenged.

Mr KK Dixit, president of the RVP said that for years they have been treated as 'beggars'. The government thinks it has fulfilled its responsibilities towards physically challenged by gifting tricycles and crutches. According to him not even a single party has ever bothered to give an ear to their problems, as they do not constitute a vote bank.

Source: Now, party for handicapped, Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, 22 May 2005.

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Agitation for rehabilitation

Disabled persons from Mumbai agitated at the Jantar Mantar for the demand of rehabilitation. The contingent revealed that the Maharashtra government had been ordered to allot 6-7 plots to persons with disabilities in the year 2003. However, instead of lending the helping hand, a district official in Mumbai has put a spanner in the wheel by not keeping the process straight and simple. This has resulted, as noted by the agitators, in land not being allotted despite government orders.

Source: Viklangon ka jantar-mantar par dharna, Rashtriya sahara, New Delhi, 18 May 2005.

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Blind students' sports meet on hold

The university authorities have stalled the annual sports meet of Blind students. They refused to allocate them the premises of Gandhi Bhawan in Delhi University this year. A delegation of Blind Student Welfare Association submitted an application to the vice chancellor, Professor C.R. babu to reconsider the decision.

The chairman of the association, Mr. Biresh Pachisia, said that every year they held their meet cum cultural festival in the month of June in Gandhi Bhawan. According to him this tradition had been continuing from the past several decades. Over 350 blind students participated in this function but this summary refusal of the university has put a paid on all this tradition.
Ms. Rekha Dayal and Mr. SS Gupta, representative of the Association's Executive Council met Professor Babu and demanded that the matter be resolved within a specified time limit.

The representative felt that the decision was a result of a large number of complaints from distinguished persons including professors, bureaucrats and academicians who had observed that the venue was used to host private parties where liquor was often served.

Source: Blind students' sports meet stalled, The Statesman, New Delhi, 20 May 2005.

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Disabled conductor joins after seven years

Sunil Kumar is a happy man as he re-join his work as bus conductor after seven years. He was working with DTC when on 21 February 1997; he was injured and fractured his left leg. A rod was inserted into his leg as a result of which it became two centimeters shorter. He also experienced restricted movement in left ankle. The injury was not crippling and Sunil Kumar was functional and fully mobile.

On 3 July 1998 he was dismissed by the DTC saying his disability did not allow him to function properly as conductor. Kumar appealed and Justice Vikramajit Sen of Delhi High Court ordered that Kumar be allowed to join work from 23 May. Not only that, he also said that Kumar should be paid his salary accruing from the time he was sacked.

The court also questioned how DTC could take a step in face of provision of Disabilities Act in which section 47 clearly says that a person cannot be dismissed but should be reinstated in a post not less than one he is occupying.

Source: Conductor disabled on duty wins case to rejoin DTC, Indian express, New Delhi, 19 May, 2005.

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Enabling Greens

Dr. Sanjeev Saxena and wife Dr Kamal Saxena acted on the belief that clinical physiotherapy laboratories can be created in parks and special schools for those with orthopedic challenges. This led to the emergence of the idea - 'Enabling Greens' which remodels the landscape in such a way that the orthopedically challenged can carry out exercises without going to clinics or taking help of physiotherapists.

The NDMC has given them permission to replicate their idea in six special schools. According to them a garden ideally would have benches, measured for right posture and body comfort; stairs not more than three inches high; and ramps to make the area disabled friendly. Small pools will be built to make sure the gardens are therapeutically satisfying. Dr. Saxena said that studies show water has soothing effect on spastic and autistic children as well. A stone pathway in the garden will provide instant acupressure treatment. Hanging pots will help in pull up exercises. Corridors would have medicinal and aromatic plants, which will ensure soothing and pleasant environment to asthma patient.

According to Dr Kamal if many such gardens are made they can help a lot of people especially elderly ones suffering from arthritis.

Source: Healing gardens for the disabled, The Statesman, New Delhi, 23 May 2005.

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Disability Act has now heart patients also

The Delhi High Court has passed a ruling that a person suffering from heart ailment is entitled to the benefits of the Disabilities Act for the purpose of employment in government. This gives a wider meaning to the term 'disability'.

Justice Vikramajit Sen said there is no reason to conclude that a person suffering from heart ailment has been specifically kept beyond the provisions of Disabilities Act. The legislature shall expeditiously consider the question and carry out amendments to the act. He said that it appeared to him to be unfair to deprive and exclude a person suffering from congenital or other physical or medicinal disorder other that ones enumerated in section 2(I) of Disabilities Act from preferential consideration for job appointment.

Thus, the petition of co-pilot KBP Narain Singh, who was removed from service in 1995 when he faced a heart attack and was given a ground job in a lower pay scale sees the court ordering the Airport authority of India (AAI) to place him in the pay scale of co-pilot, and clear arrears and other benefits - like keeping promotional avenues open.

The court said that there is no justification to terminate the services of the petitioner especially where the state is the employer.

Source: Disabilities Act for heart patients too, Indian Express, New Delhi, 24 May 2005.

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