From the States

Hyderabad

New Delhi

Varanasi

Demand for wheelchairs in polling booth

The Network of Persons with Disability Organizations and the Twin Cities Dwarves Welfare Association have filed a petition in the High Court seeking for the provision of facilities such as wooden ramps, special ballot boxes for people with visual impairment and provision for wheelchairs in the bye-elections of the assembly constituency in Anantapur district.

The organization said that the election commission had issued guidelines to the chief electoral officers across the country in 2004 to provide facilities to disabled in polling booths.

The Andhra Pradesh high court has asked the Chief election officer of the state to consider to the respective petition filed and provision of special facilities in polling booth of Penukonda.

The petition gains significance since a dwarf, Mallesh, is contesting the by poll from Penukonda.

Source: Disabled demand facilities for poll, Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad, 26 May 2005

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Demand for wheelchairs in polling booth approved

Taking into consideration the difficulties of disabled in voting in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, the Election Commission permitted physically disabled people, to bring their wheelchairs in the polling booth. The Commission has made special arrangements for this purpose and has communicated their intent to the State Chief Electoral Officers, instructing them to take all necessary steps for the fulfillment of the directive.

Further, the Election Commission has also decreed that persons with physical disabilities be allowed to vote first rather than standing in the queue. There can be a provision for separate queue if needed.

According to commission there should be a provision for one assistant with disabled people who can help them in the voting center.

Source: Viklang wheelchair pur booth mein aa sakte hain, Amar ujala, New Delhi, 31 May 2005.

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DU working towards being disabled friendly

Delhi University (DU) has developed new software that will help special students get admission to the college. DU has moved a step towards making admission procedure disabled friendly.

The new admission software for the disabled students will now take into account different factors like locality of the student and the college falling in the specific area. This will enable the student in getting a seat in a college that not only offers the course of their choice but also one that they will not have a problem commuting to.

Still it is long way for the DU to become completely disabled friendly. The university officials claim most colleges in north campus are more in line with the requirements. But there are very few colleges holding classes on the ground floor.

Priyanka Malhotra, whose son Nipun has scored over 90 percent in his class XII, fears whether any college in capital city of Delhi would be able to fulfill her son's special need of being wheelchair friendly and wheel chair accessible.

Amit Bardhan, Deputy Dean of Student Welfare said most of the disabled student seek a place in north campus and usually do get admission but accessibility remains a major problem for them. This software will help the authorities figure out the distance between a college and student's house which in turn help them allocate the right college for the children. He also added the college preference of students will also be kept in mind. The statistics show that the number of disabled students applying for the university has been coming down. In year 2002-2003, 411 students applied and got admission to the university colleges. The figure in 2003-2004 reduced to 365 and in year 2004-2005 it was 329 students.

Source: Admission software for the disabled, The Hindu, New Delhi, 28 May 2005

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Polio vaccination - Prevention or not

In Gartholi's harijan basti inspite of taking all doses of polio vaccination a 3-year-old girl got polio. On this matter health department was shocked and sent a doctor's team in the village.

According to the sources, Simco, (daughter of Bhonu Ram) got each and every vaccination of polio but then, she is polio afflicted. Her left hand and left leg got slanted. Neither family members nor health department was aware about her condition. Because of illiteracy family members didn't pay the attention and this matter came into the light when health department's annum sharda devi reached there on 14 May under door-to-door polio vaccination programme. Annum give this information to Dr. Sudhakar Dubey in-charge of Choubeypur community health center. He went to the village with doctors immediately and he examined the girl and referred a stool test and said he can comment in this matter only after the test.

Source: Polio ki dava peete rahne ke baad bhi balika ka haath aur paer apang, Aaj, Varanasi, 27 May 2005.

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