From the States

Karnataka State Policy on Disability

An insurance scheme for persons with disabilities and a "disability fund" to implement schemes for the disabled through public-private partnership are among the major recommendations made in the Karnataka State Policy on Disability approved end May 2007.

Some of the highlights of the policy include the thrust on prevention and early detection of various disabilities; need for inclusion in the mainstream and access to health, education and employment for persons with all kinds of disabilities.

According to Shri L. Krishnamurthy, State Commissioner for Disabilities, Karnataka is the first State in the country to have such a policy, with the objective of ensuring implementation of the PWD legislation and to make sure that they get the benefit of schemes formulated by different government departments. The policy also advocates effective execution and monitoring of rehabilitation schemes of the State and Union Government and three per cent reservation for all disabled persons in the poverty alleviation schemes.

The policy has been drawn up by the Office of the State Commissioner for Disabilities. The nodal committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, for reviewing the implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995, will also function as the nodal committee for implementation of this policy.

Non-availability of medicines for the mentally ill and hemophilic persons is a major problem as majority of them are poor and cannot afford treatment. A key recommendation is that the Government should ensure that budgetary allocations are made to provide the necessary drugs at subsidised rates for the needy.

Source:Charan Sahana: Insurance scheme for the disabled mooted, The Hindu 1st June 2007

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Legal Literacy programmes

Visually impaired in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh may justifiably take pride in being legally literature, thanks to the initiative taken by a Dehra Dun based NGO, Rural Litigation and Empowerment Kendra (RELK), to develop local languages containing basic legal knowledge in Braille for the first time in the country.

In order to expand legal awareness in maximum areas among maximum number of people, the NGO has already released booklets comprising simple laws, affecting common people in the local languages in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where it is working on legal literacy programme in rural areas for past many years. The organization has also in the process of developing a Braille script, the information about different laws in simple Gurmukhi and Hindi languages

As per the data available at the National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH), there are 396 and 298 visually impaired persons per one lakh people in rural areas of Punjab and Haryana respectively.

The initiative is part of the legal literacy programme beginning from June1, covering all villages of the two states and Chandigarh.

The National Legal Service Authority (NLSA) is funding the programme.  Respective state legal services authorities (SLSAs) are the local partners.

Source: Legal literacy programme for blind, The Tribune, Daily New Delhi 24th May 2007

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No VRCs in Nagaland

The Persons with Disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act, 1995 confers a wide range of rights for disabled people. Several central and state governments have adopted various schemes for the all round development of disabled persons under Norms and Principal of the Disabled Bill passed in December, 1995. But these plans are not fruitful in Nagaland. The reason is that there are some Vocational Rehabilitation Centres (VRC) in most of the states in India. Unfortunately Nagaland does not have a VRC and thousands of disabled people and their problems go unnoticed and are largely excluded from self employment schemes.

L. Senti Walling, Executive secretary, Welfare Association for Handicapped, Lingrijan Dimapur is presently one of the key persons who is working for the empowerment of disabled in Nagaland may be a silver lining amidst dark clouds for thousands of disabled people.

Source: Need for empowerment of disabled people in Nagaland, Nagaland Post, 1 June 2007

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Karnataka raises bar for facilities

Minister for Women and Child Welfare H.K. Kumaraswamy declared that bus pass would be given at a concession to all 10 lakh people with physical disability in the State.

At present, 50,000 people were being given these bus pass. The cost of a bus pass, which could be used up to a distance of 100 km, was Rs. 1,650 a year. Of this, the beneficiary had to pay Rs. 250, while the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) would pay Rs. 410 and the State Government Rs. 990. The scheme would cost the State exchequer Rs. 120 crore a year.

In addition, the state was introducing a "Social Security Directorate" to monitor pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with physical disability. At present pension was being provided to seven lakh senior citizens, six lakh widows, and 33,000 people with physical disability in the State.

Source: Bus pass for 10 lakh disabled people, The Hindu, 25 May 2007

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Poor IT sector CSR revealed by TCS-CII study

Most companies belonging to the Information Technology (IT) and Information of Technology enabled Services (ITeS) sector in Kolkata  do not have any Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies to help the physically challenged, a recent study has revealed.  The study was conducted by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in association with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the state government.

The survey was done in 50 companies, mainly in the IT and ITeS sector of which only 22 companies came up with their responses.  The aim of the study was to give an overview of the recruitment policy of different industries as well as their methodology of work.  This would help carry out a job description and analysis to accommodate the physically challenged working staff within those industries.

Head of the CSR department (eastern region) of TCS, Mr Sudip Kumar Bhura said the study has revealed that 73 per cent of the companies surveyed did not have CSR policies or any official guidelines to help persons with disabilities.  Only 36 percent of the companies have recruited people with disabilities while the rest are still in the process of doing their bit.

Office space accessibility is also a major problem with 59 per cent of the companies.  This could range from issues as basic as lack of a ramp to inaccessible work stations, toilets and canteen facilities.

Mr. Bhura also said that several NGOs are working for this cause and are imparting vocational and non-vocational training to them so that they can secure a job in the IT and the ITeS sector.  The study also suggests that the NGOs should stress more on vocational training and computer literacy to keep the trainees at par with others.

Another issue that has been identified by the private firms is the lack of an organization from where physically challenged people can be recruited.

Assistant commissioner of the state Public Works Department, Mr K S Adhikary said that the state government is thinking of initiating a discussion with the private sector so that some of the disabled people can be recruited.

Source: IT Giants neglect physically challenged, The Statesman, Kolkata

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