From the States

Finally, disability on political agenda

Making a history of sorts, the three main political parties in Himachal Pradesh have finally recognized disability as an issue which deserves a mention in their election manifestoes. During a brainstorming session organized by the Society for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (SDRS), the leaders of Congress, BJP and CPIM assured that the rights and opportunities of the disabled will be kept in mind while framing the manifestoes for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Though a consensus could not emerge on how the subject should be treated in their respective manifestoes, member of the state secretariat of the CPIM Tikender Panwar emphasized on the need for a macro–level policy to deal with this issue. He said. “Individual effort of voluntary organization alone will not help; the subject needs a bigger policy like the ones in health and education sector and we would advocate it in our manifesto.”

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Kuldeep Rathaur and BJP general secretary Khushi Ram Balnahata denied making disability a political issue. But, at the same time, talking in so many words, both agreed on “adding some element on this subject in their manifestoes.”

Rathaur said, “Whatever may be the outcome, but one positive move is that disability will be discussed for the first time in the Congress manifesto committee.” Though he kept emphasizing that Congress has implemented many schemes for the disabled, he, however, tried to evade some issue by saying that the implementation has not been good because of communication gap with the bureaucracy.

On the suggestion of SDRS chairman Ajai Srivastava, Rathaur agreed that the Congress would contemplate forming a separate wing of the disabled in the party. Balnahata said, “This issue should not be linked with votes, it needs a sensitive treatment.” When one of the representatives of voluntary organization working for the disabled asked him, “Is it because the votes of the disabled are not much in the state,” he denied it. “This subject can better be related to sensitization than politics,” he said.

Source: Disability issue finds place in political manifestoes, Indian Express, Chandigarh, 2 October 2007.

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‘open source voice–enabled software’

A city–based visually impaired software professional, Krishankant, has come out with an ‘open source voice–enabled software’ based on LINUX system, for the benefit of visually impaired. The ORCA software which allows development of a free (open source) software, is comparatively cheap as it require no licence.

IT companies at present are reluctant to recruit visually impaired as they have to install proprietary software, the licence of which costs a minimum of Rs 70,000 for each computer, he said.

C. Umashankar, Managing Director, Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu, which is promoting the software, said Rs 5 lakh investment is needed to install a proprietary software, to be shared by five visually impaired people. But, using the new software, 22 computers can be installed with the same amount.

The new product has all the facilities similar to any Windows–based software. All business functions and calculations apart from browsing and e–mail facilities are available. It will read not only what appeared on the screen, but also each function carried out by the user. The software can be modified as per the needs of the user and also be re–distributed, he said. The English accent can be modified, language changed and any regional language introduced without altering basic programming code. ELCOT (The Electronic Copporation of Tamil Nadu) will recommend the software to all rehabilitation and blind schools and will take the responsibility of installing them.

Source: Low cost software developed for visually impaired. The Economic Times, Chennai, 25 October 2007.

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Blindness prevention

For the record, one person in the world loses his sight every five seconds, and one child goes blind every minute, but the silver lining of the cloud is that 75% of such blindness in out world is preventable or treatable. Little steps taken by each individual can help prevent avoidable blindness to a very large extent. The only requisite to achieve this goal is awareness and a concern for the problem.

With this objective ‘World Sight Day’ is observed every year on and around the second Thursday of October to focus attentions on the global issue of avoidable blindness. This year special focus is on childhood blindness. In our country 3.2 lakh children become blind mainly due to malnutrition, refractive errors, amblyopic cataract and injuries etc.

In Assam, Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya of Beltola arranged a series of programmes to generate awareness on prevention of childhood blindness in collaboration with Orbis International of USA, Assam State Blindness Control Society and other local NGOs.

The first activity was a ‘thought–of–the–day’, a programme for school students at assembly time. The aim was to create awareness on the issue among school students and teachers on childhood blindness and also to create awareness on the significance of World Sight Day. Ten schools participated in the event and organized thought–of–the–day programmes in their own schools during assembly time and took an oath ensuring their involvement for prevention of childhood blindness in the region.

A meeting among glaucoma patients to raise awareness about glaucoma and its treatment, was also held. Seeking to make even very young children a part of the movement to eliminate preventable blindness, Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya also organized a painting competition for students of Class I to VII. All participating children were presented certificates and prizes.

Source: Awareness generated on prevention of child blindness, Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 18 October 2007.

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Sight Day celebrations

Kachi Chawni branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) observed ‘Sight Day’ at Blind School, Roopnagar. This function was organized as a part of community services under banking programme. Several social activists, teachers and staff member of the blind school were present. The bank in addition to normal operations seeks to undertake various community welfare programmes to improve the quality of life of the poor and weaker section of the society.

S. P. Singh, Deputy General Manager of the J & K Module presided over the function. He appreciated the role being played by the school authorities for imparting education to visibly challenged children.

School children presented cultural programme. They sang bhajans and songs. Mohinder Kumar Badyal, president of National Federation of Blinds presented a heart touching poem on this occasion. The bank donated a Harmonium for students and one music system for school children.

Source: SBI observes ‘Sight Day’, renders help to blind, The Excelsior, Jammu, 18 October 2007.

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Polio in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

The scourge of polio continues to haunt the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh even as the battle for its total eradication made significant breakthroughs this year.

The surveillance medical officer (SMO) of the National Polio Surveillance Programme (NPSP), World Health Organisation (WHO), disclosed here today that altogether 255 cases of polio virus affliction (61 cases of P1 type and 194 cases of P3 type) were detected this year across the country as compared to a total of 667 cases from across 114 districts during last year.

Of the present 255 cases this year, Uttar Pradesh registered the maximum number of polio cases with 201 cases (20 cases of P1 and 181 cases of P3). Meanwhile, Bihar registered 39 cases (30 cases of P1 and 9 cases of P3).

Five cases were reported from Andhra Pradesh, followed by three from Uttarakhand, two each from Harayana and Maharashtra and one each from Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

“P2 cases have virtually been eliminated and banished,” the SMO disclosed. The P1 polio virus is potentially more dangerous and serious than the others. Therefore, its outbreak in virulent epidemic form since last year has proved to be a cause of serious concern among the medical fraternity.

However, a concerted drive against polio has yielded rich dividends so far, the SMO said. The sudden resurgence in P3 polio cases in Bihar was attributed to the overall flood situation throughout the state, he added.

Massive drives were being launched in 41 blocks of the state to combat the sudden eruption in P3 cases, he said.

Meanwhile, Sub Regional Team Leader (SRTL) Anjani Kumar said the though the districts of Purnia division were free from the polio virus at the moment, Madhepura and Saharsa were worst–afflicted with seven and six cases respectively.

Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Munger had registered three cases each and Samastipur, Bhagalpur, Supaul and Bhojpur reported two cases each while Begusarai, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Khagaria, Nalanda, Rohtas, Patna and Sitamarhi recorded one case each.

Kishanganj District Magistrate (DM) M Saravanan patted the medical officers for keeping the district free from polio for five consecutive years and motivated them to keep up the good work while Civil Surgeon I D Ranjan asked the doctors and vaccinators to take up the programme in all earnestness

Source: 255 cases of polio virus detected this year in India, Asian News International, 25 October 2007

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Blueprint to monitor mental health disorders

Working at revamping the mental health programme, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has brought out a blueprint to provide quality medical care to people affected by severe mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, organic psychosis and major depression that affect nearly 20 per 1000 population.

This population needs continuous treatment and regular follow–up. However, close to 10 million mentally ill patients in India go without adequate treatment. Worse still, more than half are never treated.

Now the Ministry is looking at integrating mental health programme, create provision of tertiary care institutions for treatment of mental disorders, eradicate stigmatization of mentally ill patients and protect their rights through regulatory institutions like the Central Mental Health Authority and the State Mental Health Authority.

The Ministry is also looking at extending the mental health programme to more districts all over the country, strengthening and modernization of mental hospitals and upgradation of psychiatry wings in the general hospitals/medical centres. “To modernise State–run mental hospitals in the country, a one–time grant with a ceiling of Rs.3 crore on the basis of benchmark of requirements and level of preparedness is being allocated.” Funds have been released for modernization of three mental hospital during 2007–08. A one–time grant of Rs.50 lakh is being given for upgradation of infrastructure and equipment.

“So far 71 medical colleges have been granted funds for upgradation of their psychiatric of their psychiatric wings under the programme,” said a senior health official. The report prepared by the Ministry has also assessed the shortage of trained psychiatrists and noted that in India there is less than one psychiatrist available for every three lakh population.

“The shortage of trained manpower in the field of mental health, social stigma and lack of knowledge of psychiatric patients and their families, the negative attitude of general practitioners, primary care physicians and other specialists have ensured that availability and accessibility of minimum mental health care for all mentally ill remain a distant dream,” states the report prepared by the Ministry.

Source: Work on to improve mental health care, The Hindu, New Delhi, 17 October 2007.

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Parenting workshop by Sarva Shiksh Abhiyan

Officials of the Sarva Sikha Mission are planning to train parents of the disabled students studying in various primary schools and Sishu Shiksha Kendras under the Siliguri Education District. The proposed training programme is aimed at helping the parents to take care of their children in a proper way.

According to the SSM officials, the resource persons of the department would start the training programme from 5 November. Under the proposed programme, parents would be taught on how to take care of their disabled children. The training programme would be organised in every panchayat areas of the Siliguri education district.

On the opening day, the department would organize a training camp at Buraganj and Raniganj in Kharibari.“It is necessary to take proper care of the special students at home. If the parents fail to communicate with their children, it would be absolutely difficult for them to understand their needs. The communication gap would also affect the studies of such children. In an attempt to solve the problem, the SSM has decided to train the proper techniques to the parents of physically challenged children,” the coordinator of the SSM, Siliguri, Mr Pradip Adhikari, said.

Source: Parents of disabled students to be trained in Siliguri, The Statesman, Kolkata, 24 October 2007.

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Disabled friends of North Bengal

It is no less than a revolution soaked in the festival spirit. For the first time ever, here is a Durga Puja ~ organized, managed and performed completely by disabled persons. And according to the puja organizers, it is just not the merrymaking; “there is a mission involved.”

The theme of this puja is also unique ~ the 125th year of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, fondly nicknamed the Toy Train that has been chugging for all those years between Siliguri and Darjeeling.

So why did a bunch of disabled persons suddenly decide to organize a puja, and that too through self–contribution and donation from well wishers? “Not a single penny was raised through subscription,” said Mr Gobinda Das, secretary of the Disabled Friends of North Bengal, which has organized the puja in conjunction with Dasbari of Deshbandhupara.

“Disabled people generally tend to shy away from social commitments for a variety of reasons. By organizing the puja, we are trying to inculcate a feeling of self–confidence among them,” Mr Das, himself a disabled person and Railway employee, added.

“Go out and do it. Do not let your physical disability handicap you,” is the message we are trying to spread among the disabled persons and what better a medium than Durga Puja to do so?” pointed out the DFNB president Mr Narayan Bal.

That is one side of the story. The other is that in doing what they are, the DFNB members have also taken it on themselves to project the country’s heritage and so, they decided to reserve space to focus on the DHR’s 125th year celebration along with the puja.

“It is our fundamental duty to protect our heritage property and that is why we decided to highlight the Toy Train, which is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO and the pride of this region,” the DFNB secretary, said. True to their claim, the DFNB has put on display 125 rare photographs of the Toy Train at the Puja site. “We have been collecting these photographs for the past seven years,” Mr Das informed.

Source: Sudipta Chanda. Puja with a difference in Siliguri. The Statesman, Kolkata, 1 October 2007.

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Court monitors centers for disabled

The Calcutta High Court judge and the chairman of the State Legal Services Authority, Mr Pinaki Chandra Ghosh, today visited Anubhav, a home for disabled children in Siliguri. The visit was undertaken as part of an SLSA drive to take stock of the functioning of various disabled centres across the state. Mr Ghosh was accompanied by the SLSA registrar cum deputy secretary, Mr Sovan Kumar Mukhapadhyay, Darjeeling district judge Mr Barun Pal, Siliguri ACJM Ms Rajashree Basu Adhikari and the ADSJ Mr Pinaki Ranjan Jha.

During the brief stay at Anubhav this morning, Mr Justice Ghosh spent time with the disabled children and also interacted with the volunteers there. He assured the Anubhav volunteers all possible help in carrying forward the charity service in a better way.

Talking to reporters, the High Court judge said that the SLSA has taken up the monitoring drive from early this month and he personally has so far visited six disabled centres in the state, including Anubhav.

Source: HC judge visits home for disabled people. The Statesman, Kolkata, 23 October 2007.

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