27 August, 2009

India's Parliament will soon become disabled friendly

India's Parliament will soon become disabled friendly, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said Wednesday.

'I have given instructions to the parliament secretariat to make the house disabled-friendly and barrier free soon. I have also asked the parliament to purchase things made by the disabled people for use in the house,' Kumar said during an interaction with women journalists here.

Activists working for disabled people have been demanding for long to make the house accessible to the physically challenged.

India is home to 60 million disabled people. Of them, 48 percent are visually impaired, 28 percent are movement impaired, 14 percent are mentally disabled and 10 percent are hearing and speech impaired, according to 'People with Disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes,' a report prepared by World Bank in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

'Making the historic Sansad Bhavan (Parliament House) accessible to persons with disabilities will go a long way to help the disabled population get access to public space without any barriers,' K.R. Rajendra, regional representative of Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD), told IANS.

'Leave alone the old buildings, even the newly constructed ones do not have any provisions for the disabled,' said Javed Abidi, president of the Disabled Rights Group and secretary of the Commonwealth Disability Forum.

'The parliament building is a heritage site for all Indians and if it is turned into a disabled friendly zone, then we can hope that rest of the buildings and public spaces in India will turn accessible to the disabled,' Abidi told IANS.

The parliament house is a circular building designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker in 1912.

The rights activists said besides making the entire parliament building a barrier free zone for the disabled, there should be reserved parking and drop-off area for their vehicles, within 20 metres of its entrance.

The area should be marked with symbols and a system should be put in place to ensure that others do not use the reserved parking space, activists say.

'An information board carrying details of these facilities must be set up at the entrance to the building itself, with appropriate signposts installed at various points inside the parliament house to help physically challenged visitors,' said Rajendra.

Introduction of Braille symbols, first hand help, ramps, railings, lifts and accessible toilets are the other provisions which the activists believe should be put at parliament house to make it a disabled friendly zone.



Village for persons with disabilities

MANILA – Gawad Kalinga (GK) has officially launched The Village of Hope in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija. But unlike many other GK villages across the country, this new village is exclusively made for Persons with Disabilities.

The Village of Hope, considered the first and only village dedicated to people with disabilities, is a two-hectare lot in the capital of Nueva Ecija.

The lot was donated by the provincial governor, Aurelio Umali. Seeing the progress of the GK village in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, Umali asked help from GK for the construction of this special community.

What was once a dream is now becoming a reality as several stakeholders signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of the village.

Among those who signed and attended the groundbreaking event are Umali and his wife Cong. Czarina Umali, GK President Tony Meloto, Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud, several local officials, and representatives from the disabled sector.

"These people will tell us, these people will teach us, these people will inspire us. Because they have been doing this for many years now. It's about time they get the limelight, it's about time they get the headlight, it's about time their stories be heard,” said Umali.

The governor also mentioned that livelihood projects will be organized within the community so that the residents will no longer need to go to the main city to work.

He added that the houses will be customized depending on the needs of the disabled residents.

Equal opportunity

GK President Tony Meloto hopes the project will be a model village not just in Nueva Ecija but in different parts of the country.

"Sana po maging magandang halimbawa sa iba't ibang probinsiya na sana they can design a village where even those with disabilities can live with dignity and they can live productive lives,” said Meloto.

Rodolfo Mendoza, president of the Nueva Ecija Association of Persons with Disability, expressed gratitude for the construction of the village.

With this special project, he said the confidence of his members can be elevated now that they are being given an equal opportunity by the public.

"Kasama na kami sa sociedad. I am thankful na marami kami leaders from the national level na iniiba na namin pananaw ng tao with us. Ayaw namin kami'y kaawaan but to be the partner of the government,” said Mendoza.

“Malaking tulong magagawa namin and given a chance, mapatunayan namin na we can also make it,” he declared.

Nilane Legaspi, who was born with physical deformities and is one of the beneficiaries, also expressed her gratitude for the project.

She just has one message for people without disabilities: "Sana maging pantay-pantay lahat, mag-respetuhan. Kung meron sila nakitang may kapansanan, tulungan nila... bigyan nila ng pagkakataon na mabuhay nang malaya."

Sri Lanka to Ratify UNCRPD

International Campaign Coordinator Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) UK, Gopal Mitra wants the Government to ratify the United Nation Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to protect rights and give due recognition to disabled people in society .

He said that Sri Lanka became a signatory to the Convention in 2007 but has not ratified it by incorporating it in the local legal system. If Sri Lanka ratifies the convention it will help to build the image of the country internationally.

Mitra speaking to the media said that the ratification of the Convention will help to protect the rights of disabled people, they are a force to be reckoned with as they consist 10 percent of the global population.

He said that LCD is playing an important role in urging the Government to ratify this convention in the SAARC region. India and Bangladesh are the only two countries that have ratified the Convention from among 66 other countries. At present 140 countries are signatories to the Convention, he said.

LCD Resource Center (LCDRC) Legal Consultant M.H.P Gunaratne said the UN Convention was set up to protect the rights of the disabled and their inherent dignity. "Its ratification will help us to obtain foreign assistance," he said.

He said that though Sri Lanka signed the Convention in 2007 it has not approved the incorporation of this Convention into its legal system. They also conducted several campaigns under the leadership of young persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka to ratify the UNCRPD including the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.

Gunaratne said that Sri Lanka accounts for 5-6 percent of its population with impairment and disabilities. Majority of them live in rural areas and constitute one of the most excluded and poor sections of the society.

Attitudinal,institutional and environmental barriers have prevented them from accessing, basic human rights such as education, health care livelihoods, social security, participation and rehabilitation services.

06 August, 2009

First Disability Survey in Pakistan by end of August

After negotiating for a period of six months, the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education and World Bank have entered into a final phase to conduct the First National Disability Survey, TheNation has learnt on Monday.

As the project was supposed to be implemented by the end of March but due to some impediments it was delayed. And now it is being expected to execute the plan by end of August.

In this connection, a high level meeting is being held today (Tuesday) between the high–ups of Ministry and the World Bank to give final touch to the proposed plan.

A delegation of the World Bank would meet the Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Samina Khalid Ghurki to brief her on the said project and after getting a nod from her the survey would be conducted.

The proposed survey project is a brainchild of the Ministry while the World Bank is the donor agency.

According to an official of the Ministry, Federal Bureau of Statistics would conduct the survey and initially, the survey would be carried out in selected cities of the four provinces, including AJK. In first phase, the survey would be executed on pilot basis, later a full fledge survey would be conducted across the country.

The official opined that the findings of survey would help the Ministry in policy–making and strategising plans and projects to address the grievances of marginalised segment of the society.

"The first ever survey has been planed with an aim to acquire exact data of disability prevalence in Pakistan as currently authorities are without any authentic statistics regarding disability ratio in Pakistan," the official noted.

He was of the view that the project would help getting first hand information about the social, economical and political situation of the special persons in Pakistan and their access to the basic necessities of life, including health and education.

"During the 1998 census disability related questions appeared for the first time. It is anticipated that during the next census, scheduled for 2009, questions of disability will also be included," he added.

However, the official said, "It would not help to get comprehensive information regarding all types of disability prevalence and its causes in the country". "Whereas this survey is one of its kind and never before in the history of Pakistan such initiative was taken in this regard," he added.

India passes free education bill

The Indian parliament has approved a landmark education bill which seeks to guarantee free and compulsory education for children aged between six and 14.

The bill, passed by the lower house of parliament, will set up new state-run neighbourhood schools.

It will also force private ones to reserve at least a quarter of their places for poor children.

Currently about 70 million children receive no schooling, and more than a third of the population is illiterate.

The bill was passed by the upper house last month.

It now needs presidential assent - a mere formality, correspondents say - to become law.

'New era'

India's Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal described the passage of the bill as "harbinger of a new era" for children to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

"We as a nation cannot afford our children not going to schools," he said.

The minister said the bill covers children with disabilities and that the government is planning to set up special schools for them.

"This bill provides for the inclusion of children who are disadvantaged because of disability. The government is not only setting up special schools for them but doing all it can to provide education to them in all types of schools," Mr Sibal said.

The bill also ends widespread practices by which schools impose admission fees on parents to guarantee their children a place and bureaucrats enjoy discretionary powers on deciding who to let in.

Achieving universal education is one of the UN's Millennium Development Goals to be met by the year 2015.

Critics of the bill, however, say it is not clear how the government plans to pay for this.

Also, they say it does not cover children below the age of six and therefore fails to recognise the importance of the early years of a child's development.

They say it also does little to address India's inequitable school system under which there are vast discrepancies between well-funded private schools and state-run schools with poor quality teaching staff and infrastructure.

At the moment India spends a little over 3% of its GDP on education.


Bollywood first for blind actor

A blind Indian is preparing for what is believed to be the first time a person with such a disability will perform a starring role in a Bollywood film.

Naseer Khan, 36, is all set to make his debut in a film called Shadow.

It features him as a gunman with normal vision who performs various death-defying stunts.

His appearance marks a radical change for an industry renowned for its glamorous women and muscle-flexing men who are free of disability or blemish.

'Normal life'

Mr Khan, from Kanpur in north India, completely lost his vision when he was a teenager. He had struggled with partial blindness since birth.

Akshay Kumar
Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar tend to be all conquering heroes

But in the film, he plays a swashbuckling character without any obvious impairment.

"I want to prove to the world that having a disability doesn't change anything, one can still continue leading a normal life," he said.

Naseer Khan's action scenes in the film include racing a jet ski, diving, rotating a motorbike, performing stunts on a burning car and jumping off the 38th floor of a building.

Mr Khan, who co-produced the film, stars alongside actors Milind Soman and Hrishita Bhatt.

He decided to take the plunge into the world of acting a few years ago when he happened to be on the sets of a film directed by his friend.

"I thought that acting wasn't a difficult job at all, all you need is time and money," he said. "Of course I have changed my opinion now!"

Naseer Khan belongs to a family of leather industrialists and real estate agents. His passion for Bollywood films brought him to Mumbai and his new career of film production.

"I have always tried to do everything that a person with normal eyesight can do. For example I have received training in leather tanning and also done a course in repairing electronic goods. I can fix video cassette recorders and dish antennas with ease.

"I do take the help of a normal-sighted person while fixing electronic goods. I instruct them on how to repair the product after detecting what the problem is," he says.

And it's not just action scenes - Naseer also dances in the film, an essential requirement for any Bollywood blockbuster.

This, he says, was one of his most difficult challenges since he could not see what the choreographer wanted him to do.

He therefore learnt his dance moves by touching and feeling the choreographer's movements.

"There were times when I felt scared doing dangerous stunts but I was determined to complete them. I thought if a certain scene was integral to the film then it had to be shot despite the difficulties.

"The primary objective of making this film is not commercial success. I just want to inspire people to follow their dreams and aspirations.

"Impossible is not a word in my dictionary."

The film is set to be released later this month.

01 August, 2009

India: Nominations Invited For Helen Keller Awards 2009

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) and Shell India Pvt. Ltd. are pleased to invite nominations for the 11th edition of the NCPEDP–Shell Helen Keller Awards that honour individuals and companies who are working towards ensuring equal opportunities for people with disabilities in their work place. The awards also acknowledge disabled people who have become role models for the community by not allowing their disabilities to become a handicap.

Every year, NCPEDP gives ten awards under the following 3 categories:

Category A:Disabled persons from within and outside the disability sector who have been active as ambassadors of the cause of employment for disabled people and are a positive role model for others (3 Awards).

Category B:Role Model Supporter of Increased Employment Opportunities for Disabled People. Individuals from within and outside the disability sector who have contributed substantially to the cause of promoting employment opportunities for disabled people over an extended period of time (3 Awards).

Category C:Companies / organizations / institutions who share our vision and through their policies and practices demonstrate their belief in equal rights and gainful employment for persons with disabilities (4 Awards).

A total ofsixindividuals andfourorganizations for these awards will be selected.The NCPEDP-SHELL HELEN KELLER AWARDS 2009will be presented at a function on 2ndDecember 2009, the eve of the World Disability Day, at New Delhi. A Sub-Committee will scrutinize the forms, and those selected will be informed directly by NCPEDP.Shri Subodh Bhargava chaired the Sub-Committee from 1999-2005. For the last three years, Dr. V. Krishnamurthy has been chairing the Sub – Committee.Eminent persons from the corporate sector, media as well as the disability sector have also served on the Sub-Committee in the previous years.

The Nomination Forms could be obtained by emailing at: secretariat@ncpedp.org. Complete Nomination Forms should reach NCPEDP latest by Tuesday, 15thSeptember 2009.

- End -

About Helen Keller Awards:

NCPEDP conducted a survey of Indian private and public corporations, included in Business India’s Super 100 list of 1998. Needless to say, the findings of the survey were extremely disappointing. This survey undertaken in 1999, revealed that the private sector employed a mere 0.28 percent people with disabilities, while the public sector employed 0.54 percent. Multinational corporations had hired only 0.05 percent disabled people in India. This led to the institution of the NCPEDP – Shell Helen Keller Awards in 1999. Over a period of time these awards have received incredible support and recognition from the concerned sectors.

About National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP):

National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) was registered as a Trust in 1996, with a Board of Management which has representation from industry, N.G.O.s, disabled people and international agencies. N.C.P.E.D.P. stresses the need to move away from traditionally held views of charity and welfare to those of productivity and empowerment of disabled people.

Treaty fostered by HLS Project on Disability to be signed by the U.S.


HPOD Executive Director Michael Stein ’88

HPOD Executive Director Michael Stein ’88

On Friday July 24, President Barack Obama ’91 announced that the United States will sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, joining more than 100 other nations. The Harvard Law School Project on Disability played a prominentrole in the negotiations leading up to the convention, which is the first global human rights treaty of the 21st century.

HPOD was represented at the White House ceremony on Friday afternoon by the project’s Executive Director Michael Stein ’88, Cabell Professor at William & Mary Law School and frequent visiting professor at HLS. An expert in disability law, Stein played an important role in the convention’s drafting and its adoption by the U.N. in 2006. The convention has since been signed by 139 nations and ratified by 59.

“The United States signing of the CRPD and submitting it to the Senate for ratification reaffirms American commitment to rejoining the global community generally, and to continuing leadership in the area of disability law and policy,” said Stein, who will attend the signing at the U.N. on July 31.

The convention took legal effect one month following the 20th national ratification, on May 3, 2008. Under the direction of Stein and HLS Professor and HPOD Chair William Alford ’77, the project has been working to foster the convention’s implementation. HPOD’s work is concentrated mainly in Bangladesh, China, Korea, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam, with growing requests for its assistance from several other nations. HPOD offers scholarly research, legislative development, training programs for disabled persons organizations, and assistance to foreign academic institutions.