27 June, 2009

UNCRPD in Braille

There is a government school for visually impaired children at Muradpur in Chittagong.

Some 80 visually impaired children, who study in this school, have very insignificant number of Braille books and find it difficult to complete even the primary level education.

But from now on these children will be able to know much about their rights as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has been published in Braille.

Chittagong Computerised Braille Production Centre (BCBPC) has published the UNCRPD in Bangla under Braille system to ensure the right to information of visually impaired people.

The Braille version of the UNCRPD was formally launched at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman launched the book

at a function organised jointly by Unite Theatre for Social Action (UTSA) and ActionAid Bangladesh.

Like Muradnagar, the government is running some 36 primary schools for visually impaired children and more than 1500 children are studying in these institutions.

Besides them, there are around 40 lakh visually impaired people in the country and through this Braille version of the UNCRPD they will also be benefited as it would help increase their awareness about their rights and responsibilities, said the speakers.

While delivering his speech, the state minister said very insignificant amount of money has been allocated in the national budget for the technological development of physically challenged people.

He assured that he would raise in parliament soon the issue of broadcasting news in Bangladesh television through sign language.

Former director of National Forum of Organisations Working with the Disabled (NFOWD) Monsur Ahmed Chowdhuy, Chairman Khandaker Zahurul Alam, Chairperson of Chittagong Society for the Disabled Arifur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Visually Impaired Peoples' Society Advocate Mosharraf Hossain and Rabeya Sultana of ActionAid also spoke as special guests.

A display of the Braille book and its components was also held at the National Press Club in association with the CCBPC and The Bangladesh Braille Library.

India film fest on disability

AbilityFest, 3rd India International Disability Film Festival will be held in Chennai from Oct 1 to 5 '09. This bi-annual festival is organised by Ability Foundation. As part of the festival, the third edition of "60 Seconds To Fame!", a all India One minute filmcompitition on disability is open to participants. This is a great opportunity to let loose young minds to bring out some great ideas on "equal opportunity" for persons withdisability as well as to get their films seen by the doyens of the film industry who will be adjudging the winners. In the bargain, it is also a great opportunity to win cash prizes to the tune of Rs. 2.25 lakhs. "60 Seconds To Fame" is open to all Indian nationals. All that is necessary is to have a movie camera in hand, creative ways of expression, sensitivity of mind and empathy for all human beings and the sensitivity of mind to appreciate and celebrate humankind's diversity, focusing on persons with disabilities. The theme this year is thus - “Equal opportunities”.

More details and the entry forms for "60 Seconds To Fame" are available at:http://abilityfoundation.org/60sec_to_fame.html

Blind spa, deaf couriers: India and disabled rights

At a foot spa above a children's playschool in the winding backstreets of north Mumbai, Anand's busy thumbs and fingers press and pull on the soles of a client, as light, relaxing music fills the air.

In a cramped office in the south of the city, an ancient air-conditioner clanks noisily as six women quietly fill in slips of paper to accompany packages to be delivered by their male colleagues who wait patiently nearby.

The everyday scenes could be from any firm or office anywhere in the world, except at the Metta spa and the Mirakle Couriers, all the employees are either blind or deaf.

Both companies are giving new opportunities to some of the estimated 40-90 million disabled people in India, who have long been among the most excluded and stigmatised in society.

A World Bank report published in 2007 found that disabled adults in India were much less likely to be employed than the general population, with just over a third, or 38 percent, in work.

Harnessing the "untapped potential" of disabled people would not only benefit them but the country as a whole, contributing to India's economic growth, the study suggested.

But activists say that despite the existence of disability legislation and strong commitments to improving the situation, implementation of diversity policies is still piecemeal across the public and private sector.

For Jenny Figueiredo, an energetic former nurse who set up Metta in January, and Dhruv Lakra, who separately began Mirakle Couriers in October 2008, there is no reason not to employ disabled people.

"All they're asking is to be treated normally," said Figueiredo, 48, a trained yoga teacher, Thai masseuse and reflexologist who sold some of her jewellery to finance the venture.

Lakra, who used just 500 dollars in savings to get his company off the ground, agreed.

"The whole perception (in India) is that they (disabled people) are useless," said the 28-year-old former Merrill Lynch employee, who has a masters in business administration from Britain's Oxford University.

"Deafness is considered a curse rather than something you can do something about. But deaf people are productive and constructive. They can stand on their own two feet."

The first floor treatment room at Metta, with its bamboo blinds, polished white floor tiles, pot plants and pervading scent of coconut oil, is like any other spa.

The only discernible difference is the eight young staff, dressed in white polo shirts, green trousers and long green aprons, who move cautiously, reaching for door frames or the edges of the five beds to orientate themselves.

The soothing calm is broken by the sound of the staff's "talking watches" telling them a client's time is up.

At Mirakle Couriers, the buzz of office chatter takes place in sign language or text message.

Metta's chatty receptionist Monica has been blind in her left eye from an inoperable cataract since birth. She said she hoped the spa would help people realise that "blind people can do many things".

Many blind people were employed as switchboard operators until mobile phones put them out of work. A six-month reflexology course taught by Figueiredo gave them the chance of a new direction and a regular monthly salary.

"We're doing a job. We work with computers and do different massages. Some people say blind people can't work but we're not now dependent on others," said the 24-year-old, who comes from Darjeeling, in northeast India.

"That makes us happy."

Jyoti, who uses a hearing aid and speaks clearly in English, came to the company after a back office data processing job at a large IT firm in the southern city of Bangalore. The job, she says, was uninspiring and poorly paid.

Now, as she deals with staff issues and the day-to-day running of the company, she has found a new lease on life.

"I found I could stand on my own two feet. It made me see life differently, to be dependent on no one for my own money. I've grown very strong and confident on my own. I've got the world at my feet," she said.

For Figueiredo and Lakra, integration and independence for disabled people are the main goals as they look towards future expansion -- along with progress towards tackling ignorance and prejudice.

Mirakle Couriers already has contracts with some big corporate firms. Each delivery comes with a slip of paper with examples of Indian sign language gestures and a simple message: "Delivered and sorted by deaf adults."

Metta's reputation is spreading by word of mouth after little or no advertising.

The two entrepreneurs see no reason why other companies shouldn't follow their example in employing people with disabilities.

"They should have an open mind and look to these people as a business potential," said Lakra.