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.

Bangladesh: Rehabilitating disabled girls engaged in begging

Sumi Akter is a girl with physical disability. Project staff of CSID, a NGO, found her begging on the traffic point of Bijoy Sharani, Mohammadpur in Dhaka.

Everyday with her mother, she comes to the traffic point in the morning and stay till night. When CSID staff identified her, she was very much reluctant to talk to them. As the project staff went to visit her, they often had to return failing to talk to her.

Her father is a day labourer and it is difficult for him to maintain his five member family. So, he sent Sumi on the street for begging. Sumi's family also tried to prevent her from talking to the project staff.

One day she was invited to attend a meeting of children group at Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) office, but she refused to attend the meeting. The project staff continued communicating her and visiting her home to motivate and counseling with the family.

Gradually Sumi's attitude changed and agreed to come to the meeting but the project had to pay for compensating her income for the day.

The project also invited her parents to attend the meeting to see and observe what other children do in the meeting and what activities they do.

After attending some meetings and observing the activities of children, both Sumi and her family were convinced.

Now, Sumi is motivated and want to attend the meeting and different other programmes. She said that she doesn't like to beg on the street but she is bound to earn money for survival of their family.

She wants to go to school now. She never got opportunity to play and or spend leisure time with friends and or neighbouring children.

CSID's project enrolled her in a non govt. school. Now, she enjoys company of other disabled children like her, reading with non-disabled children, talking and playing with them. She is right sensitive and raising her voice in different meetings and programmes.

She wanted to be an actor but never got opportunity. She has been included in the theatre group of children with disabilities developed by CSID.

First time, she has been given opportunity to act in the theatre in the community. She enjoyed it very much and she was so happy and excited. The inferiority complex inside her and shyness has been disappeared. She has been vocal now.

Her thinking, attitude and understanding have been changed and now she wants to give up begging. But due to extreme poverty and marginalised condition, her family is trying to use her as source of income.

CSID is trying to find out a way to withdraw her from begging and give her a dignified life. The project staff is counseling with her family and discussing the issue.

It is assumed that if the project can provide support to the family to raise income in any alternative way, Sumi can be taken away from the begging.

This is not an isolated story of a disabled girl. There are many other disabled children who are leading an inhuman life mainly due to vulnerable condition.

Handicap International (HI) and National forum of organisations working with the disabled (NFOWD) jointly conducted a study on "Disability in Bangladesh" in July 2005.

In this study, it was found that 5.6% of the population living in Bangladesh suffer from some kind of disability.

Among persons with disabilities, the percentage share of different types of impairment are as follows:

Visual Impairment, 32.2%, Physical disability 27.8%, hearing impairment, 18.6%, intellectual disability 6.7%, speech impairment 3.9%, and multiple disabilities 10.7%.

The disabled children are not responsible for their condition, but many in our society treat them in a negative manner, which is violation of human rights. Many people refuse to mix with them and many school authorities hesitate to admit them. In public places, the disabled children fall to negligence by others. Many of the disabled children fail to prosecute their study due to their inability. The condition of disabled girl children is worst.

If given chances and necessary training, the disabled children can also lead a normal life like others and can contribute to country's development. So, we need to integrate them into our society for our development. We need to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

In a bid to raise awareness and establish the rights of disabled children, CSID held a three-day Art and Photo Exhibition and cultural programme of children with disabilities on the Basila New Model Government Primary School premises in city's Mohammadpur thana.

The programme began on June 23 and concluded on June 25.

Khandaker Jahurul Alam, Executive Director of CSID, inaugurated the programme.

Rabiul Hasan, Director, CSID, and Haji Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Chairman, Basila Government Primary School Management Committee, among others, were present at the exhibition, which is first ever in the country with the participation of disabled children.

Addressing the occasion, the speakers called upon all to make an enabling environment for children with disabilities to grow and enjoy their life. They said that goals of our development will not be achieved if we keep the disabled children out of our society.

A total of 50 paintings done by disabled children and 50 other photographs taken by disabled children were put on display in the exhibition.

A total of 15 disabled children staged drama and 15 others sang songs on the occasion.

In paintings, drama, photographs and songs, the handicapped children focused problems of their daily lives. They through their works showed that they have rights and can do well if proper atmosphere is created for them.

CSID said children with disabilities showed very much interest to participate in drama and music programme. Most of the songs sung at the programme were written by them.

The disabled children were from different slums and streets in Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Adabar, Mirpur, Shah Ali Bagh, Pallabi and Agargaon areas in Dhaka city. Most of them were involved in several hazardous works for their livelihood.

CSID, a NGO working for ensuring the rights of children with disabilities, hoped that the programme would help raise awareness about the rights of disabled children, prompting all to come forward to build a better future them.