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.

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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

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.

Films: The best source to bring awareness on disability and new entry "My name is Khan"

Being touted as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year even before its release, Shahrukh-kajol starrer 'My Name is Khan' recently touched upon another landmark.

Fox Star Studios, who distributed oscar winner 'Slumdog Millionare' in India have reportedly picked up the rights of the Karan Johar biggie for a whopping Rs. 100 crore.

The movie has been receiving rave reviews from the critics who have managed to catch rushes of the movie. 'My name is Khan' has been receiving a lot of audience attention as it brings back the legendary pairing of the Raj and Simran of Bollywood aka Shahrukh-Kajol.

The critics who managed to hear some of music from the movie composed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were overwhelmed and consider the album to be potential chartbuster.

Wiritten by Shibani Bhatija, the movie deals with a Muslim (Shah Rukh) who suffers from the Asperger syndrome, a form of autism that impacts social interaction abilities, who is arrested as a suspected terrorist in post-9/11 Los Angeles after authorities mistake his disability for suspicious behaviour.

Just as it is said, nothing sells better in Bollywood than Shahrukh Khan.. all of us await the arrival of 'Khan'.

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ASIAN ACADEMY Of Film And Television along with the social organisation 'Brotherhood' organised “Look Back We Care Film Festival”- an event of films on Disability at Marwah Studios, Film City, Noida. The collection of films on different issues of disabilities were projected to the large crowd, film and television students of AAFT, ASMS and ABS with an idea to evoke emotions towards people who are sometimes ignored by the community and society for no rhyme or reasons.

“We have joined hands with Brotherhood only to promote the idea of creating awareness towards disability,” said Sandeep Marwah, President Marwah Studios.

“We at brotherhood have pledged to promote our disable brothers and sisters to come forward in life and become independent” said Satish Kapoor, the director of the Festival .The festival is supported by the information Centre of United Nation, National Trust, Shivkala Motion Pictures and International Film And Television Club.

“We have to look back into Hindi feature films like Black, Dosti, Tare Zameen pain, Koshish that share quite some information highlighted the problems of disability” said Sameer Sen Chief Guest of the day and renowned music director who has given music to 150 feature films like Jalwa, Arjun Pandit, Anari No 1, Achanak, Salakhen, Kartavaya etc.

BB Choudhary IPS, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Rajeev Chandran of United Nation Information Centre, RKSingh former Engineer in Chief, Doordarshan, Raghaveddhiraa of Mangolore Port Trust, Sharad Dutt of Channel P7 were the other speakers of the day. The programme was followed by screening of 15 selected short films on disability.