Job-seeker branded ‘mentally-ill’ ; Chennai

 

For this job-seeker, the shock of his life came when he approached the employment office. Ramraj (41) of Hosur registered at the employment exchange in 1987 with his qualification as class 10. Later Ramraj, a physically challenged person, did M Com and PGDCA, and renewed his qualifications. 

He renewed his registration four times in 26 years and kept all the renewal cards with him. In November 2012, he got a job offer as a night watchman in a government school. When he approached the district employment exchange to get his updated document, he got a shock of his life as it declared him ‘mentally challenged’.

“I was shattered when I read it. I was declared as mentally challenged candidate. None of my credentials except my class 10 qualification was renewed in my file. I met with an accident and my right leg joints have completely stopped functioning. Doctors in the Dharmapuri medical college hospital have given a report that I am physically disabled person with ortho complaints,” he said.

When Ramraj appro­ached the Krishnagiri district employment officer Kasthuri for correction, he suffered untold misery. “The officer verbally abused me. She called me names and alleged I forged my certificates. The truth is the employment exchange has forged my records,” he cried. Not just Ramraj, many applicants at the Krishnagiri complained of Kasthuri’s temper.

Sardar Barur, a minority, was ‘converted’ to a Hindu. When he questioned the officer, he said he was ill-treated and thrown out. For Reena Kumari, her name appeared as Rukmani in the documents. She was shunted out of the final interview by a government department because a different name figured in her report.

When contacted, district collector T.P.Rajesh said, “Already we have received complaints against Kasthuri on different grounds. We have started inquiries now. She will be pulled up.”

Job portal goes jobless for two hours

The site ‘www.tnvelaivaaippu.gov.in’- a government employment exchange portal, was jobless on Thursday. This site run by the department of employment and training has the database of 65 lakh job seekers in Tamil Nadu, crashed for more than two hours, as the site failed to work. While the employment exchanged blamed BSNL for the crash, officials in BSNL told DC that there was no problem in the network on Thursday.

In order to help out students who have just cleared their Plus-2 exams, the government announced that students can register their qualification directly on the government site. And there was no need to wait in the queues in front of the government employment offices. The site promises to have live register of employment offices and provide information to students and job seekers about opportunities in government and private industries. But the crash of the site prevented students and some school administration staff who were ready to help students in remote areas to enter the data in the online portal.

Sekar and V.Meenakashi, joint directors of the directorate of employment,   and training in Guindy, admitted that the site crashed for a few hours on Thursday. “The site crashed for a few hours in the morning.

There is a problem in the BSNL network in Guindy. The site was working well later in the day,” they said. When contacted, a senior BSNL officer clarified that the BSNL network did not have any problem in the Guindy or any other area on Thursday. “Our network did not suffer any problems. Probably the server of the employment exchange might have failed to work,” said the officer.

Source : Deccan Chronicle , 31st May 2013 

Understanding autism: Removing the label of "problem children"

 

Andrea Payo is the coordinator of Family Centers' Young Parents Program

I am the lucky aunt of a beautiful 5-year-old autistic girl. Having a child with autism is something that our family never expected, nor were we ready for it. She came into this world being quite different than the rest of us. And that's fine with us, as we love her exactly the way she is.

Children with autism have characteristics and behaviors that are considered unusual.

These could include a lack of eye contact, repeating words over and over again, having difficulty sharing toys, keeping to themselves, struggling when making transitions and avoiding human interaction.

What's more common is that autistic children have trouble verbalizing themselves and their needs, which often leads to tantrums, meltdowns and misbehaviors.

In struggling with the challenges associated with autism, many of these kids may also suffer from sensory processing disorder.

Things that most of us can easily handle, such as bright light, loud sounds, different smells, flavors and textures can turn into negative stimulus and become a major cause of distress and confusion.

On the surface, autistic kids aren't any different from other kids. They love to play, have fun and have hopes and dreams.

Unfortunately, their social, emotional and sensory challenges are often unpredictable and flare-ups can happen at the most inopportune times. Sadly, since a large portion of the population is not educated on autistic behaviors, these kids are labeled as "problem children."

Parents of autistic children are often considered poor disciplinarians, as well.

On several occasions, when I have taken my niece to public places such as the grocery store, beach or a playground, I have received disapproving looks.

They stare at us wondering why this girl is walking in circles or throwing things for no apparent reason.

Receiving this type of disapproval (no matter how confident you might be) can produce a negative effect on you. Despite the fact, as a parent, you do everything you can to create a happy and safe life for your child, other people's perceptions can weigh on you.

The truth is that parents aren't the only ones affected by the social stigma associated with autism. Many autistic children are very aware of their condition and can experience feelings of sadness -- especially when others aren't understanding.

It is my belief that the only way to counteract this unfair stigma is to generate and encourage open and clear discussion about autism. Increasing autism awareness among those who are not affected with autism personally, would eventually lead to more tolerance for those who don't fit the mold, and their families.

The prevalence of autism in the United States is 1 in 88 children.

Hopefully, in a near future, more and more people will think twice before judging an autistic child who is having a meltdown and screams hysterically for "no reason" -- or perhaps, a child who repeats himself over and over again, or a child who is constantly hand flapping or even just spinning around.

Being the parent of an autistic child is hard and challenging. Being autistic is challenging. Parents and children with autism are very likely to be judged and bullied. Ideally, we will reach that point where people understand what parents and children coping with autism need. What they deserve from us is our support, our love and our respect.

Andrea Payo is the coordinator of Family Centers' Young Parents Program. With offices in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan, Family Centers is a United Way, New Canaan Community Foundation and Community Fund of Darien partner agency that offers counseling and support programs for children, adults and families. Contact her at 203-324-3167or visit www.familycenters.org.


Source : GreenWich Citizen , 31st May 2013 

Canada's disability savings fund called a 'fiasco' : Fewer than 1 in 6 of those eligible sign up for 'onerous' accounts : CANADA

 

 Evan Pennington, 8, suffers from severe spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy

For years, Frank Allen — founder and CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Support Foundation of Canada — heard horror stories about the frustrations of setting up a registered savings plan specially designed for those with severe disabilities.

But it wasn't until the financial planner and owner of three companies tried to set up an account for his eight-year-old grandson, Evan Pennington, that he came to understand what a "fiasco" the registered disability savings plan (RDSP) was, he says.

Allen's three-month journey through the system began on Feb. 14 with a trip to a TD Bank branch in Whitby, Ont., in hopes of setting up a plan for his wheelchair-bound grandson. Evan suffers from severe spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy.

"The process is flawed from the beginning," said Allen, who lives in Oshawa with his daughter and his grandson. "When we went to the local branch … the gal there really had no idea what an RDSP was."

The RDSP, introduced nearly five years ago, is less known than its more popular cousins, the RRSP (registered retirement savings plan) and RESP (registered education savings plan), all of which allow income inside the plans to grow on a tax-sheltered basis until funds are withdrawn.

Under the disability savings plan, contributions are bolstered by federal grants and savings bonds for up to $4,500 a year, for a lifetime total of $90,000, depending on income.

Allen said he ended up walking the TD Bank employee through all the paperwork on how to set up a self-directed RDSP, reading it with her line by line. But that lack of knowledge was just the tip of the iceberg.

'Maze of issues'

"A lot of people at the branches, they don't know how to deal with someone with severe challenges," said Allen. "That makes it hard. How the whole process evolves makes it hard ... It's a maze of issues."

 

Frank Allen, a financial planner and owner of three companies, spent three months trying to set up an RDSP for his grandson. 

 Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the start of the RDSP program in December 2008 with much fanfare. At a press conference he touted the unique plan as a global first.

"We are leading the world in this initiative, and I expect it will be copied in many places around the world," Flaherty said.

However, five years later, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada says that while some countries have sought information about the program at international meetings, such as at the UN and the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, to the "best of our knowledge, no other country has started a similar program."

Today, all of Canada's major financial institutions offer RDSPs, but the road to offering the plan has not been smooth.

"There have been people who have been caught up in paperwork and bureaucracy," said Joel Crocker, director of planning at Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network, a Vancouver-based non-profit that lobbied for the creation of RDSPs. "It's been a bit of a nightmare."

RDSP uptake low

Despite Ottawa providing a grant of up to $3,500 a year — plus a bond of up to $1,000 a year for lower-income Canadians who don't even contribute that year — uptake remains low.

About 14 per cent of Canadians with severe disabilities — 68,833 in total — are now signed up for an RDSP. That's an increase from the four per cent who signed up in the first year, but it is still only a small portion of the estimated 500,000 who are eligible.

"I thank Jim Flaherty for implementing this," said Allen. "But the problem is there is a pot of money waiting to help those with challenges plan for their final years, their retirements. A lot of people with challenges live just as long as you and I hopefully will. They need the money."

He says he finds himself wondering if the government is trying to make the sign-up process confusing just so it won't have to pay out all that money.

RDSPs by year

Year	Number of accounts opened
2009	20,598
2010	18,144
2011	12,099
2012	13,103
2013*	4,979
Total	68,833

Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. *Figure accurate as of mid-May.

As of March 31, the federal government contributed $727 million in grants and bonds to RDSPs in the past five years. If all the estimated 500,000 beneficiaries had signed up, however, that would be a multi-billion dollar figure.

Crocker notes that the federal government has been responsive to concerns and questions about the program. The program underwent a review and about a dozen changes have been instituted or will be by early 2014, he says.

Among the changes are allowing RESPs to rollover into RDSPs, increasing the annual withdrawal maximum and allowing for RDSPs to remain dormant while a person's disability tax credit, a requirement for obtaining the plan, is under review or temporarily unapproved.

Financial institutions have also been supportive of the long-term savings plan, despite how time-consuming the applications can be, said Crocker.

"It's probably one of the most onerous offerings that they would have or products that they have to sell with the least amount of returns for them," says Crocker. "It takes more management, there are more things to deal with."

More uptake needed

Allen said that despite more than three months of back-and-forth with the bank, he decided to continue the RDSP process with TD in part because they are the only bank offering a self-directed plan, but also because bank officials said they were making changes on how they handle the process.

TD Bank would not comment to CBC about any changes, citing client privacy concerns. But it issued a statement last week saying it investigates "customer concerns as quickly and effectively as possible."

In Allen's case, he learned late last week that his grandson's RDSP has been finalized. It's a relief for the grandfather to know Evan will have enough money to be taken care of later in life.

The cost to the families of those with disabilities — many of whom are often low income — can reach about $80,000 a year in care alone, says Allen.

"People with challenges ... they are like anybody else. You have to plan for your future. When the caregiver is gone, who is going to care?"

Allen hopes the RDSP might even earn the Grade 2 student a $1-million nest egg by the time he retires.

And he advises others with disabilities: "It's something that everyone has to do. It's that important and so many people are missing the boat."

Source : CBC News , Canada : 30th may 2013 

Don't ignore the disabled, grievances genuine: Supreme Court to Delhi University

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Delhi University (DU) to make certain that its new course structure under the four-year undergraduate programme does not connote a "machinery of failure" for the visually impaired and other disabled students and that the authorities provide all the facilities required. 

Asking the university to ensure that such students do not suffer because of a transition in haste, a bench of Justices B S Chauhan and Dipak Misra said: "Their (students') grievances look to be genuine, and it has to be looked into sympathetically. Sensitivity for such students must grow." 

The bench said DU must make "genuine" efforts to see that disabled students cope with the new curricula even as the court could not dictate how should they teach their students. "These people should not suffer. You cannot give them a new system of education and provide a machinery for failure. There has to be progressive attitude along with empathy," the court said. 

On a petition by NGO Sambhavana, which represented persons with disabilities, the bench had on Monday sought a comprehensive affidavit from the university over the steps taken to redress the grievances of such students in the four-year undergraduate degree courses, slated to be implemented from this year. 

Advocate Pankaj Sinha, who appeared for the NGO, pointed out that DU had hurried into the course without making proper infrastructure arrangements for library and laboratories, accessible reading material and trained teachers. He also complained against compulsory subjects of maths and science for visually impaired students, who are not usually taught these subjects after Class VIII. 

Defending the university, senior advocate Pinky Anand told the bench that DU's empowered committee had gone to great lengths to take care of all needs of such students and prepared its report to with recommendations for inclusive and holistic education. She said the report was placed before the academic council a day ago, and it was adopted. 

Source : The Indian Express , 30th May 2013 

Disabled Rights advocacy group formulates 5 point agenda : INDIA

Urging India to take lead the cause of the disabled, a coalition of NGOs from over 15 states have come up with a draft recommendation demanding integration of disability in the broader national and global discourse.

Disability has not been included in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of 2000, which is nearing end of its time-frame in the year 2015. Therefore, rights activists say it is better to focus on evolving a new framework rather than dwelling upon the "shortfalls in the MDG."

"We live in the 21st century India where many disabled people still have to crawl through a mess to reach the toilet. Renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking suffers from one of the most incapacitating disorders in the world and yet he lives with dignity lent by society. Can we ever imagine a Hawking in India?" says director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), Javed Abidi.

Therefore in their bid for dignified living for the disabled and urging India to be in the driver's seat in this cause, NCPEDP and NGO 'Wada Na Todo', after consultations, have come up with a five-point recommendation to engage, enable and integrate disability in the post-2015 development framework agenda.

It includes, enabling environment with accessibility and opportunity to engage including electronic and ICT facilities; education emphasising capacity building; health with rehabilitation; employment; and social security that means not just pensions but an enabling atmosphere.

"These recommendations will soon be sent to the central government and eventually to the UN. Since a high-level meet is slated in September at the UN headquarters, I wonder if India would also represent itself and present its views on disability," he says.

At a two-day event 'Consultation on Disability and Post-2015 Agenda' held earlier this week, activists said since, it has "been left out" of the MDGs they would be focusing on the post-2015 agenda so that "no further barriers be created in the name of development".

"We want to ensure that development aid and international cooperation create no further barriers for differently abled people. A simple thing like the floor-height of a bus or a bus shelter that has a ramp but has a billboard put in front of it might just negate the earlier work and create further barriers," he says.

There are estimated 1 billion disabled persons in the world, activists say.

 

Source : Business Standard Via PTI , 30th May 2013 

Don't marginalise children with disabilities, urges Unicef

UNITED NATIONS - Society should focus on what children with disabilities (CWDs) can achieve rather than what they cannot do, according to Unicef’s annual State of the World’s Children’s report released Thursday.

Concentrating on the abilities and potentials of CWDs would be beneficial for children and the whole society, said the flagship report.

"When you see the disability before the child, it is not only wrong for the child, but it deprives society of all that child has to offer," said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in a statement.

“Their loss is society’s loss; their gain is society’s gain,” he added. The report laid out how society can embrace CWDs as part of the community. Inclusive education will help CWDs fulfill their ambition.

Efforts to integrate children with disabilities in the society would help fight discrimination, the report said.

Children with disabilities are the least likely to receive health care or go to school. They are among the most vulnerable to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, particularly if they are hidden or put in institutions because of social stigma or the economic cost of raising them, the report stated.

The State of the World’s Children 2013 report urges the governments to ratify and implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

"The path ahead is challenging," said Lake. "But children do not accept unnecessary limits. Neither should we."

The World Health Organization estimates 4.5 per cent of the global population have disabilities.
Children with disabilities have the same rights as all children but are some of the most invisible and marginalized people in the world, the report stressed.

There are currently 127 countries and the European Union that have ratified the CRBD – these States Parties are required to promote full equality and participation of persons with disabilities in society – and 76 which have signed the CRD.

“Ratification alone will not be enough,” UNICEF wrote in the report's Executive Summary. “The process will require effort on the part of national Governments, local authorities, employers, disabled people's organizations and parents' associations.”

Discrimination is the root of many of the challenges children with disabilities face, according to the report, whose authors urge fighting that scourge and enhancing awareness of disability among the general public, decision makers, and those who provide essential services for children and adolescents in such fields as health, education and protection.

In specific, the authors recommend facilitating access and encouraging the participation of children with disabilities alongside their peers. For example, they site the use of universal designs that can be found in the form of sidewalk ramps, audio books, Velcro fastenings, cabinets with pull-out shelves, automatic doors and low-floor buses.

The cost of integrating accessibility into new buildings and infrastructure can amount to less than one per cent of the capital development cost, adaptations to an already completed structure can reach as much as 20 per cent of the original cost, UNICEF reports.

Another recommendation is to the end the institutionalization of children with disabilities, starting with a moratorium on new admissions and greater promotion of and increased support for family-based care and community-based rehabilitation.

 “Separating children with disabilities from their families is a violation of their rights to be cared for by their parents unless this is deemed by a competed authorities to be in the individual child's best interest,” according to the report.

 “Making public services, schools and health systems accessible and responsive to the needs of children with disabilities and their families will reduce the pressure to send children away in the first place,” the authors also noted.

Families caring for children with disabilities often bear higher costs of living and lost opportunities to earn income and thus may increase the risk of becoming or remaining poor. Estimates of these additional costs range from nine per cent in Vietnam to up to 69 per cent in the United Kingdom.

The authors suggest various social policies that can offset some of the costs, including social grants, subsidies for transportation or funding for personal assistants or respite care. Another alternative is a cash benefit, which is often easier to administer, more flexible at meeting particular needs and allows the parents and children to make the decision of how to best spend the money.

Existing supports and services should be continually re-evaluated and varied to include services from a full range of cross-cutting sectors, the authors argue, with the child and family being included in the process.

 “Children and young people with disabilities are among the most authoritative sources of information on what they need and whether their needs are being met,” the report notes, adding that participation is especially important for marginalized groups, such as children with disabilities living in institutions that are more likely to be abused or exploited than those living at home.

As international agencies and donors include children with disabilities in their programmes, reliable and comparable date is needed to guide the planning and resource allocation, the authors claim.

The report provides data on children with global and country breakdowns and how they rank on progress towards the universally approved anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While global estimates are speculative, one widely used figure from 2004 is that some 93 million – or one in 20 children aged 14 or younger – live with moderate or severe disability of some kind, according to the report which questions its precision.

 “The ultimate proof of all global and national efforts will be local, the test being whether every child with a disability enjoys her or his rights – including access to services, support and opportunities – on a par with other children, even in the most remote settings and the most deprived circumstances,” the authors write.

Source : The Nation , 31st May 2013 

Given same opportunities as others, children with disabilities can be agents of change – UN report

Children with disabilities have the same rights as all children but are some of the most invisible and marginalized people in the world according to a United Nations report released today, which cites recommendations on how to actively include children with disabilities in civic, social and cultural affairs so that both they and their communities benefit.

Produced by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The State of the World's Children 2013, launched earlier today in Da Nang, Vietnam, is the first global study dedicated to children with disabilities.

The report's underlying message is that girls and boys with disabilities “are not problems” but sisters, brothers, daughters, sons and friends with favourite foods and songs, dreams and rights. Eschewing a focus on traditional notions of “rescuing” the child, the report instead spotlights investment in removing the barriers that impede the realization of the child's rights.

In his forward, Executive Director of UNICEF, Anthony Lake who led today's launch, writes that the inclusion of children with disabilities in society is possible – but it requires a change of perception, “a recognition that children with disabilities hold the same rights as others; that they can be agents of change and self-determination, not merely the beneficiaries of charity; that their voices must be heard and heeded in our policymaking and programmes.”

Children at a disability centre in Hargesia, capital of Somaliland.

Among its key recommendations, UNICEF urges countries that have not yet done so to ratify and implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRBD) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRD).

There are currently 127 countries and the European Union that have ratified the CRBD – these States Parties are required to promote full equality and participation of persons with disabilities in society – and 76 which have signed the CRD.

“Ratification alone will not be enough,” UNICEF wrote in the report's Executive Summary. “The process will require effort on the part of national Governments, local authorities, employers, disabled people's organizations and parents' associations.”

Discrimination is the root of many of the challenges children with disabilities face, according to the report, whose authors urge fighting that scourge and enhancing awareness of disability among the general public, decision makers, and those who provide essential services for children and adolescents in such fields as health, education and protection.

In specific, the authors recommend facilitating access and encouraging the participation of children with disabilities alongside their peers. For example, they site the use of universal designs that can be found in the form of sidewalk ramps, audio books, Velcro fastenings, cabinets with pull-out shelves, automatic doors and low-floor buses.

The cost of integrating accessibility into new buildings and infrastructure can amount to less than one percent of the capital development cost, adaptations to an already completed structure can reach as much as 20 per cent of the original cost, UNICEF reports.

Another recommendation is to the end the institutionalization of children with disabilities, starting with a moratorium on new admissions and greater promotion of and increased support for family-based care and community-based rehabilitation.

“Separating children with disabilities from their families is a violation of their rights to be cared for by their parents unless this is deemed by a competed authorities to be in the individual child's best interest,” according to the report.

“Making public services, schools and health systems accessible and responsive to the needs of children with disabilities and their families will reduce the pressure to send children away in the first place,” the authors also noted.

Families caring for children with disabilities often bear higher costs of living and lost opportunities to earn income and thus may increase the risk of becoming or remaining poor. Estimates of these additional costs range from nine per cent in Vietnam to up to 69 per cent in the United Kingdom.

The authors suggest various social policies that can offset some of the costs, including social grants, subsidies for transportation or funding for personal assistants or respite care. Another alternative is a cash benefit, which is often easier to administer, more flexible at meeting particular needs and allows the parents and children to make the decision of how to best spend the money.

Existing supports and services should be continually re-evaluated and varied to include services from a full range of cross-cutting sectors, the authors argue, with the child and family being included in the process.

“Children and young people with disabilities are among the most authoritative sources of information on what they need and whether their needs are being met,” the report notes, adding that participation is especially important for marginalized groups, such as children with disabilities living in institutions that are more likely to be abused or exploited than those living at home.

As international agencies and donors include children with disabilities in their programmes, reliable and comparable date is needed to guide the planning and resource allocation, the authors claim.

The report provides data on children with global and country breakdowns and how they rank on progress towards the universally approved anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While global estimates are speculative, one widely used figure from 2004 is that some 93 million – or one in 20 children aged 14 or younger – live with moderate or severe disability of some kind, according to the report which questions its precision.

“The ultimate proof of all global and national efforts will be local, the test being whether every child with a disability enjoys her or his rights – including access to services, support and opportunities – on a par with other children, even in the most remote settings and the most deprived circumstances,” the authors write.

Source : United Nations , 30th May 2013 

Tunisia: Regional Arab Workshop On the 'Disabled Person's Status and MDGs'

A regional workshop for the Arab Region on the 'Disabled Person's Status and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)' meant to prepare for the High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development opened, on Wednesday, in Gammarth, northern suburbs of Tunis.

Opening works, interim Prime Minister Ali Larayedh emphasised the need to mobilise efforts of all stakeholders to ensure fairness and equal opportunities for all categories, including those with specific needs.

Larayedh also highlighted the imperative to update and promote relevant national legislation by means of putting into effect positive discrimination programmes targeting people with disabilities, establishing a statistical system and creating a coherent database to help make policies and rectify a number of programmes.

The two-day event takes place ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development with the overarching theme: "The Way Forward: a Disability Inclusive Development Agenda towards 2015 and Beyond," to be held during the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly next September 23 in New York, Social Affairs Minister Khalil Zaouia underscored.

Chief of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Akiko Ito underlined the need to ensure the fundamental rights of this category, namely the right to healthcare and education, while securing their integration in the development process.

The Arab world is home to nearly 53 million persons with disabilities who demand to be integrated in their respective societies, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative pointed out. About 50% of the former can lead a normal life, he specified.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Tunis Maria Luisa Fornana said there are 300 million disabled children in the world, 100 millions among whom are under the age of 5.

80 % of children with disabilities live in developing countries and 250,000 to 500,000 lose their sight annually because of vitamin A deficit, she further said.

Source : All Africa , 29th May 2013 

UNICEF Calls for End to Discrimination Against Children With Disabilities : Geneva

The U.N. Children's Fund says children with disabilities are among the most marginalized people in the world. In its annual State of the World's Children report, UNICEF says ending discrimination against children with disabilities and nurturing their abilities will benefit both the children and society as a whole.

The report presents a grim assessment of the discrimination and stigma suffered by tens of millions of children with disabilities in all regions of the world. There is very little data on these children, so the magnitude of the problem is unknown.

However, according to one widely-used estimate, some 93 million children, or one in 20 aged 14 years or younger, live with a moderate or severe disability of some kind. While children with disabilities are worse off in poor countries, UNICEF says they suffer discrimination, stigmatization and marginalization in poor and rich countries alike.

Somali Child Who Lost a Leg during Bomb Explosion 

UNICEF Inclusive Education Consultant Paula Hunt tells VOA disabled people tend to be invisible in society. She says many disabled children are not registered at birth, which cuts them off from social services and legal protections crucial to their survival and prospects.

"You have countries in which having a disabled child is considered bad luck, not only for the child, but for the entire family. Children with disabilities are more likely to not attend school because it is seen as they are unable to learn. Children with disabilities often do not have friends ... And, so, children with disabilities often miss out on every aspect of social life," Hunt said.

The UNICEF report says children with disabilities are the most vulnerable to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, particularly if they are hidden or put in institutions. The report notes 17 studies from high-income countries found children with disabilities are three to four times more likely to be victims of violence.

The report argues society stands to gain from including rather than excluding children -- from concentrating on their abilities, rather than on their disabilities. For example, it says making education more inclusive broadens the horizons of all children and provides opportunities denied children with disabilities.

Hunt considers disabled children no less able than other children. "For me, the biggest gain of having a society that is inclusive of children with disabilities is that you get used to children with disabilities. And so, that entire misunderstanding, the fear of things that you do not know becomes smaller and smaller," Hunt said.

The report urges governments to ratify and implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It calls on governments to support families so they can meet the higher costs of caring for children with disabilities. It calls for measures to fight discrimination.

The State of the World's Children report uses the under-5 mortality rate as the principle indicator of progress in child well-being. The report shows that in 1970, around 16.9 million children under 5 were dying every year, while in 2011, 6.9 million were dying, nearly half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source : VOA NEWS , 29th May 2013 

Sparsh Abhiyan : Madhya Pradesh

A Sparsh of care, concern, love and faith can create magic in anyone’s life and so is the motive of ‘Sparsh Abhiyan’. Madhya Pradesh government is keen to make lives of its people better by offering help through various schemes and Sparsh Abhiyan is one such initiative of the govt. Finding ability in disability is the aim of this scheme and it targets all the disabled people of state with one motto of providing employment for better future and happy living.

Every one of us feels pity for disabled but they really don’t need our sympathy. All they need is help to get their right to employment. MP Govt. is giving them a chance to explore their abilities and work for a better living under Sparsh Abhiyan program. 1,006+ physically challenged people were provided jobs under this ambitious scheme of state government.

After a thorough research by the officials, a database of 8.10lac disabled persons is created in the state and among them, 1006 are appointed in govt. service. Likewise, 14,595 disabled persons are selected for self employment help under the campaign and 3,735 are given appointment by private organizations and industries. Though this number is small in total, but it is big enough to bring a change in many lives, society and state at large.

Till now, 1,056 camps have been organized by MP Government for recognizing and categorizing these persons and disability certificates are provided to 4,31,509 persons. Moreover, govt. has also provided pension to 54,937 disabled persons and a financial assistance of Rs. 500/month to 32,082 persons with multiple problems. Sparsh Abhiyan also solemnized 3,900 marriages and corrective surgery of 4,048 disabled persons. The major contribution of this campaign that has changed the lives completely is construction of 91,219 disabled-friendly houses. It is the initiative that has revolutionized many lives.

It is really important to provide source of living and good lifestyle to everyone and thus, these government schemes are very important, if executed effectively & efficiently. Search Schemes is one such initiative to bring a change in unfortunate section of the society. It is a web portal that has detailed information of various Madhya Pradesh & Central govt. schemes to help disabled, students, unemployed, females, SC, ST, OBC, farmers, small scale businessman, and all the other sections of society.

All you have to do is to share the information of government schemes to the needy people like your watchman, maid, milkman, peon, liftman, sweeper, etc. and bring the awareness, so the benefit of these schemes may reach the right people.

The Sparsh of your knowledge can enlighten many lives. Help them!

Source : Speaking Tree , 29th May 2013 

Physically Handicapped Children More Likely to be Sexual Abuse Victims : Said Unicef Report

A report compiled by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that disabled children are three to four times more likely to face sexual and physical abuse in their life.  The report 'The State of the World's Children,' states that the main reason behind this is the improper parental care an d institutionalisation. The report was launched in Da Nang city of central Vietnam.  According to UNICEF's executive director Anthony Lake, physically handicapped children tend to be "invisible" because of poor data on them.

A report compiled by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that disabled children are three to four times more likely to face sexual and physical abuse in their life. 

"This has been a vicious circle," he said in  a press release. "They (disabled children) don't get registered at birth, for example, disproportionately; then we don't see the pressure to develop more data. And since we don't develop more data we tend to see them less." Although, according to him there are no reliable records, it is widely estimated that 1 in 20 children in the world are disabled.

The report stated that these children are not provided with proper sex education and HIV programs, which results in them being the victims of sexual and physical abuse. "Many have been taught to be silent and obedient and have no experience of setting limits with others regarding physical contact," the report said.

Misinformation seemed to be the cause of poor understanding of disability. The report stated that in Madagascar 48 percent of the presidents of parents' associations believed disability was contagious.

UNICEF said that such kind of attitude should be changed and disabled children should be provided with better social services. "The greatest barrier they face is not so much the disability as the discrimination they face," Lake said. "So unless you tear down the barriers against their being included in society and unless you provide assistance ... then they are not going to make it."

Source : Parent Herald , 30th May 2013 

Three-hour Passport Adalat sees low attendance : Bangalore

She negotiates the stairs, using a pair of crutches as support, hope writ on her face. It's the second time that Dr Rajaswi Pujar, a physically challenged medical student from Mysore, was coming all the way to Bangalore's regional passport office in Koramangala along with her uncle, simply to know the status of her passport. And she was in for a shock on Wednesday.

Rajaswi's police verification had been done over a year ago. "We have been assured by the local police station in Mysore and in Bijapur where her mother stays that the verification certificate was already submitted to the passport office," Rajaswi's uncle told the official.

  When the official typed in her ARN number, he found the verification certificate hadn't yet been uploaded. Rajaswi was shocked that personnel in the office of the Mysore police commissioner had misguided her. On Wednesday, the Passport Adalat saw the likes of Rajaswi who had been made to run from pillar to post for no fault of theirs. Most of those who attended the adalat were from other districts. Although the adalat was open from 10am to 1pm, just over 100 people arrived with their problems.

Like Vinod Kumar who rushed from Gulbarga, only to get an appointment to appear at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). "In my place, touts are waiting to hunt people like us who are either applying or renewing passports. I did not want to be fleeced by agents nor was I getting an online appointment. Here the appointment was given to me in a minute without much hassle," he told TOI. He is planning to go abroad for employment by end of June.

Raju BR, a cook from Nagamangala taluk in Mandya who is travelling to Singapore, was also there to expedite his passport application. Ditto with Batul Unnissa, retired government school teacher from Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga district, who has been chasing officials since 2011 to get her passport. "In the struggle to get a passport and go for Haj, my husband passed away. Now the officials have another reason to trouble me. I have furnished the death certificate of my husband and the officials still ask me to get more papers. What else should I do?" she cried.

Officials said that most decisions which are not made at the PSKs are being handled at the adalat so that all backlog can be cleared. "Only few complicated cases or cases which have a legal tangle to it are coming to me, other decisions are being taken by the assistant RPO officials at the spot," said Madan Gopal Reddy, outgoing RPO.

NO INSIDERS IN RACKET, SAY OFFICIALS

"We have not received any evidence to prove that officials in RPO have colluded with touts to give appointments to ease passport verification. But I have written to CCB and CBI to find evidence. CCB had already arrested three touts before I took charge," said Madan Gopal Reddy, outgoing RPO. He also said that CCTVs will be installed in all PSKs. BSNL is yet to give technologically fool-proof system to install all CCTVs of all the PSKs. He added "We request people to avoid going to agents. They can apply through Bangalore One or Karnataka One centres. They can get their work done with just Rs15 and walk straight into the offices to get their passport processed," said Reddy.

 WE ARE SHORTSTAFFED: OFFICIALS

There are merely 71 officials of ministry of external affairs in Karnataka. Of these, 33 in Bangalore deal with passport issuance in the RPO and two PSKs in Lalbagh and Marathahalli. Hubli PSK has just two officials."There are hundreds of applicants daily at the PSK but only a handful of officials. How can we clear the backlog and complicated cases? The officials get irritated after attending to some 50-60 applicants in a day, and are not able to even talk to their colleagues," said an official.

Petitioner to submit details

Adivision bench headed by Chief Justice D H Waghela on Wednesday asked the petitioner, an advocate, to furnish instances wherein the scrutiny branch of the high court had raised unnecessary and irrelevant objections in relation to the subject matter of the petitions filed.

The bench asked advocate N P Amrutesh to submit to them the details in three weeks. The petitioner claims that those appointed in the scrutiny branch lack specialization/ experience and do not even possess knowledge about rules. "Those performing jobs there do not have a legal background, many of them are only SSLC-PUC educated, as they are promotees from attender-peon posts," the petitioner claimed.

Source : TOI , 30th May 2013 

Differently-abled kids win 26 medals for Meghalaya : Shillong

Meghalaya has won 26 medals at the National Games for the Deaf, 2013, organized by the All India Council of Deaf at Aurangabad.

The students of Ferrando Speech and Hearing Centre of Ri-Bhoi district represented the state in the event which comprised differently-abled children from over 25 states in the competition.

 "This was made possible only with the help of the Army Madras Regiment," a defence release said.

"It all started with Ferrando Speech and Hearing Centre, Umniuh-Khwan, Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya, requesting Army Madras Regiment to train their students for the various sports events. The institute is an early intervention, education and rehabilitation centre for disabled children of the northeast. Many of their students who are speech and hearing impaired were found to be potentially good in sports," the release said.

The Army regiment held a coaching camp for 15 students of Ferrando Speech and Hearing Centre for a month in December last year. The coaching was meant to assist these students to participate in the Silent Olympiad at Mumbai and the national games at Aurangabad.

"This was the first time ever that students from Meghalaya won so many medals at the national level and will be representing the country at the Olympics for the Deaf at Bulgaria," the defence statement said.

The Army has volunteered for further assistance in training of the students.

Commander of Mountain Brigade at Umroi Military Station under the aegis of Red Horn Division said, "We consider ourselves privileged to have helped these children to achieve this remarkable feat. We as an organization are committed to the people of our country and we will be happy to continue our support to these students. I am confident that these kids will do great at the Bulgaria Olympics and make Meghalaya and India proud". 

Source : TOI , 30th May 2013 

Vodafone launches society app awards

Vodafone’s social investment division, the Vodafone Foundation, launched an awards programme for mobile apps that improve people’s lives and deliver substantial public benefit.

The Mobile for Good Europe Awards covers iOS and Android apps in categories including accessibility, mobilising public services, health and education.

The contest has a total prize fund of €200,000, which winning developers can use to further develop their technology.  The top in each category will be awarded €30,000, with €15,000 for second place and €5,000 for third.

“Mobile technology has the potential to educate, liberate and empower hundreds of millions of people. We hope the Mobile for Good Europe Awards will inspire innovators to invest in new and creative ways to use mobile to enhance individual daily lives and deliver substantial public benefits,” said Andrew Dunnett, Vodafone Group sustainability director.

The contest is run in conjunction with AGE Platform Europe and the European Disability Forum and there will be developer workshops run in Amsterdam, Berlin and Madrid. The closing date for entries is 15 October.

The Mobile for Good Europe Awards has evolved from the previous Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards, a contest for Android apps to improve the lives of disabled and elderly people, which took place in 2011 and 2012.

Source : Mobile World Live , 28th May 2013 

New bar for the deaf where you order drinks in sign language : London

A bar for deaf people where all the staff are trained in sign language has opened in London.

In a first of its kind, the venue will provide a social venue for the deaf in a club-style environment. Though ease and comfort for deaf people is the  priority, the Deaf Lounge in Seven  Sisters also welcomes hearing people. 

Paul Cripps, 31, who co-owns it with non-deaf Domani Peir, came up with the concept after years of negative experiences in bars and clubs.

Mr Cripps, from Edmonton, has been deaf since birth. He said: “I’ve had  problems ordering drinks, talking to fellow clubbers and sometimes even getting into clubs.

“The Deaf Lounge is open to both the deaf and non-deaf communities — I’m eager that it encourages deaf people to socialise with the wider society. For example the bar will play music as that’s really important to attract non-deaf customers.”

Deaf people can also experience music through vibrations. The owners said they plan to set up salsa, zumba and DJ workshops where deaf people will be taught to read beats and play instruments.

Ms Peir, 43, who handles the running of the bar, added: “We want this bar to be about fun too and make deaf people feel alive again.” As well as the staff being trained in sign language, other aspects of the deaf-friendly bar include bright lighting, so customers can see each other speak with signs, and pens and paper for writing messages.

There is a deaf security guard and deaf bar staff as well as a partially  deaf DJ.

The fire alarm has a flashing light to alert deaf customers and lavatory notices are in sign language as well as written English.

The launch party on Saturday was attended by former Hollyoaks actress Rachel Shenton, a campaigner for the deaf since her late father lost his hearing following chemotherapy. “This bar is exactly what’s needed,” she said.



Source : London Evening Standard , 29th May 2013

New Holland pool gets new lift for disabled

Sunny, but brisk, windy weather on Saturday, May 25, kept swimmers from opening day at the New Holland Community Memorial Park pool.

 

 Lifeguards Tyler Eckman and Jackie Fisher demonstrate the

"Only the lifeguard staff showed up," said Leo Ward, pool manager.

As the weather warms and pool gets more use, some patrons may be using a new feature — a pool lift for persons with disabilities.

New federal regulations require public pools to install permanent or fixed pool lifts under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The new lift was installed at the New Holland Pool on April 1 by Main Line Commercial Pools, of King of Prussia, which built it and will also maintain the equipment.

Initially, the installation deadline was last year, but the deadline was extended to 2013, and the regulations were modified. The new regulations eliminate portable lifts.

"I agree a lift is necessary for ADA access to the pool," said Dick Fulcher, New Holland borough manager. "However, I'm disappointed portable lifts are no longer permitted as it would have eliminated the hazard of having a permanent fixture all year at the pool."

Ward explained that when the New Holland pool opened in 1985 in the 400 block of East Jackson Street, the industry standard was steps with railings, before federal ADA regulations were in place.

Head lifeguards Jackie Fisher and Tyler Eckman demonstrated how the lift works: A person sits in the lift seat, fastens a seatbelt, then slowly swings out over the water and is lowered into the pool at a depth of 3.5 feet.

Ward said the simplicity of the lift, operated with a remote control, makes it easy to use. Its weight capacity is 350 pounds.

Cost for the pool lift was $5,200, which was paid by the Community Memorial Park Board through donations.

"Anything that gives people with limitations more public access is a good thing," Ward said.

Source : Elanco News , 28th May 2013

Himachal notifies four schools for physically challenged : Shimla

Himachal Pradesh has notified four senior secondary schools in the state as inclusive institutions where the physically challenged will be provided education, Shimla-based public welfare trust Umang Foundation said Tuesday.

"The government has notified four senior secondary schools as inclusive where disabled students will study along with other children. Eight more schools are to be made inclusive schools soon," foundation chairman Ajai Srivastava said in a statement.

Srivastava said the four schools notified are in Shimla, Nagrota Bagwan, Nahan and Jogindernagar towns.

Umang Foundation Monday organised a film festival on disability with the support of internationally renowned 'We Care Film Fest' in the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Portmore in Shimla, which has been notified as inclusive institution.

It honoured 26 physically challenged students to sensitise people about inclusive education.

Srivastava said 20 girls with visual and hearing disabilities are studying in the Portmore school.

Interestingly, it was the same school which had denied admission to the disabled girls in 2011. Later, on the intervention of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the school gave admission to three blind girls and waived off their entire fee.

Roy was the chief guest at the film fest and the principal secretary of social justice and empowerment, P.C. Dhiman, presided over the programme.

As many as 19 award winning short films on disability were screened. More than 2,000 children watched the films.

Srivastava said the film fest was an effort to change the traditional perception about disability.

Source : Two Circles.Net , 28th May 2013

Delhi University’s Academic Council okays ideas to help out disabled

Delhi University's Academic Council, which met on Monday, cleared the recommendations of the empowered committee constituted to examine the foundation courses to ensure all parts are accessible to students with disabilities, especially the visually impaired. In addition to making suggestions, the committee has also sought Rs.1.8 crore as funds for "providing support to students with disabilities during Four-Year Undergraduate Programme". There were five dissents recorded.


The committee had sought the inputs of A K Mittal, president, All India Confederation of the Blind, and George Abraham, CEO of Delhi-based Score Foundation "to obtain their perspectives on visual impairment with regard to the new UG programme on the basis of their expertise and lived experiences". The committee also considered suggestions made by Kartik Sawhney, a blind student who's passed the Boards with a 95% aggregate in science and is going to Stanford to study computer science.

The committee, while maintaining that "no modification in the curricula... called for", has suggested that for students who can't at all handle the two courses—Science and Life and Building Mathematical Ability—that disability rights group Sambhavana Organization had raised questions about, these can be replaced with History of Science and Communication and Personality Development. The vice-chancellor has been requested to get the syllabi for these prepared. Sambhavana had taken DU to court over the compulsory science course which, they argued, would further alienate the already marginalized blind students, most of whom would not have been allowed to study science beyond Class VIII.

In response to the recommendations made by Sambhavana, the reports points out that "the course does not involve teaching of hard core science nor of different scientific disciplines... students with disabilities including the visually impaired will be able to do the course fully for which they would, of course be provided all requisite technological support as also peer-tutoring." Sambhavana had also suggested a "bridge course" but the committee chose to go with "remedial teaching/tutorials throughout the first year." As for equipment, they'll get an abacus for each visually-impaired student, Taylor frame, tactile geometry kit, Brailer (one for each college) and necessary software.

Sambhavana had also suggested teaching of these courses be moved to the second year as that would allow the bridge courses to bring the students up to the level of the rest of the class, but the committee felt "the measure will be counter-productive and will be contrary to the principles of inclusion and equality for persons with disabilities." "The Equal Opportunity Cell of DU introduced a number of policies last year for the disabled including complete fee-waiver and this year we have also issued separate admission guidelines for colleges," says Bipin Tiwary, OSD, EOC.

The report was tabled before the AC on Monday. Nikhil Jain of Sambhavana has said in a statement that the organization's members were given "no opportunity to read and reflect on it with the seriousness it deserves" and that relevant accessible devices and reading material "will come as per the needs of Disabled." The syllabi for History, Sociology and Adult Education (Discipline II only) were also tabled at the same meeting and passed.                                                                                                                 Source : TOI , 29th May 2013