India

Credit Card Scheme for the Blind

Public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a special credit card scheme for visually impaired.

In a circular dated 31st May, the bank has particularly directed all its branches throughout India to accept applications filed by blind having a bank account for over 6 months and have a good track record.

It has also directed that the blind persons falling in the age group of 18 to 65 years and who are at least matriculate and have screen reader enabled mobile phones would be qualified for getting a credit card.

A written pledge is required from the client stating that he would use the card carefully and legally.

Source: http://www.bankbazaar.com

Bill Gates checks on polio vaccination eradication efforts in India

GULERIA, India, May 13: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates traveled by boat Wednesday to a remote village in eastern India to check on the progress of a government campaign to eradicate polio that the billionaire is helping to fund.

India's ruling Congress party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, right, and Microsoft chief Bill Gates arrive at an eye testing camp in Amethi, India Gates, whose Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed nearly $1 billion to health and development projects in India, met with health workers and discussed the strategy to fight polio with immunization drives and an effective surveillance program that identifies cases early.

Gates visited Guleria, a village nearly 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Patna, the capital of Bihar, one of only two Indian states where new cases of polio continue to be reported, according to UNICEF. Uttar Pradesh is the other.

In 2002, India had reported 1,613 polio cases ? a number that has now come down to about 685 cases per year, UNICEF says. Polio mostly strikes children under 5 and is carried in the feces of the infected and often spread by contaminated water. It usually causes paralysis, muscular atrophy, deformation and sometimes death.

The disease has dropped by more than 99 percent since the World Health Organization and partners launched an initiative to eradicate the disease in 1988 through vaccinations. But the numbers of cases ? fewer than 2,000 annually ? have remained at a virtual standstill since 2000. In addition to India, polio persists in a handful of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Chad, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan. Every year, India mobilizes more than 2 million health workers for an immunization day, visiting more than 200 million homes. To make sure they don't miss anybody, they also go to train stations, bus stations and ferry terminals to immunize children who are on the move.

Source: AP

Rs 2000 crore hike in social justice budget

The disability sector seems to be moving up the priority ladder, with the Centre giving a substantial hike in the allocation for schemes and institutions linked to disabilities for 2010–11. It comes with a near–double increase in the budget of the social justice ministry (MSJ). The rare focus on this sector seems in line with the growing awareness about the neglected sector.

Sources said the Planning Commission has cleared MSJ's budget at Rs 4,500 crore, up from Rs 2,500 crore. Sources said it may set a trend as sectoral grants rarely see a dip with new budgets.

The central sector schemes on disability have managed more than before. The Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme will have a kitty of Rs 120 crore, up from Rs 76 crore for 2009–10. A healthy Rs 100 crore has been cleared for schemes under the Persons with Disability Act. Its last allocation was a meagre Rs 20 crore. The seven National Institutes for Disabled have got a grant of Rs 70 crore, up from Rs 49 crore. The MSJ will have Rs 100 crore, as against Rs 79 crore this year, for purchase of aids/appliances for disabled persons. Three corporations for SCs, OBCs and handicapped are in for a grant of Rs 130 crore, and the 'handicapped corporation' is expected to see an increase from present Rs 9 crore.

Social justice minister Mukul Wasnik had sought an annual grant of Rs 7,000 crore to meet expenses for schemes on SCs/OBCs, handicapped, old–age and for checking drug addiction. But a Rs 2,000 crore hike is significant as grants for three years have hovered around Rs 2,100 crore, Rs 2,300 crore and Rs 2,500 crore.

The increase will help MSJ revise Post–Matric Scholarships for SCs which have remained frozen for paucity of funds.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Chandigarh gets sensory park for visually impaired

Institute for Blind people has created a sensory park with the help of Chandigarh administration and Municipal Corporation for the use of visually impaired persons. This park has been built to provide a safe place for visually impaired to walk around in a fresh environment, away from traffic and pollution.

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has spent 23,000 dollars to create the 0.41–acre park replicated from similar parks in Osaka, Japan.

Many aromatic herbs and medicinal plants like jasmine, lavlena, albertine, mint, neem, tulsi and bamboo have been planted here.

While creating the park, the corporation invited visually impaired children and noted their feedback and suggestions.

"If one sense organ is defective, the other senses are more developed. Here we train the visually impaired kids to use rest of their organs to the fullest. Technically it is called compensatory mechanism," said Jagannath, headmaster of the Institute for the Blind.

"In sensory garden, these kids can explore, smell and feel new things. They can share ideas and interact with the citizens of the society. In this way they will learn new things and also develop healthy relations with the community," he added.

The credit for helping the blind children in Chandigarh also goes to the Society for the Care of the Blind.

Ever since its inception in 1972, it has been actively engaged in the education, training and rehabilitation of blind children and working for the prevention of blindness.

The society runs the Institute for the Blind in Chandigarh's Sector 26 to impart educational and vocational training to the blind children. It teaches handloom weaving, typewriting, music and Basic Computer Literacy to make them self–reliant.

"A visually impaired person doesn't have sight but has perspective. We educate the children so that they easily overcome various problems and difficulties in their life. It is our endeavor to make visually impaired children physically fit, mentally alert and emotionally well balanced," Jagannath said. "We also ensure that their all round development takes place as we function as a recognized senior secondary school. Nothing is bigger than knowledge, no worship is greater than truth, no sorrow is bigger than night and no happiness is greater than sacrifice. Only education can make a man wise and strong," he added.

Be it creating a sensory park or providing easy talk computers, the mission is to integrate the visually impaired into the mainstream of social life.

Outfits like the Institute for the Blind aim to inspire and inculcate in the children the zeal and zest for life by ensuring equal opportunities. By Sunil Sharma (ANI)

Source: http://news.oneindia.in

Procedure to get disability certificate simplified

The process for obtaining certificates to prove physical disabled people has been simplified under which the signature of only one doctor is needed except in cases of multiple disabilities.

The new guideline comes into force with the government amending the Persons with Disabilities Rules, 1996, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik today said.

Inaugurating the 9th National Meeting of Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities here, Wasnik said "the format of disability certificate has been simplified requiring signature of a single doctor other than in cases of multiple disabilities".

He asked state governments to amend the rules accordingly and ensure greater involvement in the process.

As per 2001 census, 21.9 million people are disabled people in India. Wasnik said the meeting assumed significance against the backdrop of India's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

He also said that the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 is being amended to harmonise it with the UNCRPD.

The minister said the newly launched scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled People at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) would enable children with disabilities to enjoy their right to school education on equal basis with others.

Wasnik had recently written to the states to ensure that the all government buildings are made barrier free.

Source: http://www.zeenews.com

Govt to consider giving fellowship to disabled people

Government on Friday said it will examine the issue of providing fellowship to physically disabled students for pursuing their research with "serious consideration".

On receiving a request in this regard from a visually disabled student here at a national workshop, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik today said, "We will examine the issue... I think this is the suggestion that needs serious consideration. I will do my best to see that your request is through."

In a novel gesture, Wasnik agreed to pledge his support by donating his one month salary as the dean and director of School ofInternational Studies.

JNU Professor Yogesh Tyagi sought his contribution quickly, proposing to start a fellowship scheme for the physically disabled students of his unit.

Wasnik was chairing a workshop when visually impaired student on behalf of JNU visually impaired forum came with his request to either extend financial assistance to disable persons under Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) which is meant for SC and ST students only or Dr Maulana Abul Kalam Azad fellowship ((MAKAF) which is likely to be announced soon for the minority research scholars.

The ministry provides scholarship to physically disabled students for pursuing their post–matric studies, graduation and post graduate programmes but does not specifically offer any fellowship to them.

"The financial assistance being extended to the needy students pursuing highereducation is particularly laudable. Unfortunately, enough persons with disability find no place in either of the two schemes (RGNF and MAKAF)," the visually–challenged student Anwaram said.

He requested the minister to take "appropriate measures" either to include persons with disability in the existing fellowship schemes or launch a special national scheme for them.

Earlier, while addressing the workshop, the minister said it was the responsibility of all to extend all possible support to these sections (disabled) of the society.

"Most of us, rather almost all of us are disabled in some respect or the other. Some may be economically, some may be politically, socially, educationally, intellectually... many of us are privileged, many of us are under privileged. Many of are not privileged at all, many of us do not get the recognition like human beings and that I have rights," he said.

"We should be recognised as a human being and I think our task, our mission should be to care and support those who are underprivileged," he added.

Referring to the 2001 Census, Wasnik said it was almost about 21.9 million people across the country who came under the category of persons with disability.

"This figure is huge and therefore we have to have a mechanism in place which provides them their rights and that on time," he said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Brigadier on wheelchair to be major general

In a stirring achievement, a paraplegic Army officer confined to a wheelchair, Brigadier S K Razdan, is all set to become a two-star officer or a major-general.

While this is not the first time that physically challenged officers have reached high ranks, with at least two having even become senior three-star officers or Lt-Generals, the feat is possible only through steely determination and sheer grit.

Brig Razdan was a Lt-Col in the special forces when he participated in an intensive counter-terrorism operation in Damal Kunzipur area of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1994 to save several Muslim women taken hostage by militants. While the women were successfully rescued, the brave officer suffered grave injuries to his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.

A grateful nation awarded him the Kirti Chakra, the nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, in 1996 for his act of valour. The wheelchair-bound officer later went on to become a brigadier. And now, Brig Razdan has been approved to become a major-general and will `pick up his rank' once there is a vacancy.

"As per Army rules, any injury or disability suffered in war, counter-terrorism or any other operation, which is called a `battle casualty', does not come in the way of any soldier in his promotion boards as long as he is capable of performing his duties, said a senior officer.

However, if a soldier suffers a `physical casualty', that is, gets disabled in training or an accident, then there is no recourse but to put him in a lower medical category. He is allowed to serve if he can perform his duties but there is a bar on him getting promoted or attending some particular courses. Otherwise, he is boarded out.

Take, for instance, Lt-Gen Pankaj Joshi, who passed away last year. Commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles in 1962, he lost both his legs during a mine-clearing mission in Sikkim in 1967. But through sheer grit after becoming a `battle casualty', he went on to command an armoured brigade, an armoured division and a corps before becoming the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Lucknow-based Central Army Command.

That's not all. Lt-Gen Joshi also became India's first-ever chief of the tri-Service integrated defence staff in October 2001, established in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil conflict, and retired after a fruitful tenure.

The 1.13-million strong Indian Army, in fact, has also had a disabled Lt-Gen as it vice-chief. Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, who lost one of his legs during an operation as a young officer, served as the vice-chief in 2000-2001 after first serving as the director-general of military operations, a strike corps commander and then chief of the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command. Source:Times of India

Disabled children to get special treatment under RTE

Children having disability including those with cerebral palsy, mental disability and autism will be treated as "disadvantaged groups" who will get precedence over others under the Right to Education Act.

The government today introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, which provides for free and compulsory education to all children of the age group of 6 to 14 years.

The children belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, socially, educationally and economically backward classes get preference over others under the historic Act enacted last year.

However, children with with disabilities were left out of the special category. Introducing the amendment bill in the Upper House, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the government wants to ensure "specific needs (of these children) are given precedence in the elementary education system in the country. Source: http://www.ptinews.com

Giving direction to the future of deaf blind people

There are nearly 2.5 million deaf blind people in the world, according to data from World Bank, with 4.25 lakh children from India alone, a rough estimate. Inspired by the work of four mothers in the U.K. for persons with multiple disabilities, Akhil Paul started Sense International (India) with 23 deafblind people in Ahmedabad. Today, it works with 38 partner organisations in 19 states and has reached out to 32,000 people.

Brahada Shanker, Regional Coordinator (South), Sense International (India), monitors the four southern states by helping produce resource material, conducing training and promoting networking activities. She spoke to Liffy Thomas on the organisation's journey so far.

"Identifying people who are deafblind and those with multi–sensory impairment is a big challenge in India. They are a minority within a minority and parents practically do not know how to identify, while most NGOs work with one disability," says Brahada Shanker, Regional Coordinator (South), who was in the city to participate in a workshop organised by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities.

That's when Sense International (India) entered in 1997. From disseminating information, sensitising, conducting training and providing support to advocacy, it is an ongoing process. The 15–member core team is building a network of partners, which carries out the activities.

It offers home–based programmes, vocational training, community based rehabilitation and teacher training sessions. They adopt communication methods such as tactile signs, writing on the palm, tadoma (holding the jaws) and using pictures.

"The functional level of every person is different, so it is an evolving process," says Ms. Shanker, who has been with the social sector for 13 years and specialises with children with vision and additional disabilities.

Starting four Regional Learning Centers in the country was one major step that Sense International (India) took to reach out to small network organisations. In south India, for instance, the Holy Cross Service Society, Tiruchi, has identified 13 partners. "We even network with neo–natal and paediatric clinics such that they refer to our Regional Learning Centers if new cases have been identified," she says, adding that 2,000 teachers have been trained by them.

"Getting deafblind a certificate is the most difficult; unless otherwise there is a unique category it creates a lot of problems for which we are fighting," she says. Until then, reducing social exclusion and improving the quality of deafblind people is their motto. The deafblind helpline is 1800 233 7913 http://www.hindu.com