Top govt websites are not disabled-friendly

TIMES OF INDIA, 26 Aug 2014, NEW DELHI: An estimated 70 million disabled people in India have no accessibility to the information on top government websites. This is despite Indian government's guidelines for all government websites to comply as per the international accessibility standards. "The fact that the disabled friendly society is still not a priority for the government is apparent because barely 10 states sent their ministers and half that number of secretaries to the Centre's first conference to review disability affairs," said Thaawar Chand Gehlot,the union minister for social justice and empowerment on Saturday. 

Inspite of the ministry of social justice providing financial grant to make websites accessible for disabled under SIPDA (Scheme for Implementation of PWD Act), websites of key organizations like Supreme Court of India, Election Commission of India (ECI), University Grants Commission (UGC), Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Medical Council of India (MCI), National Human Right Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) are still not disable friendly. 

An activist for disabled people, Dr Satendra Singh, wrote to the ECI in December 2013 to make its website accessible for the disabled voters. On receiving no response, he complained to the court of Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). The ECI however did not respond to CCPD's letter or subsequent reminder as well. On July 31, 2014 CCPD again wrote to ECI to make their website disabled friendly in a time-frame and submit an action taken report in 30 days. "ECI website as of today still remains inaccessible," said Singh.

RTI replies revealed that no institute or university from Delhi ever asked for a SIDPA grant to make buildings accessible in 2010-11 and 2012-13. However, institutions and universities from states like Bihar, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Chhattisgarh have availed these grants in 2010-11, while Puducherry, Mizoram, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan in 2011-12 and Nagaland and Meghalaya in 2012-13. In another incident, DU's University College of Medical Sciences' proposal was turned down as it did not have the signature of the executive engineer. 

"On one hand the ministry is saying that the funds are under-utilized but on the other hand they are turning down proposals of deserving institutions despite the principal requesting for it," added Singh. 

Not all institutes who availed the grant have made their websites accessible. "MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly took Rs 4 lakhs to make its website accessible in 2010-11, while Puducherry was granted Rs 10 lakh in 2011-12 to make the website of the Directorate of Social welfare accessible. They are still out of reach," said Singh. MCI had asked all medical institutions to submit a compliance report on their disabled friendly initiatives, yet its own website is not as per the required standards. 

"The root cause of this indifference stems from the exclusion of disabled people in policy making/ decision taking. An accessible website will not only help a person with visual impairment/ low vision but also deaf, cognitive impaired and learning disabled," said Singh. 
Source: TOI

Disabled medicos face hurdles

Shiv Sunny, New Delhi, June 10, 2013, DECCAN HERALD NEWS SERVICE:

Infra facilities not available at medical colleges

“Is any medical institution in the country capable of inviting the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking to deliver a lecture,” asks Dr Satendra Singh, coordinator of enabling unit of UCMS.

This one question highlights the condition of medical institutions and hospitals when it comes to providing barrier-free access to the disabled.

Singh says physical barriers such as inaccessible libraries, lecture halls and hospital campus dissuade people with disabilities from taking admission in colleges despite reservations for them.

He had petitioned the office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) to provide accessible environment to the disabled in medical institutions. The CCPD had to forward it twice to the Medical Council of India before it asked the colleges to submit a compliance report in this regard.

But Singh wants the MCI to make it mandatory for colleges to provide accessible institutions. “The action taken by them is mere eyewash,” says Singh. But it has done enough to encourage him to continue petitioning the authorities to make it mandatory.

Those fighting alongside Singh, or for this cause, say their suggestions are often shelved for long and when they are implemented, there is much lacking.

“We conducted accessibility audits for all Delhi University colleges in 2007-08. We had given our reports and suggestions with drawings and illustrations to make campuses disabled-friendly. But the managements neither take a look at the audits nor do they consider them,” says Anjlee Agarwal, executive director of NGO Samarthyam.

The NGO evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in buildings and outdoor environments.

“Just having a ramp, but no access to toilets or libraries, will still continue to dissuade people from taking admissions. Every service that others have access to must be made available for the disabled,” adds Anjlee.

Few little successes keep Singh petitioning still. His efforts have seen the installation of two disabled-friendly ATMs in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. Differently-abled students at UCMS now get a leniency time of 15 minutes to reach.

Source: Deccan Herald, Delhi, 11 June 2013, page 4.

Notice served to DU after protests

The office of deputy chief commissioner for persons with disabilities has asked Delhi University to look into the demands raised by disabled students, teachers and non-teaching staff and submit an action taken report within a month.

The differently abled students and teachers of the university have protested twice this month (see previous post). These demonstrations were led by teachers and students forum sambhavana. The protesters have some grievances, which they want to be addressed by the university authorities, said the January 16 letter by deputy chief commissioner S S Sinha.

They have been demanding to constitute an empowered committee for drafting a time-bound action plan to resolve the issues. Also, a date to organise a “disability summit” where the differently abled can voice their concerns.

Sinha said the demonstrators alleged that DU authorities have been intimidating those who have been part in protests.

Sinha added that the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities includes non-discrimination, respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy. Also, the freedom to make one’s own choices and equal opportunity.

“The chief commissioner for persons with disabilities (PWD) has advised that the matter be looked into with a sense of urgency in order to ensure that rights of persons with disabilities are not infringed or violated in any manner,” the letter said. Bipin Tiwari, in-charge of equal opportunity cell (EOC) of the university said constant measures are being taken by authorities to provide facilities to the disabled.

“What the protesters are demanding is not something which could be done overnight. In the recent summit organised by EOC, the vice chancellor took the pain of meeting each PWD student,” said Tiwari. 

“We have waived off tuition fees and hostel fees, increased reserved seats, took PWD students for the Gyanoday educational train trip.” “We have distributed Aakash tablets and the VC has also announced a foreign visit for 100 PWD students,” added Tiwari.

A senior official said members from sambhavana have to contest the upcoming academic and executive council elections and are thus trying to create issues.“It is very disheartening to know despite constructive measures taken in a holistic way to empower PWD students such actions (protests) are been taken which badly disrupts our measures. For motives and reasons best known to them (protesters),” said Tiwari.

Source-Deccan Herald

Nobody cares about us, say disabled students

Twenty-seven students with disabilities and teachers from Delhi University observed a one-day hunger strike outside the vice chancellor’s office on Friday. 
Since they were not allowed to put up tents, they were drenched in heavy rain in morning.

Sambhavana, a forum of DU teachers and students working for disability issues, had organised the strike. DUTA members too joined the protest to show solidarity with their cause.

“We had protested earlier in the month, following which DU officials intimidated students who participated in the protest. On Friday, the chief of security threatened an escort of a visually challenged teacher,” said Nikhil Jain, a Sambhavana member.

“We have to file an FIR against him. Apart from harassing and intimidating us, we have not got any constructive response on our genuine demands,” he said.

Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president in a letter requested for providing an alternate accommodation to a disabled teacher with 90 per cent orthopaedic disability, who was recently given an eviction notice from DU hostel. 

“G N Saibaba’s appeal against eviction is still pending in the court of the chief commissioner on persons with disability. The university had no legal right to insist on eviction. This is illustrative of the extremely insensitive manner in which the university has continued to deal with its disabled employees,” said DUTA president Amar Deo Sharma.

The protesters demand that an empowered committee be formed to prepare a time-bound action plan to address the grievances of differently abled students, teachers and non-teaching staff in the varsity. They also want that the date for a disability summit be announced where they can voice their grievances.

“The higher authorities are unwilling to meet and give concrete assurance on anything,” said Jain.

Students with disabilities have been complaining about not having even basic facilities for a long time now. They condemned the recent press statement by the Equal Opportunity 
Cell (EOC) officer on the facilities provided by the university.

 “It is a hogwash. They claim that they have waived off full tuition fee, which was quietly followed by another circular regarding no fee waiver for students with fellowships, employed or getting any other financial assistance,” said Kapil, a visually challenged postgraduate student.

“We don’t get fellowships of thousands of rupees a month. It is of a few hundred rupees. And disabled students usually are from financially weaker sections,” he said, adding that the circular applies to the “tall claims” of 50 per cent hostel fee and mess waiver also.

“And the hostel fee waiver is only for university hostels and not college hostels, where the bulk of students with disability live,” he added.
Students said the university has turned a blind eye to their real issues.

“Maybe overhauling the graduation system is more important for them as the rich and powerful have demanded it. Why would they bother about our issues, our future or how we are coping with our everyday struggle and still trying to study? This shows how much they care, so they might as well end the hypocrisy,” said a student.

They plan to march to the Union human resource development ministry’s office on February 18 to voice their concerns.

Source-Deccan Herald

They capture the world in their mind’s eye

Shreya Roy Chowdhury TNN | Oct 8, 2012.

NEW DELHI: "Ek cycle bana rakhi hai," says Naresh, unimpressed. He studies the tactile image of a boy cycling by the sea in Mumbai, the description in Braille, then hears the audio description. That's the only way, Naresh, blinded at age two, can enjoy a photo exhibition. "I could take this photo too," he declares finally, adding after a pause, "If the road is clear." 

 FOLLOWING SOUNDS: Audio descriptions call images to their mind

The third-year student was part of a batch of visually-impaired DU students to participate in a workshop meant to draw out "the images in their minds." The workshop was organized by ‘Infinite Ability’ (disability group at University College of Medical Sciences) and Beyond Sight Foundation.

Partho Bhowmick, founder of Mumbai-based Beyond Sight, can handle 15-20 participants at a time and typically works with a student for a year before they acquire the skills to photograph by following the sense they still retain. He trained about a dozen DU students at Friday's workshop; another batch on Saturday and NGO employees on Sunday.

He starts by handing out cameras to groups of two or three and left the students to get a feel of them — find the buttons, lens, screens. They also set out to get familiar with the location — Alliance Francaise in Lodhi Estate. An exhibition of 42 photographs taken by similar workshop participants over the past six years will be on display at AF till October 18. There is a manual of tactile images and multimedia audio-descriptions for about 20 of them to make the show disabled-friendly.

The photo Naresh had studied so closely was taken in 2009, by Ravi Thakur, born blind. He had heard the cycle coming, was confused by the crash of the waves, but was able to capture the image of the cycling boy all the same. Naresh had tried working his mobile phone camera once. "I tried taking my uncle's photo. Usme kaan hi kaan aye (I captured only an ear)," he says.

The students were asked to follow sounds, locate subjects through touch and hold a camera steady and straight. Satendra Singh of UCMS flit about helping students find their shutter-release buttons.

Those born blind follow sound and touch, the late-blind (those who lose vision later) use touch and sound, and that's supplemented by the memory of sighted life, and those with low-vision have "residual sight". The late-blind have "memories of a sighted life", as Bhowmick puts it, but the faces "erode first". "It's because in our sighted life, we see faces the most." Mahesh Umrannia heard the rustle of leaves, felt the warmth of the sun and called up from memory the pattern of leaves on trees. He photographs the reflections of leaves on a pavement. 

TOUCHING SHOW: An exhibition of photographs taken by visually impaired participants is on till October 18

The low-visioned have "residual sight" and photos produced by them are very close to pictures clicked by the sighted. Satvir Jagi, in 2009, clicked a photo of a spiral-staircase from bottom. When I showed him the print, he told me it looks like a cycle's wheel," says Bhowmick.

A photo clicked on digital cameras, in fact, makes visible elements of the photographed subject that those with low-vision can't see with the naked eye. Raju Singh, in 2006, had photographed a series of pillars and a man sitting at the base of one close to the photograper.

"People with low vision have depth-of-field issues. They can see things close to them. But digital cameras come with LCD screens and on the screen - as also in the photograph - every part of the part of the photograph is at the same distance from the eye," explains Bhowmick, "Raju Singh, therefore, could see in the photograph what he couldn't see in real life." Raju supposedly commented, "Photography helps me see." And Bhowmick used this to wrangle digital cameras from two companies for the workshops.

Till 2006, Bhowmick's engagement with the visually impaired was limited to helping them cross the road. He was another corporate man - his day job is in adhesives - but with an interest in photography.

Unlike many who enter the 'disability sector', he had no prior experience in dealing with the differently-abled. In 2004, he'd bought a book - a bargain at 10 bucks - containing an article on French blind photographer, Evgan Bavcer. With some difficulty, he got in touch with Bavcer and through him, a global consortium called Art Beyond Sight. Till 2005, he carried out "independent research on visual art and blindness." In 2006, he launched his project with one student, Sunil Bhavsar, who photographed the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind from the front. The work's titled, "My School." 

Source: TOI 

 

The Enablist’s view: While waiting for the students to come from DU, I got a phone call, “Is it Satendra Sir? I have reached France cultural centre. Where exactly is the venue?” It was Naresh, a visually impaired student from DAV College. He was the first person to come for the workshop. His colleagues were coming from the Equal Opportunity Cell’s special bus. As Shreya points out in the above piece, Naresh was the most enthusiastic. Partho gave him full time to answer his queries.

 

Soon the EOC bus arrived and we had visually impaired students from colleges like Dyal Singh, Mahrshi Valmiki, Lakshmi Bai, IP, Shivaji College and Ramjas College. Due to paucity of time we could not do sensory blind-folded workshops for the sighted but this experience was something beyond imagination. Thanks Partho!

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'Wide Eye Open' exhibition and 'Blind With Camera' workshop