‘Make hospital websites disabled-friendly’

Health care and disability rights activists have demanded that the Delhi government speed-up the process of making the websites of its hospitals disabled-friendly.

Disability rights activist Dr. Satendra Singh said: “Last October, I filed a petition in the Court of Commissioner, Persons with Disabilities (GNCTD), that the websites of hospitals of the Delhi government are not disabled-friendly. Hearings were then held with officials of the Health and IT departments.”

Dr. Singh added that the Court had passed an order with instructions to the Secretary, IT and Health, to submit a final action taken report in three months.

The order states that not just websites of hospitals, but those of all departments, and local and autonomous bodies under the Delhi government be made disabled-friendly. “We showed them how the ‘web accessibility evaluation tool’ of the Delhi government website had 110 errors, while the website of the Department of Disability Affairs showed no errors, and that of the Commissioner (Disability) had two. Web accessibility not only helps the disabled, but also the elderly, those with low vision, seizures, dyslexia, colour blind, slow internet connections and those with dexterity problems,” noted Dr. Singh.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/make-hospital-websites-disabledfriendly/article7798439.ece

Tthe online registration form http://dshm.delhi.gov.in/mis/(S(m2ebikg1ttcwdrrekqcel5l4))/opr/frmNewUserRegistration.aspx is not accessible to many due to the image CAPTCHA (see image and type characters). After a long struggle IRCTC agreed to provide an alternative to this. They now provide a one time password on mobile phone which has to be entered in the website. Without such kind of option, this is totally inaccessible to visually impaired users.

Dr Satendra Singh (Petitioner) and Prashant Ranjan Verma (Joint Secretary, National Association for the Blind) conducted a sensitization workshop also for the officials of IT Dept and Health at Delhi Secretariat on 16 Oct 2015.

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

Election Commission warned to make websites disabled friendly

The Hindu, 18 Aug 2014
The ECI has been given a 30-day deadline (from July 31 onwards) to comply and make amends.

Pressure from disability rights activists has prompted the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to issue a stern warning and ultimatum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) asking it to make its website user friendly for persons with disability.

The ECI has been given a 30-day deadline (from July 31 onwards) to comply and make amends.

Dr. Satendra Singh, a polio survivor and assistant professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, who has been pursuing the case said: “The ECI has been directed to intimate the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities within 30 days about the action taken on the direction.”

Dr. Singh added that while Delhi has made its website accessible for persons with disability the same has not been made available to the rest of the country.

“The visually impaired need to have a user-friendly website to ensure that they are able to make an informed choice before voting. Though we have been appealing to the ECI since December last year there has been no response from them,” said Dr. Singh.

“Despite my letters, the ECI did not budge and did not make their website accessible to disabled voters. There are Prime Minister Office (PMO) orders as well as guidelines whereby all government institutions must make their websites disabled-friendly. However, we are hoping that things will improve now,” said Dr. Singh.

Accusing the ECI of having violated the orders issued by the PMO in 2010, Dr. Singh said: “The current direction by the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities we hope will work favourably for the persons with disabilities and give them the right to vote in a well informed manner.’’

Source: The Hindu

Medical colleges flout disabled-friendly rules

Times of India, 30 July 2014

NEW DELHI: If you are disabled and believe that at least the hospitals will be sensitive to your needs, you are in for some disappointment. For, more than a year after Medical Council of India issued its circular seeking compliance reports stating the degree to which the institutions are accessible to disabled, only 52 medical colleges responded.

In fact, RTI replies this year revealed that even Medical Council of India has not issued directions to medical institutions to appoint sign language interpreters or make their websites accessible to visually impaired persons.

MCI asked medical colleges to submit the compliance report on March 29, 2013. And, in April 2014, Delhi high court observed that "health is not a luxury" and that it "should not be the sole possession of a privileged few".

"MCI should take this seriously and include disabled persons in all policy decisions," said Satendra Singh, professor of physiology at University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi University, who had made a representation to the chief commissioner of PWD on the same issue last year.

The letter from Medical Council of India (MCI) to medical colleges last year was reportedly a result of this representation. Singh had also asked for access audits to be made a mandatory part of MCI's inspection before accreditation.

Those who responded to MCI's circular include All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi apart from Gold Field Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Faridabad, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Assam, Peoples College of Medical Science and Research Centre, Bhopal, and GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad.

But MCI, too, has not maintained data like number of medical institutions having a physical medicine and rehabilitation department in India and details of enabling units for persons with disabilities in medical colleges.

Dubbing many of these efforts an "eyewash", Singh said that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi had constituted a committee following the directive but still major parts like the library are inaccessible as the committee did not include disabled persons.

An access audit to make medical colleges barrier-free was conducted by an NGO in the capital, but the report has not yet been implemented, he informed.

Singh also said that a majority of the hospitals lack accessible toilets, there is no provision for separate queues or reserved parking for patients with disabilities and even Medical Council of India inspections do not include access audits.

"It's the social accountability of medical institutions to protect the right to health of disabled persons. Being in hospital is a worrying time for any patient, but imagine what it is like if you are unable to communicate with the doctor in an emergency room," Singh said.

He added, "Are deaf patients not entitled to live a healthy life? Why are blind patients unable to find a doctor of their choice or find out their OPD timings from hospital websites? It's simply because they haven't been made readable to them".

Also read:
Most medical colleges ignore directive on facilities for disabled
AIIMS plans access to disabled, others silent
MCI asks all medical institutions to be 'accessible' 

CCPD's notice to ECI to make general elections 2014 disabled-friendly

An Open letter to Chief Justice of India requesting Supreme Court to intervene and allow disabled voters to vote again in Delhi Elections

An Open letter to Hon’able Chief Justice of India requesting Supreme Court to intervene and allow disabled voters to vote again in Delhi Elections

Dear Sir,

I wish to write to you on an issue of national importance. The recently concluded Delhi Elections prevented a sizeable number of voters with disability to vote. This was publicized as the most high-tech polls ever but for disabled voters, it was like ostracizing in their own country. Live webcast notwithstanding, architectural, attitudinal and technological barriers confronted voters with disabilities while exercising their right to vote:  no Braille signs or ramps, an absence of Sign Language interpreters, no automatic door openers, narrow doorways and inaccessible voting machines.

On what basis does the capital of world’s largest democracy legally deprive an estimated 80,000 voters with disability of this fundamental civic right?  Despite Supreme Court orders, publicity towards disabled friendly polling booths was nil. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities (just a day before the elections), the issues were raised in media but false assurances were given. No efforts were made by the Election Commission to raise the awareness even on World Disability Day. Despite PMO orders, CCPD orders, NIC guidelines, the website of Election Commission of India is inaccessible to voters with visual impairments.

On the D-day itself many voters with disability could not vote. Not only this was highlighted in the media but a complaint was sent by me to the Election Commissioner which is still not acknowledged. Shivani Gupta, an access consultant and a wheelchair user is regularly nominated by the Government of India as a subject expert to advice on issues and policies relating to accessibility. The recipient of National (Role Model) Award given by the President of India (2004) could not vote because of the insensitivity.

As per a media report there are 80,000 voters with disability in India. Since the results are not yet out and there was widespread deprivation of the rights of disabled voters, I request you to take suo moto cognizance of this and as a special case, stop declaration of result till disabled voters are called again and allowed to vote. The ink marking will easily allow identifying voters with disability who could not vote. This may seem a tedious exercise but it will respect the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities.

The voters with disabilities (around 80,000 in Delhi and 4.5 crore in India); capital of India; whole of India as well as the world can get a stronger message if the highest apex body in India can uphold the rights of world’s largest minority (persons with disabilities). We take pride in being world’s largest democracy and we look up to you respect the voting rights of persons with disabilities.

With regards,

Dr Satendra Singh (disabled and proud)

6 December 2013

DU Prof highlights hurdles in letter to EC (Disabled voters rip apart system on web)

Times of India covering the issue (6th Dec 2013)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-assembly-polls-Disabled-voters-rip-apart-system-on-web/articleshow/26922114.cms

Not a disabled friendly electoral system

THE HINDU

TODAY'S PAPER » NATIONAL » NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI, December 5, 2013

GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR

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A man carries a disabled relative to help her exercise her franchise in New Delhi on Wednesday.Photo: PTI

While it tried through media campaigns to improve the voter turnout for the Delhi Assembly elections, a large number of persons with disability (PwDs) were still unable to reach the polling booths — as they were not disabled friendly — and could not exercise their franchise.

A case in point was that of Neeru Gautam, who works in the disability sector with Sahyogi. A resident of Block 34 of West Patel Nagar, Ms. Gautam decided to cast her vote by taking her power chair all the way to the polling station in Block 26 Community Centre.

However, on reaching her polling booth, she realised there was no ramp to enter and the entrance to the room was also blocked by a wooden pole which had been put in the middle of the passage to segregate the incoming and leaving voters.

“As my chair could not enter the room, I asked the election staff to come out and help me cast my vote. But despite repeated pleas, no one came forward. Then one person offered to lift me physically, which I refused outright and I came back without casting my vote,” she rued.

Ms. Gautam incidentally had been voting in every election. “Earlier, I had a helper who would take me inside the booth but ever since I became independent due to my power chair, I have not felt the need for one. The Election Commission should have ensured ramps and barrier-free access for the PwDs in this election.”

Some PwDs also vented their anger on social networking sites. Abha Khetarpal, a wheelchair user and president of NGO Cross the Hurdles, wrote on the Facebook page of Dr. Satendra Singh, Coordinator with the Enabling Unit of the Equal Opportunity Cell of the University College of Medical Sciences, how polling booth number A-28 in Subhash Nagar, where she had to cast her vote, had no ramps for wheelchair users and no Braille stickers.

She commented: “So, in this politics of vote bank, polling stations are inaccessible. How can this be called government of the people, by the people and for the people?”

Ms. Khetarpal also noted the media often asks for proof about such shortcomings in the electoral system. “But taking pictures is not allowed — a disabled system indeed.”

For his part, Dr. Singh said: “I haven’t seen any attempts on the part of the Election Commission to publicise voting facilities for the disabled. There is no information on radio or media. However, kudos to the EC Delhi to finally make their website accessible to visually impaired. Sadly, EC’s website is still inaccessible.”

Despite the heavy odds, some PwD voters remained determined to cast their vote. Virender Kalra, a bank manager and a resident of Subhash Nagar, was one of them. When he found there was no ramp for his wheelchair to climb on, he got two persons to lift him and take him inside the polling booth. “I was determined to vote and did so to play my role in ensuring a healthy democracy,” he said.

A black armband silent protest on IDPD

A black armband silent protest against Medical Superintendent, GTB Hospital, Delhi

Issued on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2012

Protesting for a cause

As the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) today, I as a Coordinator, Enabling Unit (for PwD) & Equal Opportunity Cell; Chairperson, Equality & Diversity Committee; founder, Infinite Ability; and a faculty member at UCMS & GTB Hospital sit quite gloomy while trying to find out reasons to celebrate.

University College of Medical Sciences is a premiere medical institution of Delhi and constituent college of University of Delhi. The associated teaching hospital is GTB Hospital which comes under NCT of Delhi. We are perhaps the only medical institute in India having a dedicated Enabling Unit for persons with disabilities (PwDs) as per UGC guidelines. We are committed to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all PwD, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Till now, I have enjoyed support of Principal, UCMS and we have done some good work as well. However, a lot needs to be done and I cannot reciprocate the same support coming from Medical Superintendent (MS) of GTB Hospital. The theme for IDPwD today is “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.” We, the PwDs, are world’s largest minority and faces barriers in the form of physical, e-inaccessibility and attitudinal barriers. The legally binding UNCRPD protects our rights since India has ratified the convention in 2007.

Under my chairmanship, I formed an Equality & Diversity Committee consisting of faculty, students and non-teaching members, all being PwDs in line with the mantra ‘Nothing for us, without us.’  My students raised the issue of inaccessible conditions prevailing in GTBH campus and I circulated the minutes to higher authorities for immediate action. That was May 2012 and its 3^rd December now. My repeated requests and reminders to MS GTBH have fallen in deaf ears.

The new MCH block at GTBH has a dedicated ramp as well as accessible toilet but it is not yet functional.

The CRPD requires States to ensure “reasonable accommodation” of the rights of PwDs. The library, Conference Hall and MEU is without any lift and it therefore violates the right to education (article 24). Accessibility is essential to enable PwDs to live independently and participate fully in life-it is therefore an end in itself as well as a means to enjoy other rights. The inaccessible Post Office and Canara Bank in the campus defies article 19 and 27 of CRPD. I myself arranged a meeting of AGM, Canara Bank with MS in July where the former showed his willingness to shift the Bank branch on the ground floor. However, I am still awaiting for the minutes of that meeting.

It gives me great pain to know each day my students with disabilities have to encounter herculean task at the hostel which has a steep ramp without hand-railings. PwDs are not objects of charity; we are rather subjects with human rights. Government of India gives Rs50 lakhs under SIPDA to make a building barrier free. The complete apathy from Public Works Department, GTBH failed our proposal. I have requested many times to Hon’ble MS to look into these matters and I am still awaiting a response.

I take great pride in associating with UCMS & GTBH. I feel privileged and proud to be part of this great institution and hospital. I am however deeply distressed about the inaccessible issues prevailing in GTB campus and do not feel that I can start my day today at GTBH without indicating my feelings in a dignified manner on IDPwD.

I cannot in good conscience carry out my work today and ignore the fact that my disabled fraternity is feeling oppressed. It is impossible to ignore that nothing has happened since I started accessibility advocacy in April 2012. Although I am just another professional employee, I do have a conscience and feelings. I believe that if I, as Coordinator of Enabling Unit, remain silent today than it will be taken as a sign that either I do not care or I condone the inaccessible conditions prevailing in GTBH. I believe that it is important to stand up for what is right. Disability does not mean that I cannot stand up for our rights.

The harsh reality

I have struggled to think of an action that would be appropriate and that would not demean the official procedures. I would like to stress that I greatly respect the Hon’ble MS and all the hard work he is doing at GTBH.  However, the amount of communication sent to him is too much for comfort now.

On this special day and under the present circumstances I have decided that I will wear a black armband to mark my silent protest. In doing so I am highlighting the apathy towards PwDs. In doing so I am making a silent plea to Hon’ble MS to protect basic human rights of PwDs and show social accountability. In doing so I pray that my small action may help to expedite the process of making UCMS & GTBH a truly inclusive and accessible campus for one all.

Dr Satendra Singh

WCAG 2.0 approved as an ISO/IEC International Standard

Europe Oct 18, 2012

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), the world’s leading standards body in electrotechnology, and the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), through the Joint Technical Committee JTC 1: Information Technology, and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) have announced approval of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as an ISO/IEC International Standard (ISO/IEC 40500:2012).

“This important accessibility standard, which is already widely deployed internationally, can now benefit from additional formal recognition from IEC and ISO national bodies,” noted Jeff Jaffe, W3C CEO. “Such recognition is expected to increase internationally harmonized uptake of WCAG 2.0 by governments, business, and the broader Web community.”

“ISO/IEC JTC 1 is very pleased to bring on board this most important of W3C accessibility standards, given the increased interest in accessibility among JTC 1 National Bodies in recent years,” said Karen Higginbottom, Chair of ISO/IEC JTC 1. “We also expect that IEC and ISO recognition will encourage greater convergence around WCAG 2.0, further driving development of supporting tools and software.”

WCAG 2.0 has been adopted or referenced by many governments and organizations. Following the passage of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an increasing number of countries have been seeking solutions to address their treaty commitments for information technology accessibility for people with disabilities.

“The ISO/IEC imprimatur increases the avenues for adoption of W3C technology and guidelines,” noted Judy Brewer, Director of the Web Accessibility Initiative at W3C. “In some countries, policies require that nationally adopted technical standards must be ISO/IEC. Formal approval by JTC 1 of WCAG 2.0 will increase deployment, reduce fragmentation, and provide all users with greater interoperability on the web.”

WCAG 2.0 was first submitted to the ISO/IEC JTC 1 process for Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) in October 2011. W3C has been an approved JTC 1 PAS Submitter since November 2010, and is one of nine organizations that are currently approved. To learn more about W3C and the ISO/IEC JTC1 PAS Submission process, see the W3C PAS FAQ and the JTC 1 website.

As an ISO/IEC JTC 1 Standard, WCAG 2.0 is now also available from IEC and ISO, while it remains a stable international W3C standard with extensive supporting resources. JTC 1 recognition neither changes nor supercedes the existing standard, which remains freely available from the W3C website along with multiple W3C authorized translations of WCAG 2.0.

Online petition on truly inclusive society

To,
Dr Manmohan Singh
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

Sub:   Accessible and barrier free society can only be a truly inclusive society  

 
Dear Sir,

In the wake of India ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007, it has become incumbent on India’s part, under the established and recognized international human right norms, to harmonise all its relevant domestic laws and policies with this international treaty. Persons with disabilities still continue to encounter umpteen barriers on road, in built environment, and in transport (physical), attitudinal (societal) and inaccess to information and technologies (E-inaccessibility). You may kindly appreciate that although well over 16 years have elapsed since the PwD Act came into force, the status of implementation of this Act across the nation causes acute concern. Accessibility and inclusion of PwD are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD and are not only objectives, but also pre-requisites for the enjoyment of other rights.

This year the theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) is ‘Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.” To commemorate the United Nation’s observance day we want that people with disability are seen as citizens first and then as consumers of healthcare, rehabilitation or social services. As citizens in democratic society they should have the same right to participate, access to the same range of options, degree of freedom, control and self-determination in everyday life. These demands require the removal of infrastructural, institutional and attitudinal barriers and the adoption of the Universal Design principle. We demand the same choices and control in our every-day lives that every other person has. We want to grow up in our families, go to schools, use the same public transport, and work in jobs according to our education, talent and expertise and raise families of our own. We want to be regarded as ordinary people sharing the same need to feel included, recognized and loved. We need to organize and work for political changes that would lead to legal protection of our human and civil rights.

In the facts and circumstances stated above, you are requested in right earnest to ensure concrete and time-bound steps to enforce accessibility standards and guidelines with utmost strictness. Access audit for the said purpose should be carried out by both subject experts and experiential experts where latter means the persons with disabilities. All Government websites should be made accessible by complying with the latest web Content Accessibility Guidelines. All the States and UTs of India must have a progressive and forward looking policy on persons with disabilities which is compatible with the UNCRPD. It goes without saying that a person with disability has to incur additional expenditure due to, or arising out of his disability. They should be granted be granted exemption to the tune of 50% in the total annual income tax liability in place of existing benefit on taxable income as envisaged in Section 80(U) of the Income Tax Act. Disability studies should be made mandatory part of the curriculum and all higher institutions must have Enabling Units for students with disabilities. We also demand a separate department for disability issues with persons with disabilities being equal partners in all decisions.

We, the citizens of India, earnestly request your expeditious action in respect of the matter, more particularly, in the face of the fact that the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 have been enforced for well over 16 years now. We look forward to your intervention this IDPwD.

To sign Dr Satendra Singh's petition visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aagaaz/