'Appointment includes promotion' : SC on 3% quotas for disabled

Supreme Court clears 3% quotas for disabled, in jobs, promotions 

INDIAN EXPRESS. 13 Sept '14

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favour of three per cent reservation for differently-abled candidates in civil services, not only at the stage of their appointments but also for departmental promotions.

Giving a level-playing field to more than four crore people with disabilities in India, the apex court held that the Centre, states and Union Territories were obligated to implement the rules of reservation for this class in the matters of appointment, selection, direct recruitment, deputation and also for promotions. It asked the Centre to show a big heart and give the differently-abled people their due in all central and state government jobs.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India R M Lodha reiterated its earlier verdict that the principle of not exceeding 50 per cent reservation would not be applicable while granting quota for differently-abled people.

The bench expressed its displeasure at the government seeking to adopt a hyper-technical approach, as its counsel pressed that three per cent reservation could be given only at the stage of appointment but not for promotion. The Persons With Disabilities Act provides for three per cent quota for the differently-abled people.

“Appointment will include promotion. You are frustrating the very reservation policy for the disabled — the class for which this beneficial piece of legislation was enacted, by arguing against it,” the bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman, told Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand.

Anand sought to point out that the reservation at the stage of promotion may lead to huge resentment, especially among employees in Group A and Group B categories, since many beneficiaries may get ahead of their seniors.

She was placing an appeal against the Bombay High Court order, directing the government to implement three per cent reservation for the differently-abled in civil services recruitment, besides granting the benefit in the matter of promotion too. This order was issued on a PIL filed by the National Confederation for Development of Disabled, which was represented by senior advocate R S Suri and Arpit Bhargava in the apex court.

The bench, however, told the Additional Solicitor General that the objective of the reservation policy, as envisaged by Parliament, was unequivocal that the differently-abled people must get the benefits without technical impediments.

“Once Parliament prescribes for reservation in appointments, it will cover direct recruitment, promotion and even deputation. Our experience tells us that it is one legislation that has never been effectively implemented. In any case, it is a beneficial legislation and you should interpret in a manner so that they get the benefits,” said the bench.

At this, the Additional Solicitor General agreed with the bench and conceded not to press the appeal any further. The court then dismissed the appeal.

The three per cent reservation, as clarified by the apex court in its last year’s judgment, is to the extent of one per cent each for the blind, hearing and speech impaired, and persons suffering from locomotor disability or cerebral palsy.

The Supreme Court had in October last ruled in favour of a minimum three per cent reservation for them in all central and state government jobs. Regretting the denial of opportunities to the differently-abled people in the country, the court had quashed the Centre’s 2005 office memorandum and the government’s claim that the reservation policy not only had to be different for Group A, B C and D posts but the quota had to confine to “identified” post.

Source: Indian Express

Doctor’s efforts bring disabled-friendly ATMs at GTB Hospital

Doctor’s efforts bring disabled-friendly ATMs at GTB Hospital

The Statesman
Chandan Prakash Singh, New Delhi, 24 April 2013

Satendra Singh, a doctor at a University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), is happy after winning a long fought battle. His efforts have resulted in installation of two automated teller machines (ATMs) inside Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.

The machine, accessible for person with disabilities, is an outcome of a firm persuasion by Dr Singh, who himself is a person with locomotor disability.

Recalling the efforts he made to achieve this goal, Dr Singh said that despite directions from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2009 and interference of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD), who wrote to the Department of Banking Operations and Development in the year 2011, to make ATMs disable-friendly, not much action was taken and nothing came in concrete form.

He further said that the RBI master circular advises all the banks to provide ramps to their ATMs so that wheelchair users and persons with disability can easily enter the booths. The arrangements should be made in a particular height so that there would be no possibility of impediment for wheelchair users.

New ramp constructed at Bank of Baroda ATM at GTB Hospital

However, when Dr Singh filed an Right to Information (RTI) application to the RBI on behalf of the Enabling Unit (for persons with disability) at UCMS, it came to light that the RBI has no information on such ATM’s.

"It is the responsibility of the RBI to implement its circular. But it does not have any information on ATMs and their accessibility status," said Dr Singh.

He said that since both the Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank ATMs, located inside GTB Hospital premises, were inaccessible without ramp he wrote several letters to the respective bank managers and even organized Canara Bank AGM’s meeting with Medical Superintendent of GTB but all in vain.

“Later, this year, I complained to CCPD and they sent notices to the General Managers of both banks after which Bank of Baroda immediately complied by constructing ramp with stainless steel railings but Canara Bank did not comply. At this, CCPD sent another notice to Canara Bank which led to the beginning of a construction of ramp at Canara Bank ATM too,” said Dr Singh.

He further said that rather than complaining about each and every ATMs in the Capital, Banks should show their accountability and should immediately construct a ramp so that ATMs should be accessible for persons with disabilities.

PS: The above news also featured on the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) website.

TODAY'S PAPER » NATIONAL » NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI, April 18, 2013

MCI asks all medical institutions to be ‘accessible’

GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR

With not a single medical institution in India being completely accessible for persons with disabilities due to physical barriers in libraries, lecture halls and hospital campus, the Medical Council of India has now issued directions to the Deans/Principals of all the medical colleges/institutions in India to submit compliance report on access facilities for persons with disabilities directly to the office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD).

The MCI issued the notice on a petition by Dr. Satendra Singh, Coordinator with the Enabling Unit of the Equal Opportunity Cell of the University College of Medical Sciences, here.

Dr. Singh had made a representation to CCPD to include ‘access audits’ in all inspections by the MCI and to derecognise all such hospitals that fail this test.

He had also submitted that while the MCI ensured reservation for persons with lower limbs extremities of 50 per cent to 70 per cent, for admission in all the medical courses, a number of medical institutions were completely inaccessible.

Dr. Singh, who himself suffers from “locomotor impairment” had remarked that “people with impairments are made disabled by the insensitive medical institutes and hospitals”. He had stated that while the MCI follows strict compliance in assessing building dimensions during inspections, but nowhere efforts are made to see whether the college is accessible to students with disabilities. He had noted that there was thus a need to make these buildings fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Chief Commissioner’s officer had subsequently issued a notice to the MCI in January this year to submit the action taken report. When nothing happened in the stipulated one month, another strong reminder was sent and the MCI was asked to respond before April 10.

The MCI then issued a directive to the Deans/Principals of all the medical colleges and institutions on March 29 to submit compliance report on access facilities for persons with disabilities directly to CCPD.

But Dr. Singh insists in doing so. “The MCI response is also shying away from responsibility.” He charged that “no mandatory directives were passed on including ‘access audits’ in inspections and no directive was passed in including medical persons with disabilities in such inspections which I specifically asked for.”

Apprehensive that the MCI was actually trying to skirt the whole issue, Dr. Singh said, “rather than replying to CCPD itself, the MCI has asked the institutions to respond directly to CCPD, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.”

“Persons with disabilities are the world’s largest minority. New World report says one in seven people suffer from some form of disability. Article 9 of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Section 46 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, makes it obligatory for India to implement ‘reasonable accommodation’,” he insisted.

Dr. Singh said while he was only “asking institutions to use the Universal Design (the design of all products and environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible),” still the matter was not being handled in the right manner by the authorities.

“A ramp will not only be used by a disabled but also by an 80 year old elderly, pregnant women, small children and trolley workers,” he pointed out, adding that “it is my dream to make all the health services in India barrier-free and this is a small effort in that direction.”

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/mci-asks-all-medical-institutions-to-be-accessible/article4628862.ece

TOI Heart of Gold: Man of Infinite Ability

A new initiative from The Times of India in association with Britannia Good Day called Heart of Gold features stories of individuals who have made a difference to society and transformed lives with their acts of compassion and goodwill. These stories will inspire you to do your bit in spreading happiness and cheer to people around you. Here's the story of Coordinator of Enabling Unit, UCMS featured in this TOI initiative.

Man of Infinite Ability

Dr Satendra Singh, assistant professor of Physiology was entering into his room when he saw Poonam, a 5th semester medical student with locomotor disability, standing outside lecture theatre-I. This was the third instance in the past week. He called her into the room and enquired. She said, Sir, our clinical posting in the hospital ended at exactly 12 and the teacher except me toright here in the class at 12. Poonam is a bright student but she has to cross numerous barriers from hospital building to college building owing to polio. Her impairment was made disability because of attitudinal barriers of few faculty members. 

Dr Singh is the Coordinator of Enabling Unit for persons with disability at Delhi's University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital. Dr Singh immediately wrote to Principal and a circular was issued to exhibit leniency in case of students with disabilities. The Enabling Unit was founded by Dr Singh as per UGC guidelines and is a first in any medical college in India. Right after being appointed Coordinator, he appointed a honorary counselor for students with disabilities in 2011. 

Not only this, he constituted an 'Equality and Diversity Committee' where the members were from all walks (faculty, students, non-teaching staff). It was in line with the motto 'nothing foeus, without us' since all members are persons with disabilities including Dr Singh who is the Chairman. He also founded 'Infinite Ability' a disability subgroup working on medical humanities principles. The group organized 'Theatre of the Oppressed' and 'Blind with Camera' workshops (published in TOI) in 2011 and 2012. 

Dr Singh came to know about the steep ramp without side railing in boys hostel. He requested PWD and Medical Superintendent to do the needful but despite repeated reminders nothing happened for 7 months. Finally, for the sake of students, he protested by wearing a black armband on world disability day. The very next day, he got sanctioning of a large amount from MS office for renovation of all the hostels. 

Both the Post office and Canara Bank in the campus are on first floor without lift. He filed RTI's to know the accessibility of post offices and ATM's in Delhi. The results were shocking and were published in Times of India. The AGM of Canara Bank has now agreed to shift down to ground floor and Superintendent of Post Offices, East Delhi has written thrice to MS, GTBH to make it accessible to disabled persons. 

To address inaccessibility, he has written to Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, to instruct Medical Council of India to include mandatory 'accessibility audits' of hospitals during inspections. This will largely address the inaccessibility concerns and fulfill the social accountability of higher institutions as well. Dr Singh is a fresh voice in disability activism. 

Source: Times of India Heart of Gold

Birthday Wishes to Polio Pioneer

28th October, New Delhi. 

Today is Jonas Salk's birthday-the polio pioneer. Rotary International may have celebrating his birthday wrongly on 24th October as World Polio Day but the fact remains that he was born on this day. To pay tribute to this legend I am covering a 10-photo-cum-quotes of Dr Salk. 

Please also see "Polio comic as part of graphic medicine". The source is Feb 2009 Rotarian Magazine and the artist is Steve Buccellato. This comic has been linked at 'Infinite Ability.'

Also read: World Polio Day - 24th or 28th October?
                   Polio survivor's fight to correct date of Salk's b'day

                  We are almost there, however...[Post Polio Syndrome] 

Study on Physical Disability and Identities of Resistance

Stacey L. Coffman-Rosen writes:

"Dear friends,

I apologize in advance for cross-posting.

I am a doctoral candidate in Human Development at Fielding Graduate University located in Santa Barbra, California. I am conducting an IRB approved study for which I am seeking participants.

I wish to interview women between the ages of 18-50 who meet the following criteria:

(1) have a visible physical impairment; (2) self identify as disabled; (3) consider disability an important part of their identity or self concept; and (4) were diagnosed with a physical impairment by the age of 6.

This research focuses on how women with physical impairments develop positive identities that incorporate disability. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative research study is to examine the narratives and life stories of women with visible physical impairments who self-identify as disabled and demonstrate identities of resistance. This research may impact the process and understanding of social identity development in the lives of women with physical disability. Through narrative inquiry (life stories), disabled women’s voices will be heard in both their complexity and discursiveness. These voices are not the passive stereotypes of disability, but an emerging resistance that may potentially revolutionize how women with disabilities feel about their lives, bodies, and ultimately, themselves. I hope that the knowledge shared by participants will help advance knowledge in disability studies and influence the practice of psychologists, and other paraprofessionals in mental health.

Participants will answer questions related to their current conceptualization of disability and the role of intersecting social identities in the creation and maintenance of identity and self-concept. Participants will be asked to describe positive and negative aspects of living with impairment/disability. Participants will identify situations where they have agency and autonomy.

Interviews (which should not take longer than 2 hours) can be conducted in person (I can travel to you if you are located in the Central Florida/Greater Orlando area), by telephone, or by Skype/webcam. Participant language and communication styles will be accommodated. I would be happy to provide a copy of the interview questions and the informed consent form (ICF) in advance of the interview.

If you fit the study criteria and would be willing to continue directly to the survey, please click on this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/disabilityidentity

The survey is short (15 questions) and contains more information about the study and an informed consent.

If you would like more information about this research, please contact me at the email address scoffman@email.fielding.edu I will send you more information about the study, including the informed consent (IFC) and the interview questions. The interviews have been running between one to one and a half hours.

Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this posting."

Stacey L. Coffman-Rosen, Doctoral Candidate
Human Development
School of Human and Organizational Development
Fielding Graduate University
356 Copperstone Circle
Casselberry, FL 32707
(407) 699-1491

We are almost there, however…[Post Polio Syndrome]

India has been taken off the polio endemic list by the World Health Organization this February. That leaves only Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria as polio endemic countries. We are almost there as far as polio eradication is concerned. However, there are around 12-20 million polio survivors living in the world today. And a bitter and largely unknown fact is that decades after recovery from polio, 60% have the risk of developing new muscle weakness and other symptoms that can lead to increased debility. These new symptoms are referred to as Post Polio Syndrome or PPS in our medical jargon. PPS affects not only “paralytic” polio survivors, but also unknown numbers of patients who had subclinical polio. The pathophysiology behind PPS is not fully understood and the latest research suggests that our reliance on pharmacological agents is of no value in PPS. 

I quote verbatim from an article (Update on current and emerging treatment options for post-polio syndrome): 

“Post-polio syndrome (PPS) refers to the clinical deterioration experienced by many polio survivors several decades after their acute illness. The symptoms are new muscle weakness, decreased muscle endurance, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, cold intolerance, and this typical clinical entity is reported from different parts of the world.

The pathophysiology behind PPS is not fully understood, but a combination of distal degeneration of enlarged motor units caused by increased metabolic demands and the normal aging process, in addition to inflammatory mechanisms, are thought to be involved. There is no diagnostic test for PPS, and the diagnosis is based on a proper clinical workup where all other possible explanations for the new symptoms are ruled out. The basic principle of management of PPS lies in physical activity, individually tailored training programs, and lifestyle modification. Muscle weakness and muscle pain may be helped with specific training programs, in which training in warm water seems to be particularly helpful. Properly fitted orthoses can improve the biomechanical movement pattern and be energy-saving. Fatigue can be relieved with lifestyle changes, assistive devices, and training programs. Respiratory insufficiency can be controlled with noninvasive respiratory aids including biphasic positive pressure ventilators. 

Pharmacologic agents like prednisone, amantadine, pyridostigmine, and coenzyme Q10 are of no benefit in PPS. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been tried in three studies, all having positive results. IVIG could probably be a therapeutic alternative, but the potential benefit is modest, and some important questions are still unanswered, in particular to which patients this treatment is useful, the dose, and the therapeutic interval [1].” 

The United States National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) lists the following Criteria for diagnosis of PPS [2] 

• Prior paralytic poliomyelitis with evidence of motor neuron loss (which can be confirmed through a typical patient history, a neurological examination and, if needed, an EMG examination).
• A period of partial or complete functional recovery after acute paralytic polio, followed by an interval (usually ≥ 15 years) of stable neuromuscular function.
• Gradual onset of progressive and persistent new muscle weakness or abnormal muscle fatigability, with or without generalized fatigue, muscle atrophy, or muscle and joint pain.
• Symptoms that persist for at least a year.
• Exclusion of other neuromuscular, medical, and orthopaedic problems as causes of symptoms.

One of the most common questions polio survivors ask is, “How should I exercise?” This has been much debated [3]. General guidelines for patients are: 

• Maintain an active exercise program to avoid deconditioning and cardiovascular sequelae
• Avoid overly aggressive exercise (fatiguing)
• Resist the impulse to exercise through pain. 

Muscle fibers of polio survivors have very limited endurance because of the loss of aerobic enzyme activity and greater reliance on anaerobic metabolic capacity [4]. Cross-training programs, such as alternating cycling with swimming and walking, is a good way to involve different muscle groups, but such programs should be consistent in terms of repetitions, resistance, and time. Swimming is beneficial but it is also a form of strenuous exercise. If moving out of a wheelchair/assistive device to the pool involve tiring efforts than swimming should be avoided. Conservation and judicious use of the energy is the key in PPS. For most people, using daily activities as a primary way to exercise is too erratic and may lead to overuse, fatigue, and further weakness. We must evaluate our daily routine as so many times because of work pressure we ignore our body. 

Thirty one years ago, in October 1981, some 250 health care providers and polio survivors held an international symposium in Chicago to consider this question: What ever happened to the polio patient? [5]. In a summary of the proceedings of that conference the editors note “Those survivors - the former generation that pioneered the advances – seem to be ‘prematurely ageing,’ and no one really understands why.” Thirty one years later we know the name of this new collection of symptoms but the pathophysiology and management is largely skeptical. PPS is difficult to diagnose since the symptoms of presentation are usually non-specific. 


The awareness on PPS is still very poor, at least in India. Globally also, literature is incorrect when it comes to World Polio Day. I disclosed it in my previous blog post how erroneously Jonas Salk’s birthday is correlated on 24th October. Today is again 24th October and we in India celebrate Dussehra. Let’s burn the effigy of ignorance on this auspicious occasion and spread awareness on PPS. Today is also a day when devotees worship Goddess Shakti who represents strength, ability and courage. On this day, the Devas joined their energies into Shakti, a single mass of incandescent energy to kill the devil Mahishasura. Let’s explore our infinite abilities, and work collectively in killing the demon of ignorance, that is, PPS. 


We (polio survivors) aren't dead yet. Are we? 

Also read : World Polio Day - 24th or 28th October?

Polio survivor's fight to correct date of Salk's b'day

References: 

1. Farbu E. Update on current and emerging treatment options for post-polio syndrome. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2010 Jul 21;6:307-13.
2. Post-Polio Syndrome: Identifying Best Practices in Diagnosis & Care. March of Dimes, 2001
3. Silver JK, Aiello DD. What internists need to know about postpolio syndrome. Cleve Clin J Med. 2002 Sep;69(9):704-6, 709-12.
4. Silver JK, Aiello DD. Bone density and fracture risk in male polio survivors. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001; 82:1329.
5. http://www.post-polio.org/edu/pphnews/PPH27-4fall11p3.pdf retrieved on 24 Oct 2012

World Polio Day - 24th or 28th October?

The article in the prestigious JAMA (the Journal of American Medical Association) begins as, “…As World Polio Day is remembered on October 24…” [1]. The official site of World Health Organization’s Western Pacific region also mentions [2]:

“World Polio Day originally brought people together to remember the birth of a man who led the first team to develop a vaccine against polio, Dr. Jonas Salk. It was the development of this vaccine, and its successor oral polio vaccine, that enabled the world to embark on an ambitious journey – the eradication of polio. Every year on 24 October, people around the world shine a spotlight on the importance of global eradication.”

My own interview (I am a polio survivor) was published as World Polio Day special on Times Internet Limited's venture on 24 Oct 2011[3]. So far so good. 

Let’s move on to the title of an article published in the journal ‘Vaccine’ [4]. It states- Salk. Born 28 October 1914, New York, NY; died 23 June 1995, La Jolla, CA. Yes, it’s the complete title and a Google search will tell you that Salk was indeed born on 28^th October. The Wikipedia page on Jonas Salk also mentions the same date. In fact, Jonas Salk's eldest son, Peter mentions some factual errors in the ‘talk page’ of this wiki page but he did not contradict the birth date so I assume it’s correct [5].

World Polio Day is not mentioned in the list of United Nation’s Observances [6]. However there is a complete website on this day http://www.worldpolioday.com/.  On contacting the site, I got immediate response which reads:

"Dear Dr. Singh,You are so right. 24th of October has been chosen by a.o. the Rotary Foundation to commemorate the month in which Jonas Salk was born. We will correct this immediately."

The closest balancing act in this mess is done by an Australian agency which carefully states, “…Wear Orange for World Polio Day each year which falls on or near the birthdate of Jonas Salk (28 October)”[7]. This is the closest accurate version which I could find on literature. For years, Rotary International and Gates foundation are celebrating this day on 24^th. The honest error may be giving out wrong impression but nobody could ever forget Salk’s response when he was asked who holds the patent of this vaccine. He famously said- “Nobody. Could you patent the Sun?”

The Enablist’s view: We have two excellent vaccines, IPV and OPV, but the unsavoury arguments about their merits and defects had led to delays in controlling the disease in endemic countries and in its ultimate eradication. Whether 24^th or 28^th, I feel neither Dr Salk’s family nor anybody else would mind if we achieve the broader goal of Polio eradication. Let’s hope people of Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan join the global community in fight against eradication.

Together we can.

Also read: We are almost there, however...[Post Polio Syndrome]
Polio survivor's fight to correct date of Salk's b'day

References:

1.    Mitka M. Polio eradication goal still elusive. JAMA. 2004 Oct 20;292(15):1805-6.

2.    http://www.wpro.who.int/immunization/news/world_polio_day_oct2011/en/index.html.

Retrieved 22 October 2012.

3.    Survivor’s story: Dr Satendra Singh’s journey [World Polio Day Special"]. Health Me Up [Times Internet Limited]. http://healthmeup.com/news-healthy-living/survivors-story-dr-satendra-singhs-journey-world-polio-day-special/8631. Retrieved 22 October 2012.

4.     Spier RE. Jonas Salk. Born 28 October 1914, New York, NY; died 23 June 1995, La Jolla, CA. Vaccine. 1995 Nov;13(16):1487.

5.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Jonas_Salk. Retrieved 22 October 2012.

6.    http://www.un.org/en/events/observances/days.shtml. Retrieved 22 October 2012.

7.    http://www.polioaustralia.org.au/?page_id=2480. Retrieved 22 October 2012.

The Hospital Poems

Dr. Jim Ferris is the chair of the Disability Studies Program at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He is also the author of several books and journals on poetry and disability.

His celebrated creation The Hospital Poems is the winner of the 2004 MSR Poetry Book Award and is a collection of poems published as a memoir to recall his childhood spent in the hospital. Many of these poems go deep inside Ferris's own journey. Ferris' poems range from humorous, to agitation, and optimism. His most well known poem, "Poet of Cripples", has gained critical acclaim for speaking out against the "fix-it" establishment.

Kathi Wolfe (Freelance Writer/Poet) reviews his work in Disability Studies Quarterly:


Anyone who believes W.H. Auden's dictum that "poetry makes nothing happen" will be shocked into disbelief on reading The Hospital Poems by Jim Ferris. Ferris' searing, Whitmanesque volume of poetry, winner of the 2004 International Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award, is a sharper instrument of social change than any political revolution.

Ferris, who has a mobility disability, spent much of his childhood and adolescence in the hospital. The Hospital Poems is a memoir in poetry about this experience. Disability policy, architectural and attitudinal barriers–even a seminal civil rights law like the Americans with Disabilities Act–can seem like distant matters impacting only other people somewhere "out there" to anyone untouched by a disability. Yet, The Hospital Poems, by turns trenchant, defiant, and poignant, makes the tyranny of the "normal" up close and personal for readers with or without disabilities. From the opening poem "A Poet of Cripples," where Ferris, echoing Whitman, says, "Know that you are a cripple too.\I sing for cripples, I sing for you," to "Mercy," where the poet says of his non-disabled eighth grade classmates visiting him as their good deed for the day ("Blessed are the merciful, for they shall have mercy.\ But not from me"), The Hospital Poemsinvites, even compels, readers to share the author's anger, shame, pain, and evolving disability pride. Only the most intractable reader will come away from this work unchanged.

There are three reasons why The Hospital Poems is an almost breathtakingly powerful work. First, the volume is not a disease-of-the-week, let's-have-a-pity-party-every-page, tear-jerker. Ferris, who teaches disability studies and communication arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, doesn't turn the memories of his youth into an "inspirational cripple" tale or a medical case history. When Ferris uses medical terminology, it is with, almost savage, irony–as in "Standard Operating Procedure," a poem, addressed to a surgeon about to operate on a boy. "Tell him this is for his own good, this will hurt you more than him....Then press the drill to his thigh and squeeze the trigger," the poet writes, "....He won't like it much, children are like that."

The Hospital Poems tells the story not of a saintly child but of an ordinary boy who is under the auspices of doctors, nurses and other adults who want to "'fix him' so he'll look 'normal.'" Anyone marginalized because of disability, race, sexual orientation or other difference will identify with the patient in the poem "The Coliseum." A boy is standing before the doctors who are conducting rounds in the hospital. "You are a specimen for study, a toy, a puzzle—they speak to each other as if you are unconscious," the poet writes. Though, anger and sadness are found in many of Ferris' poems, The Hospital Poems has much humor in it. "Fear at Thirteen," which describes an adolescent's fear of having an erection during surgery, is a mordantly funny poem. Ferris writes, "hatchet men waiting to cut you, and what you fear most in all the world is that you'll pop a boner and die embarrassed on this green yet sterile field." In the poem "Robert Walton," the young speaker of the poem can't understand why Robert, another boy in the hospital ward, calls him a "hoar" when he's angry. "I have no idea what this word might mean so I look it up, puzzle over the spelling," Ferris write, "still can't understand why\he would call me a kind of frost."

Another reason why the poems in The Hospital Poems are so evocative and memorable is that this is not a politically correct volume. Though filled with a disability rights perspective and utterly lacking in pity or sentimentality, this work does not pretend that there isn't emotional or physical pain in Ferris' childhood world. In "Meat," the poet, recalls his hospital mates returning to the ward after surgery: "If it's your friend you go by his bed to check on him.....When we pass by, even if you hated the guy, we take care not to bump the bed." In "For His Own Good," one of the most poignant poem in the collection, Ferris reflects on what it was like for his parents when he was an infant, "and I wonder/what it must have/been like to/give your baby/to the doctors./...What do you tell the brave little soldier?"

Finally, The Hospital Poems will be indelibly imprinted on the minds and hearts of readers because the poems in this volume are superbly crafted. Though some of the poems are written with deceptive simplicity, anyone trying to write verse of this quality would fail by a long shot. A couple of poems in this book are too prosaic to be effective poetry. "From the Surgeons: Drs. Sofield, Louis, Hark, Alfini, Millar, Baehr, Bevan-Thomas, Tsatsos, Ericson, and Bennan" is one example. This poem, in the form of a case history, gives the reader insight into the clinical jargon that dehumanizes people with disabilities. Yet, the relentlessness of the medical argot (of such lines as "Physical examination. Head. There is nothing abnormal about the head.") becomes repetitive and numbing. Even the most sympathetic reader may feel at this juncture as if he or she were being, figuratively, beaten over the head by the poet's message. Fortunately, Ferris' forays into preaching are rare, and this is a minor quibble. Ferris is one of the most talented of the new generation of crip poets and artists. The Hospital Poems does what good art does best: engage, entertain and create cultural change.

Longevity: Shaping the future

‘Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same colour as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated’

                                                                  Ernest Hemingway in The Old Man and the Sea.

It is a known fact that as people age their health also deteriorates. Health problems are a major concern for the elderly and they are prone to diseases and disabilities more than the younger age groups which can make them physically and economically dependent. The increasing number of elderly in the country means that they are going to make contributions to the economy. If this has to happen then they have to be healthy physically and mentally. Active and healthy ageing is possible only if the health aspects of the old people are tackled (Lakshmi 2007).

President Pranab Mukherjee on International Day of Older Persons, called for measures to enable the elderly to lead a life of “dignity.” Speaking at a function organised by HelpAge India Mr. Mukherjee expressed concern over the growing neglect and abuse of seniors in the country. “We must do everything possible to ensure that our elders can lead a life of dignity, enjoy the best of medical attention, economic security as well as emotional stability.”

In a remarkable coincidence International Day of Older Persons and the day India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (C.R.P.D.) falls on the same date- 1st October. The similarity ends here as the population of elderly is growing and efforts on implementing the Convention are static if not on a downhill.

The Preamble to the CRPD acknowledges that disability is “an evolving concept”, but also stresses that “disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. A person’s environment has a huge impact on the experience and extent of disability.

Inaccessible environments create disability by creating barriers to participation and inclusion. As the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health has argued, inequality is a major cause of poor health, and hence of disability. It has been 6 years since India ratified the Convention and though it is a visionary and paradigm changing instrument, its grass root implementation is still a distant vision.

Disabled elderly make up half the disabled population in India. According to NSSO 52nd round the proportion of disabled people was 55.8 per cent. Those who are disabled in seeing and hearing, form more than the total disabled population. The proportion of elderly disabled in hearing or with movement impairment in urban areas is more than that in the total elderly population. Female elderly suffer from disabilities over five times that of elderly men.

One out of seven older people in the world has been projected to be from India in the year 2001[Sharma and Agarwal,1996]. The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) probed five types of disabilities of the elderly. These were visual impairment, hearing problem, difficulty in walking (locomotor problem), problems in speech and senility. Twenty-five per cent of the elderly in India suffered from visual impairment, followed by hearing difficulties (14 per cent) and locomotor disability and senility (each 11 per cent). The prevalence rates of all the five disabilities were higher in rural than in urban areas. Except for visual impairment, women were ahead in all the disabilities compared to males.

Estimates from International Longevity Centre (I.L.C.) show that population of elderly people in India is set to increase by over 55% by 2050 and those above 80 will go up by 326% in the same year. Dr Sharadchandra Gokhale, President of I.L.C., said: “Since the ageing population is on rise and is estimated to increase by many folds, there is a need to understand and address the profound consequences of the ageing population. The Disabilities Act, which is in existence but is hardly implemented, has no reference to the elderly associated disabilities. For the same, the law needs to be amended, the policy and programmes on disabilities need to include age related disabilities in a major way,” (DNIS 2011)

The National Policy is not yet streamlined with CRPD and most of the states doesnot have a State policy for persons with disabilities. I exposed it earlier that the capital of India is still clueless about a state disability policy. Despite being a grim scenario, more policies should be designed for the welfare of the elderly so that they can contribute efficiently to the economic development of the country. The theme of International Day of Older Persons this year is “Longevity: Shaping the future.” This can only be achieved by implementing CRPD and one of the pillars of achieving this can be through accessibility. An accessible society can help the elderly in shaping his future.

References:

Lakshmi Priya (2007). Disabled elderly in India. eSocial Sciences, Mumbai. eSS Conference Paper ‘Towards Sustainable Global Health’. June 2007

Sharma and Aggarwal (1996): Aging, Disability, and Disabled Older People in India.

National Sample Survey Organisation (1998): Aged in India, A Socio-Economic Profile, NSS 52nd Round, July1995-June 1996.

DNIS Volume 8 Issue 6 - March 15, 2011 ‘Disability Act should include elderly’