Delhi Govt felicitates Dr Satendra Singh with State Awards for Persons with Disabilities, 2016

International Day of Persons with Disabilities turned out to be a special affair for eight people with disabilities who were  felicitated by Delhi government for their achievements in various fields. Delhi Social Welfare Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was the Chief  Guest but in his absence Minister of Labour and Employment Mr Gopal Rai felicitated them for their exceptional achievements in the field of creativity, sports, entrepreneurship and social work as part of the State Awards for Persons with Disabilities, 2016.


Dr Satendra Singh got the award in the 'Social Work' category. His achievements are enlisted in the Times of India graphic on the left.

They Tell tales of a disabled system that hurt them. (Times of India, 3 Dec 2016)

NEW DELHI: Physically challenged people got a rare opportunity to share their grievances with the state government when they gathered at the Delhi Secretariat for a felicitation function on Friday. Delhi labour minister Gopal Rai rewarded them by hearing out their stories, among them tales of discrimination, inadequate Braille and educational materials for students and, above all, the lack of job opportunities. The minister nudged the officials of social welfare department present to respond to the complaints.
The programme had been organised by Delhi government's department of social welfare to honour exceptional achievers among the physically challenged on the eve of International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

Rai invited the persons with disabilities (PwDs) to talk of problems faced by them before the cultural and felicitation programme began. "I would like to learn about the issues that trouble PwDs," Rai said. "Perhaps then, by the time the next felicitation function is held next year, we will have been able to take these issues up as challenges for our government to address." He said Friday's function would prove more meaningful if the government got suggestions on how to help PwDs.

While Dr Satendra Singh, recipient of the award in the category of social work, highlighted the problem of accessibility of public spaces and the disability policies of the government, a student of a blind school drew the government's attention to some of the basic issues they confronted regularly, like lack of teachers and paucity of teaching-learning aids.

Dr Singh suggested that the first step for the government should be to have a separate 'department for disability'. He also pointed out that the post of commissioner of disability was lying vacant for over a year now and that state executive and state coordination committees had not been constituted in Delhi for over one and half years despite provisions for such panels in the Disability Act. "If these issues are addressed, no one can stop us from making Delhi disabled-friendly," concluded Singh.

The sportspersons among the PwDs present brought up the topic of job opportunities or the lack of them in the capital. R Kumar, a national-level table tennis player, said, "I have represented Delhi at various levels, but there is no provision for jobs for us under the sports quota here."

Mohammad Sahir, a blind student, talked of the difficulties that primary and middle school students at a government senior secondary for blind boys have been facing for three years.

"There are around 10 positions for teachers lying vacant in the school for the last three years," he said. "We even demonstrated against the vacancies not being filled. Besides, we also need Braille books and audio books. Because of the lack of audio devices, we have been struggling."

Responding to these complaints, the department officials promised that the vacancies would be dealt with temporarily by appointing guest teachers and efforts would be made for permanent appointments. They assured the students they would be provided audio books within a week.

Source: Times of India, 3 Dec 2016

From the Disabled, To the Disabled

World Is One News (WION) is an international news entity with headquarters across South Asia. WION covered my relentless campaign of making places accessible for persons with disability in the capital of India.

India Post: “Paper Tigers” in “ease of access for the disabled”

Minister of Communications & IT while unveiling the new logo of India Post said, “The government is taking steps to make India Post a parcel and logistics giant, in the domestic as well as international sector.” The new logo was termed as a synthesis between service proposition and modernity and the launch was heralded as a landmark with the promise that the new corporate identity will unfold higher level of customer services. That was 4 years ago.

Sitting in my office in one of the premier institutes of India, I try to accomplish majority of work via emails. It’s not that I am against snail mail but I dread at the thought of visiting Post Offices (PO). The reason – I have mobility impairment. Post Polio Residual Paralysis to be precise. With my abilities, I did my MBBS and then MD. I am also a guest speaker for many medical education workshops within Delhi as well as outside it. No mental obstacle came in my way but I can’t fight out physical barriers. The post office in my hospital campus is on the first floor without provision of any lift. The nearby post offices have the same inaccessibility issues. Those who are on ground floor’s are without hand railings or ramps.

Let’s look it in a larger perspective. Persons with disabilities (PwD’s) constitute more than 15% of the world’s population and is  the “world’s largest minority.”For us, the lack of access to essential services (like postal services) remains a source of discrimination and lost opportunities. In March, I filed my first complaint to the local post office to make it accessible to PwD’s. It was followed by reminders, than emails to higher authorities as well as to India Post’s nodal officers. Nothing happened except acknowledgment of receipt of complaints. Being an independent citizen of this country, it’s my human right to visit any public building and to avail all public services. This, along with the continued indifference of India Post prompted me to lock horns directly with them and I finally filed RTI application under the Right To Information Act to know the accessibility status of all post offices in the capital of India, Delhi towards PwD’s.

India Post didn’t disappoint me with their traditional indifferent attitude. Nothing happened in the mandatory one month period where it is legally bound on them to furnish the info. Undeterred, I filed first appeal. Not surprisingly, both my RTI and first appeal, which were sent via speed posts, took more than 7 days to reach Delhi from NCR. (I caution the readers to always track their consignment details as what is promised is not always delivered). The first appeal lead to a flurry of responses from all divisional PO’s in Delhi.

Delhi East division stated, “no post office under this division is with the facility of lift.” Central division replied, “no separate arrangement for the PwD has been made so far to access the PO.” North division reiterates “no facility for barrier free access.” West division blatantly claims that “all are easily accessible & barrier free” despite 3 PO’s on first floor without lift. South West division’s reply implies that 77% of PO’s are without ramp for wheelchair users. 65% of this number is in government buildings.

South division considers Gulmohar Park in South Delhi as ‘barrier free’ but a wheelchair user can only look down in despair at this basement located inaccessible PO. The office of Director, GPO, New Delhi in response to my question, “accessible status to persons with disabilities” writes- “New Delhi GPO is centrally located hence it is therefore accessible for all.” This attitudinal barrier is just a tip of the iceberg. Visually impaired are completely delineated from “disabled” category as I have yet to see a PO with tactile markings or guided assistance and a lift with audio system.

The construct of India Post’s new logo (see image) four years back was inspired by the fact that India Post carries emotion across physical distance. At first glance, it is an envelope and at the next glance, it is a bird in flight, unhindered and unrestricted. The following bold strokes convey free flight. The reality exhibits barriers, hindrances and restriction of our basic humanrights.

It has been said that the red colour in the logo embodies passion, power and commitment. Yellow communicates hope, joy and happiness. Evidence of the lacking of this commitment and joy can be found right across the capital. India Post violates and undermines the dignity of PwD’s which is so manifestly against the spirit of the Constitution of India and the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

In the wake of India ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  (UNCRPD) in October,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.

Gloria Steinem famously said- “If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot?”

The PwD’s are not the unfit shoe here. We are not asking something out of reach for us rather we are pleading for universal access. A universal design will allow a senior citizen, a pregnant female, an unsteady toddler as well as persons with disabilities all to access the same public building with dignity and pride. Am I asking for too much?

This was a Guest Editorial post authored by me for www.soumyadeepb.wordpress.com where it first appeared.

Dr Satendra Singh, MD, FSS, is an assistant professor and the  Coordinator of Enabling Unit(for students with disabilities), at University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. He is founder of ‘Infinite Ability’ – a special interest group on disability within Medical Humanities Group of Medical Education Unit. He is 2011 fellow of CMC Ludhiana FAIMER (Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education Research) fellowship and teaches Physiology to medical stu­dents. He is currently working on incorporating disability studies into medical cur­riculum. He blogs at : ‘The Enablist’

Also read: RTI expose of inaccessible Delhi Post Offices

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