CBSE asks diabetic students to apply under the disability quota

For board exams, CBSE puts Type-1 diabetes under disabled category

For board exams, CBSE puts Type-1 diabetes under disabled category #boards #CBSE #Education @TOIDelhi @timesofindia @TOIIndiaNews https://t.co/MpA5G9Iv3v

— Manash Pratim Gohain (@manashTOI) January 23, 2018

Disability rights activist Dr Satendra Singh said some specific reasonable concessions were needed to help such people. "There is no point of getting a separate certificate for T1DM under the disability category as this will open a Pandora's box as these people will demand benefits under the disability act."

Read the full story on Times of India website here.

Success: IITs to take back disability pic order

IITs can no longer ask students with disabilities applying for the JEE (Advanced) test to submit a photograph showing their disability. The order was issued on a complaint filed by a Delhi University Professor who had earlier forced the UPSC to withdraw a "discriminatory" form.

IITs asked to stop using disability photos in applications
Hindustan Times, new Delhi, 3rd Nov 2015

NEW DELHI: The court of the chief commissioner of persons with disability (CCPD) has asked IITs to stop making physically-challenged applicants of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) JEE-Advanced fill forms and attach a picture of their disability as it amounts to discrimination. The CCPD wrote to IIT-Bombay on October 28.

Around 1.5 lakh students, who qualify the JEE Mains, are eligible to sit for the JEE Advance. Of the total seats, 3% is reserved for students with disability.

“IITs should stop using the form and adhere to the format of disability certificate as provided in the People with Disability Amendment Rules 2009,” reads the letter from the commissioner.

The CCPD has also said that the candidature of the candidates should not be cancelled on the basis of a different format of the disability certificate.
The CCPD also asked the IITs to provide the details of action taken within 30 days from the receipt of the letter. The matter was highlighted after Professor Satendra Singh, co-ordinator of the enabling unit of the University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi), filed a complaint with the court of commissioner.

“In July this year, I received an email from a student about IIT using a different disability performa. Earlier too, I had raised a similar issue with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) form. Since it is a violation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amendment Rules, 2009, which clearly states that a photograph of the face is required in the disability certificate, I wrote to the commissioner,” said Singh.

Earlier too, on Singh’s complaint, the court of CCPD had directed the UPSC to withdraw similar performa asking candidates to attach photo ‘showing’ disability. So in November 2014, the UPSC complied with the commissioner’s letter and discontinued the discriminatory performa.

Students who have gone through this process think it was not required.

“When a disability certificate from a doctor was being submitted, why was there a need to show one’s disability? Such discriminatory rules need to be abandoned all together and authorities need to be more sensitive towards people with disability,” said a first-year computer science student at IIT-Khargapur.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/iits-asked-to-stop-using-disability-photos-in-applications/story-ooKM1jGog3BJ8ZFNPvJ9oK.html

MCI pulled up by NHRC for failing in its social responsibility towards disabled persons

MCI pulled up for failing in its social responsibility

NEW DELHI, September 17, 2014, THE HINDU

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has come down heavily on the Medical Council of India (MCI) for not fulfilling its social responsibility towards differently-abled persons who avail of medical services and for not educating doctors on how to provide them treatment with dignity.

The Commission has recently issued a notice to the Council based on complaint by Dr. Satendra Singh, a differently-abled doctor at University College of Medical Sciences. He had earlier written to the MCI to include ‘disability education’ in medical curriculum.

“According to the World Report on Disability by the World Health Organisation (WHO), physicians worldwide generally lack training about caring for persons with disabilities, thus frequently compromising their health care experiences and health outcomes. The situation is worse in India as the MCI has failed to fulfil its social responsibility,’’ said Dr. Singh.

Previously, the MCI had instructed all medical institutions in India to submit compliance report on disability initiatives. “Majority of the responses indicate lack of awareness. I wrote again to the MCI to include disability education in 2013, but there was no response. Later an RTI reply by the MCI highlighted how the Council was not able to do justice towards disabled persons,” said Dr. Singh.

Now, the NHRC has demanded that the Council include mandatory access audits in all medical inspections. Also these access audits must include differently-abled persons in the team.

Source: The Hindu

Similar stories:

Medical colleges flout disabled-friendly rules

AIIMS plans access to disabled, others silent

Most medical colleges ignore directive on facilities for disabled

Hope in India as mandatory access for persons with disabilities takes shape

MCI asks all medical institutions to be 'accessible'

Disabled medicos face hurdles

BITS Pilani holds 3rd edition of Junoon (Sports fest for youth with disabilities)

INDIAN EXPRESS. Written by Sumegha Gulati | New Delhi |  September 7, 2014 

Kartavya Khanna with Chief Guest Dr Singh at Junoon

The third edition of Junoon 2014 — a two-day national sports fest for youth with disabilities organised by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani — began on Saturday. Dr Satendra Singh, Assistant Professor of Physiology at Delhi’s Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital was the chief guest of the event.

The fest began with several games being organised between disabled and other students. Over 200 participants from eight NGOs working in the disability sector — four from Delhi, one from Jaipur and three others from Jhunjhunu and other nearby areas — are participating in Junoon this year.

According to Kartavya Khanna, NSS President and a third-year BTech student at the college, the fest was first held two years ago after the body felt the need to extend sporting opportunities to all youth irrespective of their physical conditions.

“We started this in 2012 as a one-day event when only racing competitions were held. The next year, we thought of expanding it to other sports. So bicycle extravaganza, basketball and volleyball were added in Junoon 2013. This year, bocce (a ball sport), basketball, cricket, volleyball and athletics have been organised,” Khanna told Newsline over phone from Pilani.

Khanna said that disability is often treated as an illness in India and that Junoon attempts to bridge that gap as the fest inculcates a sense of equality among people.

Official website:  Junoon 14 

News Source: Indian Express

NHFDC finally responds on my complaints

 

Please also see related posts based on my complaint letter:

'Communication gap' hits disabled students.

NHFDC's MoU with inaccessible PNB branches to harasses students with disabilities.

Times of India 12 Aug 2013

AIIMS plans access to disabled, others silent

Shreya Roy Chowdhury, TNN | Aug 12, 2013, 01.40 AM IST

NEW DELHI: When it comes to access for disabled people, Indian hospitals have a long way to go. In April 2013, the Medical Council of India wrote to all the medical colleges in the country asking them to submit compliance reports stating the degree to which the institutions are accessible to the disabled. 

They received responses from only 32 of over 300 colleges and only from AIIMS in Delhi. Medical College and Hospital at Sangli is the only one to send photographs as proof of accessibility. Almost all others promise to do better with their new buildings. 

The council has sent the set of responses to Satendra Singh, professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Delhi University, who had made a representation to the chief commissioner of PWD on the same issue. The letter from the MCI was prompted by this representation and he had also asked for "access audits" to be made a mandatory part of MCI's inspection before accreditation. 

The response from AIIMS said that the authorities are working on this issue."The engineering services department of AIIMS has already initiated action in this regard," said the report. An internal memo with the report shows that AIIMS had constituted a committee in April "to inspect the institute building with respect to access facilities of persons with disabilities... and thereafter shall give their specific recommendations." 

Several other institutions that have admitted to not being fully accessible say in their reports that they are getting there. "State PWD has agreed to provide toilets in the building for people using a wheelchair" at Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed College in Barpeta, Assam; "Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi is being requested to provide necessary budgetary provision to provide barrier-free access to persons of disability," said Patliputra Medical College, Dhanbad. Dr PDM Medical College in Amravati also said, "Procedure to fulfill requirements is being initiated." 

Most of the 32 colleges that have responded to the MCI claim to be accessible. But these claims ought to be verified, feels Singh. M S Ramaiah Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore said in its response, "We have an escalator in the college and the hospital which provides easy access to the building." 

Considering the only kind of disabled persons eligible for admission though reservation in medical colleges are "persons with lower limbs locomotive disabilities of 50% to 70%", escalators will act as barriers, added Singh. 

However, Medical College, Kolkata, doesn't think its disabled students "require any special access." Their response said, "There are about 21 physically disabled students studying MBBS Course in this college, at present, with 50%-70% having disability of lower limb. They are attending classes without any difficulty." 

Others on the list simply replied saying that there are no disabled students on their rolls. Many colleges said they are accessible to wheelchair users but don't have appropriate signage for the blind or hearing-impaired.

The hindu» NATIONAL » NEW DELHI        12 Aug 2013 Gaurav vivek bhatnagar

Most medical colleges ignore directive on facilities for disabled

Only 32 of the 355 medical colleges/institutions in India have submitted compliance reports on access facilities for persons with disabilities to the office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) despite a directive by the Medical Council of India.

Dr. Satendra Singh, coordinator of the Enabling Unit of the Equal Opportunity Cell at the University College of Medical Sciences here on whose petition the MCI had issued the directive, said CCPD forwarded copies of all the replies received from various institutions/colleges to him on June 13 and in these there was just one response from a medical college in Delhi.

The All India Institute of Medical Science here responded by directing the Engineering Services Department to constitute a committee of Assistant Engineers (Civil) who will conduct access audit and look into Dr. Singh’s suggestions and submit a report within 10 days. Though the parent institute showed resolve, none of the six new AIIMS-like institutions responded to MCI. Most top medical colleges and colleges in many State and Union Territories have not bothered to reply.

Dr. Singh said some of the responses showed utter disregard among the institutions towards creating a barrier-free environment and expressing a sensitive approach towards the disabled. The Principal of Medical College, Kolkata, said: “There are 21 students with disabilities and they do not require any special access for their disability.”

Critical of the approach, Dr. Singh said: “This assumption, without involving persons with disabilities, is the attitudinal barrier. Though, I appreciate the fact that their new auditorium has a special ramp but assuming that students with disabilities do not require special access is a bit harsh.”

He said a few institutes such as SGTMHS Gurgaon, PDMMC Amravati, SGRR Dehradun, MIMS Andhra Pradesh and SGRD Amritsar repeatedly maintained that there were no persons with disabilities in their medical college thereby permanently shutting their doors to wheelchair users.

“What if Stephen Hawking or Dr. S. H. Advani (the wheelchair user oncologist who pioneered bone marrow treatment for leukaemia in India) want to give lectures at these institutes?” he asked.

Similarly, he said the Dean of Medical College, Vadodara, slammed the door shut on visually-impaired persons by stating, “We don’t have Braille symbols as we don’t receive candidates with visual disability”.

The responses, he said, also carried some positives. Some medical colleges like GMERS Vadodara and JNMC Wardha said adaptation toilets for wheelchair users were available. CMCH Pathankot even mentioned that they have such toilets “at every floor of the building” while the Dean of PCMS Bhopal wrote that the institute was “fully accessible and there are no architectural barriers”.

The good news, he said, was actually coming from the lesser known medical institutions which not only admitted their mistakes but also showed a will to rectify them.

'Communication gap' hits disabled students

In my last blog I shared my letter to Secretary, DDA and Chairman NHFDC on the MoU with inaccessible PNB bank. Today's 'The Statesman' has picked up the story:

Delhi

'Communication gap' hits disabled students

• The Statesman
• 28 Jul 2013  

Kinjal Sharma
NEW DELHI, 27 JULY: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC), set up by the ministry of social justice & empowerment, and Punjab National Bank (PNB), to help students with disabilities get educational loans. However, bank officials appear to be clueless about the agreement leaving the students at the receiving end.

 As per the terms of the MoU, educational loans will be made available to persons with disability (PWD)s through  particular branches of PNB. The bank has over 275 branches in the NCR but as per the MoU, the PWD students can approach any of the six retail asset branches (RABs) situated at Anand Vihar, Green Park, Gurgoan, Faridabad, Connaught Place and Karol Bagh, to avail educational loans at concessional rates.

 However, officials at the six PNB branches appear to be unaware of the MoU. Neha Chauhan from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh,  approached one of the six branches to avail the loan, but was shocked to note that access to the bank was not at all disabled-friendly and she had to struggle to enter. There she was even more shocked as the bank officials where unaware about any agreement between PNB and NHFDC. She returned home disappointed.

The manager of PNB's Green Park branch, Mr Vijay kumar Setia, said he has no idea about the MoU.  "I did not receive any formal guidelines in this regard. I will check with the concerned department. Sometimes, banks receive such information in a particular time span. It may not be received within a week. After getting the orders, further formalities would be completed," said Mr Setia. The branch manager of the Connaught Place branch, Mr Naresh Kumar Jain, also said he has not been informed about the MoU. Several PWD students said the six RABs are either inaccessible or the officials were not aware. 

 "As everyone is shirking responsibility, it is the PWD students who are facing problems. The NHFDC didn't bother to see whether the RABs were accessible. PNB has not implemented repeated master circulars from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to make banks accessible. Moreover, RBI does not maintain any record on the number of inaccessible banks and ATMs in India and simultaneously, Department of Disability Affairs has no monitoring initiatives," said Dr Satendra Singh, a doctor with disability, at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Delhi.

 "Students with disabilities are caught in this mess and are paying a hefty price. It is high time we strive for our dignity. India has ratified the UN convention whose Article 3 and 9 reserves the right for full and effective participation of PWD as well as accessibility of public places," said Dr Singh.

Source: 'The Statesman' dated 28 July 2013

NHFDC’s MoU with inaccessible PNB Branches to harass students with disabilities

University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) & Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital DElhi – 110 095

   

ENABLING UNIT, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CELL

EU/EOC/UCMS/122                                                                                           Dated: 20 July, 2013

                                                                                                                           

Secretary,                                                      Chairman-cum-Managing Director           

Department of Disability Affairs                                National Handicapped Finance and

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment,              Development Corporation (NHFDC)
Sixth Floor, Shastri Bhawan,                                      Red Cross Bhawan, Sector-12
New Delhi-110 001                                                     Faridabad-121 007

(Through Principal, UCMS & GTB Hospital)

Subject:           NHFDC MoU with inaccessible PNB branches

Reference:       D.O. No.NHF/1/2(3)/Edu-loan/2013/85095 dated 3 July 2013 from CMD, NHFDC

Dear Madam,

Let me first put on record the laudable initiative of NHFDC regarding concessional educational loan facility through Punjab National Bank (PNB) for students with disabilities. However, despite the best possible intention the MoU has a serious flaw that it is made with branches which are inaccessible to persons with disabilities.

Your urgent attention is drawn to following fallacies:

1. Inaccessible Retail Asset Branches (RABs): The referenced D.O (Copy attached) has the list of six RABs in Delhi. I contacted these branches yesterday over phone and as per their information Faridabad and CP, RAB are on second floor without provision of lift, hence inaccessible. Gurgaon RAB has 3-4 steps at the entrance but the bank official said it won’t be a problem to disabled person as their own Senior Manager is a wheelchair user & he is ‘lifted’ by guards to accommodate inside. Karol Bag RAB also has few steps at the entrance.

2. Incorrect information: The contact details mentioned at Green Park RAB are not of a bank rather it’s a residential number of a lady residing in Central Delhi. They have been getting numerous calls regarding loan and rightly upset because of the whole mess. Also, the phone number provided at the Anand Vihar RAB is a fax number only.

3. Unaware Officials: Most of the officials like at Karol Bag RAB are unaware of any MoU with NHFDC and they need to be sensitized regarding the whole procedure of availing loan.

Against the above backdrop, I would request you to urgently intervene on the following:

A)    Issue directives to NHFDC to include only ‘accessible’ PNB RABs under the MoU and ask PNB to comply at the earliest.

B)    Issue directives to NHFDC & PNB to include correct information and numbers.

C)    Ask PNB to make all their branches and ATMs accessible to persons with disabilities including the Gurgaon RAB where a wheelchair employee is treated with indignity.

D)    Ask RBI to have a data of all the accessible and inaccessible Banks/ATMs in India. Despite various master circulars from RBI, a large number of Banks are inaccessible. My RTI revealed that RBI had no record of number of inaccessible bank/ATMs as on 3 Dec 2012. Please find attached the Times of India article covering this story.

I request your goodself to kindly intervene at the earliest. Any intimation of action taken in this matter will be highly appreciated.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,

Enclosure: As above

 Sd/-

Dr Satendra Singh, M.D.

Coordinator, Enabling Unit

Equal Opportunity Cell

Hospitals waking up to the disabled's needs, but slowly

Deccan Herald, 23 Jun 2013

People with disabilities have won some battles, but are yet to win the apathy war

Hospitals in the city generally lack infrastructure that caters to the needs of disabled people. Though a few of them have woken up to the fact that the disabled should not be made to face problems, there is still a long way to go.

Very few positive changes have taken place despite efforts by activists, disabled doctors and organisations. But they are continuing with their efforts to get barrier-free access to hospitals and medical institutes.

Dr Satendra Singh, a disabled professor and the coordinator of the enabling unit at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) has been campaigning hard. Because of his efforts, the hostels of UCMS are now disabled-friendly to some degree.

Read full story at Deccan Herald's website here:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/340497/hospitals-waking-up-disabled039s-needs.html

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.

Scribe Guidelines from CCPD

F.No. 16-110/2003-DD.III

Government of India

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Department of Disability Affairs

***

Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi

Dated:  26^th February, 2013

To

Principal Secretary/ Secretary, Social Welfare of States/UTs.

Subject:       Guidelines for conducting written examination for Persons with Disabilities.

Sir,

          I am directed to say that Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) in its order dated 23.11.2012 in case No. 3929/2007 ( in the matter of Shri Gopal Sisodia, Indian Association of the Blind Vs. State Bank of India & Others) and in case No.65/1041/12-13 ( in the matter of Score Foundation Vs. Department of Disability Affairs) had directed this Ministry to  circulate guidelines for the purpose of conducting written examination for persons with disabilities for compliance by all concerned. In compliance of the above order, this Ministry hereby lays down the following uniform and comprehensive guidelines for conducting examination for the persons with disabilities as recommended by CCPD:-

           i.      There should be a uniform and comprehensive policy across the country for persons with disabilities for written examination taking into account improvement in technology and new avenues opened to the persons with disabilities providing a level playing field.  Policy should also have flexibility to accommodate the specific needs on case-to-case basis.

       ii.        There is no need for fixing separate criteria for regular and competitive examinations.

      iii.        The facility of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant should be allowed to any person who has disability of 40% or more if so desired by the person.

      iv.        The candidate should have the discretion of opting for his own scribe/reader/lab assistant or request the Examination Body for the same.  The examining body may also identify the scribe/ reader/lab assistant to make panels at the District/Division/ State level as per the requirements of the examination.  In such instances the candidates should be allowed to meet the scribe a day before the examination so that the candidates get a chance to check and verify whether the scribe is suitable or not.

        v.        Criteria like educational qualification, marks scored, age or other such restrictions for the scribe/reader/lab assistant should not be fixed.  Instead, the invigilation system should be strengthened, so that the candidates using scribe/reader/lab assistant do not indulge in mal-practices like copying and cheating during the examination.

      vi.        There should also be flexibility in accommodating any change in scribe/reader/lab assistant in case of emergency.  The candidates should also be allowed to take more than one scribe/reader for writing different papers especially for languages.

     vii.        Persons with disabilities should be given the option of choosing the mode for taking the examinations i.e. in Braille or in the computer or in large print or even by recording the answers as the examining bodies can easily make use of technology to convert question paper in large prints, e-text, or Braille and can also convert Braille text in English or regional languages.

   viii.        The candidates should be allowed to check the computer system one day in advance so that the problems, if any in the software/system could be rectified.

      ix.        The procedure of availing the facility of scribe should be simplified and the necessary details should be recorded at the time of filling up of the forms.  Thereafter, the examining body should ensure availability of question papers in the format opted by the candidate as well as suitable seating arrangement for giving examination.

        x.        The disability certificate issued by the competent medical authority at any place should be accepted across the country.

      xi.        The word “extra time or additional time” that is being currently used should be changed to “compensatory time” and the same should not be less than 20 minutes per hour of examination for persons who are making use of scribe/reader/lab assistant.  All the candidates with disability not availing the facility of scribe may be allowed additional time of minimum of one hour for examination of 3 hours duration which could further be increased on case to case basis.

     xii.        The candidates should be allowed to use assistive devices like talking calculator (in cases where calculators are allowed for giving exams), tailor frame, Braille slate, abacus, geometry kit, Braille measuring tape and augmentative communication devices like communication chart and electronic devices.

   xiii.        Proper seating arrangement (preferably on the ground floor) should be made prior to the commencement of examination to avoid confusion or distraction during the day of the exam.  The time of giving the question papers should be marked accurately and timely supply of supplementary papers should be ensured.

    xiv.        The examining body should also provide reading material in Braille or E-Text or on computers having suitable screen reading softwares for open book examination.  Similarly online examination should be in accessible format i.e. websites, question papers and all other study material should be accessible as per the international standards laid down in this regard.

     xv.        Alternative objective questions in lieu of descriptive questions should be provided for Hearing-Impaired persons, in addition to the existing policy of giving alternative questions in lieu of questions requiring visual inputs, for persons with Visual Impairment.

2.       You are requested to ensure that the above guidelines are scrupulously followed while conducting examination for persons with disabilities.  All the recruitment agencies, Academics/Examination Bodies etc. under your administrative control may be advised appropriately to ensure compliance of implementing these guidelines.  Action taken in this regard may be intimated to this office.

3.       The above guidelines are issued with the approval of Hon’ble Minister (Social Justice & Empowerment). 

Yours faithfully,

(Jagdish Kumar)

Deputy Secretary to the Govt. of India

Copy to: CCPD, Sarojini Bhawan, Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi with reference to order dated 23.11.2012 in case No. 3929/2007 and in case No.65/1041/12-13.

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

DU announces foreign trip for students with disabilities

New Delhi. Around 100 Delhi University (DU) students with disabilities of will go abroad next year, Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh said at the closing ceremony of Badhte Kadam — a nationwide campaign to raise awareness regarding disability — on the university campus on Tuesday.

“It is a historic decision. For the first time, a university will take students with disabilities on such a trip,” Officer on Special Duty of DU Equal Opportunity Cell Bipin Kumar Tiwary said.

Elaborating on the nature of the trip, he said, “It will be an educational trip, through which students will be able to experience the facilities available in foreign universities and make projects on what they observe. They will return to Delhi University and see how similar facilities can be provided here.”

Singh said: “Such a campaign will awaken the nation. I can see some school children here. In the future, I hope they join Delhi University. We will provide them with all facilities possible.”

In the past six months, DU has taken many steps with regard to students with disabilities, such as exemption of tuition and hostel fees and a reduction in mess charges.

“Apart from the 3 per cent reservation in university hostels, we have increased the number of seats for students with disabilities. They do not have to pay tuitionfees. Despite many attempts, some colleges are not following the rules. However, we will ensure that these rules are strictly adhered to,” Singh said.

DU had earlier asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to provide these students free Metro cards with centralised recharging and blocking features.

DU also plans to provide free netbooks with screen-reading software to these students. “The netbooks have been bought and will be given to students in a few days,” Singh said.

DU students with disabilities had also visited the Wagah border and stayed at Army camps as part of Gyananodyaya, an educational train journey, in October.

A first-year Political Science (Honours) student at Gargi College, Gunjan Agarwal, said, “The best part of the trip was the manner in which we were welcomed everywhere. I hope I get to be a part of the foreign trip,” she said.

The event included a silent rendering of the national anthem by school students, a dance performance by children from NGO Muskaan, which works for the differently abled, and a musical by DU students.

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!

Related Posts:

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