Volume 3 Issue 23

Feature

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  Tenth year of the Disability Act – It’s time for ACT10N
  

  This year, the World Disability Day has assumed a special significance in India as it is the tenth year of The Disability Act, 1995. The disability sector has chosen the theme, 'The tenth year of the Disability Act – It’s time for ACT10N'. The idea is to evoke introspection and awareness among the public and all key stakeholders about the non-implementation of The Disability Act, 1995. As part of this campaign, the disability sector has created a logo and has put together a document of ‘10 Demands’, which will be presented to the Central Government for immediate action.

Interview

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  B.P.C.L.'s philosophy is to provide equal opportunities to disabled people: S. Mohan
  

  Disabled employees are handling important assignments in areas like information systems, laboratory, accounts, human resource, etc. We are glad to state that almost all such employees have handled their assignments with aplomb and have far exceeded our expectations, says S. Mohan Executive Director (H.R.D.), Bharat Petroleum Company Limited (B.P.C.L.), in an interview to Parvinder Singh.

News

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  Sacking an employee on grounds of schizophrenia violates Disability Act: Bombay H.C.
  

  In a landmark judgement that has been hugely welcomed by the disability sector, the Bombay High Court has ruled that employees who develop mental health problems cannot be sacked from service as it amounts to discrimination

• Parivaar accuses National Trust of going soft on corruption allegation; Aloka Guha denies charge
  

  Five months after a damning corruption scandal broke out regarding the registration of civil society organisations with the National Trust, Parivaar has accused the nodal body of being dismissive and undemocratic about the entire issue.

• National Convention held on National Policy on Inclusive Education
  

  In a development that promises to usher in a brave new world for the school education in the country and mark the first serious step towards larger goal of social and economic inclusion of over 70 million people with disabilities, the Government held a National Convention on finalisation of A National Policy on inclusive education.

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  Spirit of assertion by the disability sector fills the air ahead of World Disability Day
  

  As the countdown for the World Disability Day begins, the spirit of assertion of political and human rights by disability sector is apparent, but the strengthening unity of the sector is particularly palpable.

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  Government institutions should respect the Disability Act: President
  

  President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has called upon the Government institutions to respect the Disability Act 1995, which provides for three per cent reservations of jobs for disabled people, so as to allow them to lead an economically independent life.

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  Disability perspective missing in ActionAid’s critique of Millennium Development Goals
  

  A citizen’s report entitled “Whose Freedom? - Millennium Development Goals as if people matter!” released recently by ActionAid has failed to address the issue of disability, even while emphasising that the report is an insight into people’s perspective about the state of development, the fulfillment of their basic rights and the services and promises of governments in the context of the Millennium Declaration.

• Guwahati H. C. directs Nagaland to extend reservation for disabled to include higher posts
  
  In a boost to the nascent disability movement in the North-East, the Guwahati High Court has directed the Government of Nagaland to extend reservation entitled to disabled people in the Government jobs to include higher positions which hitherto have been confined to ‘C’ ( for example typist) and ‘D’ (for example peons) category jobs.
• Delhi Chief Minister inaugurates Special Olympics National Games
  

  Less than a week from World Disability Day on 3 December, Delhi Chief Minister inaugurated Special Olympics National Games at an impressive ceremony in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 28 November.

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  Disability cultural festival scheduled to mark World Disability Day has no sponsor!
  

  A weeklong cultural festival, "Possible", featuring people with disabilities as performers and artists, planned to mark World Disability Day on 3 December has no sponsor so far.

• Technical snag grips low-floor disabled-friendly buses
  

  Barely two weeks into operation, the much-hyped high-capacity buses pressed into service by the Delhi Transport Department have run into trouble due to “technical reasons” with two of them being taken off from regular service.

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  Europe’s leading low fares airline announces policy change on vision impaired passengers
  

  Ryanair, Europe’s leading low fares airline, has announced that following a consultation with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (N.C.B.I.) the airline will change its policy on vision impaired passengers.

• Rajiv Gandhi Foundation gifts 'mobility' on birth anniversary of late Indira Gandhi
  

  Congress President Sonia Gandhi distributed modified Kinetic Nova automobiles, sponsored by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (R.G.F), on the occasion of the eighty-eighth birth anniversary of late Indira Gandhi.

• Delhi Zoo being made disabled-friendly
  

  With very few public venues in the National Capital being disabled-friendly, news of Delhi Zoo being made accessible has come as a pleasant surprise to disabled visitors who had to either avoid the place or brave humiliating situations to see displays in the zoo.

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  Chennai to host conference on Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  

  Communication barriers greatly hamper participation of people with speech related disabilities but Augmentative and Alternative Communication (A.A.C.) is fast emerging as a widely recognised intervention method to address this issue.

• I.T.P.O. says it is helpless with regard to inaccessible pavilions at International Trade Fair
  While claiming that the basic infrastructure at the Pragati Maidan was accessible with ramps at most places and disabled-friendly ticket counters and toilets, a senior official with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (I.T.P.O.) has expressed helplessness in forcing individual State Government pavilions to make their displays accessible.