Volume 1 Issue 4

Feature

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  Hardly heard
  

  In India the deaf community is often denied access to basic language and education, Sudeshna Banerjee finds out

Interview

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  Corporates need readymade disabled-friendly HR policies
  Pradeep Gupta, managing director of Cyber Media India Ltd (CMIL)explains the urgency for a readymade disabled-friendly HR policy

News

• NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Awards announced
  National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has announced the winners of NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Awards 2003.
• Rights groups meet to discuss Biwako Millennium Framework
  Employment opportunities, inclusive education, problems of women with disabilities, social security and role of self-help organizations were some of the burning topics that were discussed during the two-day national consultation meet for creating a barrier-free society for disabled people under “Biwako Millennium Framework for Action”.
• NCPEDP features on Discovery
  National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) will feature on a short film being made by Discovery Channel.
• Disabled women seek their rights
  Disabled women are often treated as a burden in Indian families, since it is not very easy to marry them off, or even give them equal opportunities in terms of employment, said NGOs involved in advocacy and service delivery of disabled women.
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan applauded
  The growth of special schools has led to segregation, explained Dr Mani while speaking on the issue of inclusive education at the two-day national consultation meet of Biwako Millennium Framework.
• Insurance schemes should be modified for disabled people
  A varied range of topics, from infant foeticide to insurance benefits for prevention of disability, to disability pension, to night shelters for destitute mentally ill women were discussed at the session on ‘Social Security Issues’ during the two-day national consultation meet at Biwako Millennium Framework.
• Rights activists demand government support for self-help groups
  Criticising society’s step-motherly attitude towards the rights of disabled people, disability rights activist Javed Abidi appealed for the genuine inclusion of disabled people in the self-help movement, during a session ‘Self Help Organisations of persons with disabilities and related family and parent associations’ at the national consultation meet on Biwako Millennium Framework.
• Scouts march for leprosy awareness
  About 3000 students of Bharat Scouts and Guides, NCC and other schools participated in a leprosy awareness rally, ‘Public Awareness Peace March’ from Rajghat to ITO on October 2, 2003 to mark Leprosy Day, commemorated on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Disabled kids to get educational policy soon
  A comprehensive education policy will be framed for disabled children by November, Delhi High was assured by the Central government, said a newspaper report.
• Employment cannot be achieved in isolation: Activists
  If NGOs and corporates work in isolation, employable disabled people will continue to suffer, pointed out NGOs during a session on Employment and Economic Empowerment, at the national consultation meet on Biwako Millennium Framework.