Volume 9 Issue 5

Feature

• Universal Periodic Review and Disability – an Indian experience
  That disability does not find any place in the larger human rights paradigm is a common refrain you hear in the disability sector. And it definitely has a lot of truth to it. However, the disability sector itself has to pull up its socks and interact more to ensure that the existing human rights mechanisms are disability inclusive. Universal Periodic Review (U.P.R.) is one such mechanism where the disability sector can bring their issues to the forefront. National Disability Network (N.D.N.) made a submission on disability to O.H.C.H.R. for the Stakeholders’ Report for India’s upcoming U.P.R., a first time for the Indian disability sector. Shivani Gupta, who was part of the process, had the opportunity to go to Geneva to lobby with various Missions on the issue. Here is her experience.

Interview

• “Sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities is a marginal issue on the agenda of disability rights organisations,” Geetanjali Misra
  Sex and sexuality is a taboo in the South Asian society. When it comes to sexuality and disability, the picture is abysmal, even more for women with disabilities. People with disabilities, especially women, are considered asexual and misconceptions are rampant. If sexuality and reproductive rights affect all aspects of life and is not so much of an individual issue, why is it not there on the radar screen of the disability rights movement? Point of View and C.R.E.A. have recently launched a dedicated website on sexuality and disability. Geetanjali Misra, Founder and Executive Director of C.R.E.A. talks to Dorodi Sharma of D.N.I.S. on why we need to break the silence.

News

• Sibal delivers another blow to children with disabilities, sector to blame?
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: The division within the disability sector ensured that the future of millions of children with disabilities is put in jeopardy. A ‘select’ group of ‘disability experts’ met with Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development on May 1 to discuss the clause on ‘home-based’ education for children with severe and multiple disabilities under the Amendments to the Right to Education Act, days after it was passed by the Rajya Sabha. This clause makes ‘home-based’ education a statutory option for children with severe and multiple disabilities. The Amendments were passed by the Lok Sabha on May 9.
• D.P.I. launches Global Women & Youth Network
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: Disabled People’s International, the world’s only cross-disability global organisation of people with disabilities with membership in around 140 countries, has launched a Global Women’s Network and a Global Youth Network to focus on issues that women and youth with disabilities face and to groom leaders to contribute to the global disability movement.
• McGill University hosts conference on ‘Disability and Work: Global Strategies for Equity’
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India:. The Institute for Health and Social Policy of McGill University hosted a conference on ‘Disability and Work: Global Strategies for Equity’ on May 4 and 5 in Montreal, Canada. The objective of the conference was to discuss and examine viable solutions to reduce inequities that people with disabilities in both high and low-income countries face in accessing meaningful and competitive employment.
• Selection of new R.C.I. Chairperson mired in confusion and controversy
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: Rehabilitation Council of India (R.C.I.) has been on the lookout for a new Chairperson for over a year now. A search cum selection Committee was constituted last year but nothing much had happened so far. D.N.I.S. has come to know that a meeting of the Committee was held on April 16 and that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had shortlisted three candidates. However, the meeting has been mired in controversy.
• Global Accessibility Awareness Day celebrated in Mumbai
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: India joined several other countries of the globe in celebrating May 9 as Global Accessibility Awareness Day (G.A.A.D.). An event was organised in Mumbai by the Directorate of Information Technology, Government of Maharashtra and BarrierBreak Technologies, supported by NASSCOM and NASSCOM Foundation to mark the day.
• Delhi High Court orders Mother’s International school to admit deaf child
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India:In a judgement that may well pave the way for mainstreaming deaf children, the Delhi High Court has ordered Mother’s International, a reputed school in the capital, to admit a deaf child within two weeks and also asked it to pay Rs. 10,000. The school had earlier denied admission to the child at entry level saying that it did not have special educators and has not handled such children.
• Karnataka H.C. orders State to follow M.C.I. guidelines for post graduate courses
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: The Karnataka High Court on May 2 directed the State Government to announce the seat matrix for the Postgraduate Common Entrance Test within three days and to provide three percent reservation for doctors with disabilities during counselling for allotment of seats as per the guidelines set by Medical Council of India (M.C.I.).
• High Court relaxes norms for persons with disabilities for C.A. examination
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: The Delhi High Court on May 2 passed an order making the examination writing process for persons with disabilities appearing for the Chartered Accountant (C.A.) examination a little easier.
• Persons with disabilities to be able to book railway tickets online soon
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: In response to a Public Interest Litigation (P.I.L.) being heard in the Delhi High Court, the Government proposes to introduce unique identity cards to enable people with disabilities to book railway tickets on the internet and avail concessions. At present persons with disabilities have to go to railway reservation counters physically to book tickets if they want to avail the fare concession given by railways.
• Chennai metro rail makes a good start in being accessible, can do a lot more
  D.N.I.S. News Network, India: Chennai Metro Rail Limited (C.M.R.L.) has assured that the trains and stations will be accessible for persons with disabilities. This announcement follows advocacy led by Disability Rights Alliance (D.R.A.), which has been in dialogue with C.M.R.L. for the past few months.