Showing posts with label Svayam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Svayam. Show all posts

Saturday, May 11, 2019

In Delhi, making elections accessible for the differently-abled

Ms. Vangmayi Parakala | The Hindu | May 10, 2019 

On voting day on Sunday, Svayam offers mobility solutions to the disabled across the city. 

“The fight is tight. Each vote matters,” says Sminu Jindal, reiterating the messaging we’ve all heard many times almost every election season. But this year, she’s attempted to follow through on this. Her organisation, Svayam, has partnered with NGOs in Delhi’s South, West, and South-West constituencies to ensure that people with mobility problems aren’t hindered from exercising their franchise.

Access for all
“Accessibility isn’t and shouldn’t be a concern only for disability rights activists,” Jindal stresses adding that you needn’t be elderly or disabled to benefit from better thought-out public transportation and spaces: you can be a young athlete who’s injured and on a wheelchair, or you can be in the last trimester of your pregnancy.

Polling is usually held in government buildings like the local municipal school, meaning that by law, these will be accessible spaces, with at least the basic provision of ramps. The problem though, is in getting to these booths.

Through its partner organisations, Svayam has deputed wheelchair-friendly vans that will shuttle people to and from their voting booths, should they need them. In 2017, the organisation had already donated 10 such vans to different NGOs across the country. Of these, four vans have stayed in the city, with Astha, Muskaan, Family of Disabled, and Yes We Can. This year, they’ve added two new vans to this existing entourage, also working with the Election Commission of India to ensure that booths have what the polling body calls “Assured Minimum Facilities.”

Key partnership
After surviving a crash that left her paralysed from the wasit down when she was 11 years old, Jindal has been an active advocate for accessibility. She calls the government Svayam’s “most important partner,” recalling a two-decade-old association through which they’ve partnered and consulted on projects. This includes regular audits, training, and design interventions at various sites.

Starting 2006, they worked with the Archaeological Survey of India to make heritage sites like the Qutub Minar, Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal friendly for tourists with reduced mobility. Later, they were a part of the core committee set up to harmonise construction standards for the elderly and disabled. Today, they routinely conduct sensitisation and training sessions with staff at the Delhi International Airport Limited.

But it was in June 2018 that the Election Commission of India invited Svayam to be a partner on the National Consultation on Accessible Elections, stating that this “will pave the way for evolving the National Policy document on Inclusion of PwDs [Persons with Disabilities] in Electoral Process.” Svayam specifically made 20 recommendations at this meet, including the need to allow service animals and guide dogs to enter booths.

“The ECI has been very positive this time. The only major challenge is to standardise these guidelines across the country,” says Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Director of Svayam, adding that close to 13 pointers in their recommendations have been accepted and implemented this year.

Source: The Hindu

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Rights Activists Want ICT To Be Made More Inclusive for Persons With Disabilities

Submissions made to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India seek stringent, legally-binding provisions covering all players in the sector.

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar | The Wire | January 26, 2018

New Delhi: Disability rights activists have called for a stringent policy to ensure persons with disabilities are able to access with ease both the software and hardware when it comes using information and communication technology (ICT).

With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issuing a consultation paper on ‘Making ICT Accessible for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)’ on December 20, 2017, and seeking comments from the stakeholders by January 22, 2018, a number of disability rights groups have made their submissions.

“For achieving a truly inclusive information society, persons with disabilities must be able to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) with equal ease. This can be made possible only if the accessibility of ICTs is on the top of the agenda of manufacturers and service providers. Though it makes business sense to attract persons with disabilities with ICTs having accessibility features, manufacturers failed to tap this opportunity. Hence, a stringent policy is required to ensure persons with disabilities get what they need,” said noted disability rights activist and director of Svayam, Subhash Chandra Vashishth.

Incidentally, the World Bank Report (2007) titled ‘People with disabilities in India: from commitments to outcomes’ had stated that “there is growing evidence that people with disabilities comprise between 4 and 8 percent of the Indian population”. Further, the population of senior citizens in the country ranges between 10-12%. Put together, these aspects raise the need for making ICT inclusive for improving the quality of life of the PwDs.

Both software, hardware not complying with guidelines

In its submission to TRAI, Svayam has noted that often the websites, software and mobile apps from vendors and service providers do not comply with accessibility guidelines. This makes them inaccessible for visually impaired persons who make use of assistive technologies like screen reading software, braille displays, etc.

It has also pointed out that “most electronic hardware products like Set-Top-Box (STB), smart home solutions, etc. are not usable for persons with disabilities as they don’t comply with international accessibility standards e.g. the buttons on most of these devices do not possess any tactile notations and audio feedback to allow visually impaired users to interact with them.

Policies lack budgeting support

Most policies are simple guidelines and often lack appropriate budgetary or funding support for implementation and penalty for non-adherence. This leads to lesser efforts towards compliance, the organisation noted.

Moreover, it said, most guidelines are made applicable only for government entities and not to all establishments. “However, needs of persons with disabilities in their day-to-day lives span beyond services and products offered by government entities.”

As for the financial support for maturity and survival of products that benefit PwDs, it said either such mechanisms “do not exist or are very low and ineffective.”

Stating that “a comprehensive plan is needed to adopt an accessible operating system for product development and service divisions to include everyone,” Vashishth said issuing of the consultation paper was a step in the right direction.

As for telecom regulator TRAI, he said, it has highlighted in the paper that an equal and inclusive society involves providing equal opportunities to all sections of society irrespective of their physical, economic, social or religious identity in all spheres of life and this covers education, skill development, economic empowerment and ensuring full participation of all persons including PwDs.

While programmes such as ‘Digital India’ envisage inclusive growth and a digitally empowered society, the benefits of ICT have not reached all the sections so far. At a time when mobile phones are also being used to access information, avail of various services, the need of the hour is promoting digital inclusion for enabling PwDs to lead independent and dignified lives.

With the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 raising the disability categories from seven to 21, “this presents an opportunity for all the stakeholders (disability/accessibility activists, NGOs, etc.) to mull over the concern areas and help the government on how to make ICT accessible for persons with disabilities,” said Vashishth.

‘Include user groups in research, product development’

Founder-chairperson of Svayam, Sminu Jindal, said “there is a massive lack of awareness among the stakeholders as well as credible research on ICT for persons with disabilities. Non-inclusion of user groups in research and product development is another issue which should be addressed. We also need aggressive public campaigns for awareness and sustained advocacy to enforce stringent accessible ICT policies.”

On the key areas of concern, Svayam has noted among other things that there is an absence of periodic stakeholder coordination; lack of harmony between policies and the regulation across the world to adhere to uniform standards; lack of research and development, lack of aggressive campaigning for accessible ICTs, lack of direct involvement of PwDs in product development; high cost of specialised assistive technology; high import taxes and no subsidy or incentives being provided to the manufacturers from the government.

It has, therefore, suggested that “all establishments” should be covered by all the provisions in the policies concerning access to PwDs; the provisions should be made “mandatory” and legally binding instead of remaining mere guidelines; clauses specifying substantial penalties for non-adherence should be incorporated; definition of “everyday use products” should be clearly defined and detailed to cover products used for personal use, at home, office and in public infrastructure.

TRAI should set up a helpline for complaints

It has also suggested that TRAI set up a helpline where only complaints regarding accessibility can be received. “The data of complaints and action taken should be made available on TRAI portal as such data can help frame and reform policies in larger interest.”

For making it easier for all PwDs to access ICT products, the group has also suggested that all products that have a display screen and interactive touch screen should be made accessible. “This includes set top box, point of sale (POS) machines, scanners, everyday use products such as washing machines, microwave, air conditioners, refrigerators, all types of vending machines, self-service public devices used in shopping malls, airports, railway ticketing, printers including 3D printers, scanners, lifts, elevators, and musical instruments.”

Focus on regional languages as well

With India being culturally and linguistically diverse, the organisation has also demanded that ICT services in regional language be started for wider reach as at present most of the assistive technology and software is not available in them.

It has also called for funding “futuristic technologies”. “Recently, Microsoft was granted a patent for a brain control device that can give users mind control powers to operate apps with just their brains, without any movement. Using sensor-equipped head bands, the device could ideally interpret neurological data to have users open and use apps with thoughts instead of gestures,” it pointed out.

Stating that “accessible ICTs are very much possible, and have the potential to significantly touch many lives enhancing their productivity,” Jindal said if necessary steps are taken now, it would “enable persons with disabilities to contribute to the GDP and live a dignified and happy life.”

Source: The Wire 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Persons with Disabilities do not want special coaches

Dear Colleagues,

We all have been witness to the vulnerability of travelers with disabilities in secluded Railways Coaches for the Disabled as well as the chaos and disorderliness in these coaches. I had myself been witness to few such incidents. Thus we feel, it would not be in the fitness of things to continue pushing for special coaches for the disabled; we have heard attendants being pushed out saying that they are non-disabled and hence should travel in other compartments; we have seen highhandedness of Railway Protection Force officials, Police and paramilitary officials forcefully gaining entry in to special coaches for the disabled and even pushing non-disabled passengers in the special coaches after charging some amount!

In absence of strict monitoring mechanisms, rail coaches meant for 
disabled are often misused by non-disabled passengers. 
Copyrighted Picture @SCVashishth
We have also heard incidents of visually impaired passengers being allotted special coach, who otherwise can travel in any of the general coaches! On top of it, the coach being touted as "Coach for the Disabled" has no provision of ramp or level entry hence is literally inaccessible.

The Persons with Disabilities Act mandates making the railways barrier free and not creating secluded special coaches. The objective is to mainstream rather than excluding them.  Therefore, if persons with disabilities of this country are rejecting this announcement, it should be respected. 



The announcement by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday on provision of special coaches for the differently abled people has not found favour with a section of them.
Persons with Disabilities are opposing creation of special coaches for the disabled in the Indian Railways since they feel more vulnerable and threatened in these secluded coaches.
The special coach for disabled is a joke played on 70 millions disabled 
people of India! The coach is neither accessible nor safe for people
 and is often added either close to Engine or at the tail of train!
Copyrighted Picture @SCVashishth

“We expect the government to have a universal design for coaches, which would be accessible for all with furnished washrooms, considering the needs of the differently abled people,” said Sminu Jindal, managing director of Jindal Saw and the chairperson of Svayam, a charitable trust for differently abled people. Ms. Jindal is herself a differently abled person.

Discrimination

“We have been working hard to provide equality and dignity to all, including the elderly and the disabled, and this step goes in the opposite direction discriminating the disabled from the rest. This renders the community more vulnerable, as it does not allow [their] joining the mainstream and restricts them from travelling on general coaches,” she said.
Further, the plan to build escalators would not help the differently abled, she said and requested the Minister to provide for ramps and elevators which would help everyone.


“The announcement on introduction of special coaches for disabled friendly is not a welcome step. We expect the government to have a universal design/coaches which would be accessible for all with furnished accessible washrooms, considering the needs for differently abled people... This step goes in the opposite direction which discriminates the disabled from the rest. This is more vulnerable for the community, as it does not allow mainstreaming and restricts disabled from travelling on general coaches,” said chairperson Sminu Jindal, Svayam, an initiative of Sminu Jindal Charitable Trust.

“Announcement of building escalators, will not come in aid of differently-abled people. We would request the minister to alongside build ramps and elevators which would help all,” she said.