Death toll 228 at Asha Kiran since 2005, unabated

Dear Colleagues,

Those of you who work with person with multiple disabilities have seen them living ordinary life if given proper medication for epilepsy and care. However, there is utter chaos at Asha Kiran centre where no one want to take the blame for the deaths which are happening in the Govt. run institution. The centre says it is the severe mental retardation and epileptic fits that is leading to deaths while the court appointed committee and any person involved or with experience in caring for a person with multiple disabilities would say that it is unhygienic conditions, lack of medical facilities and mismanagement at the Asha Kiran which is resulting in avoidable deaths. Human life doesn't seem to have a value here.

I wanted to share a personal experience of one and half year back. One day on my way to work, I suddenly saw, a person with mental disability roaming on the ring road and then sitting under a flyover. I really got worried about his life and always thought some day some vehicle might strike him down and I thought of admitting him to the state run centres where he will be cared. Sooner, I realised the pathetic condition of the Centres that we are discussing here, I decided not to even think that way. I consulted several of my friends who expressed that this person may live a better, safe and longer life under a flyover than a State run Centre and that I should stop thinking of making efforts to have him shifted to a "safer" place like Asha Kiran.

Today after more than one and half year, when I continue to see him every day at the same place while on way to work, I feel how mistaken I was. He is at least happy & safe here and leading his life though with help from passer byes. I am sure if I had decided otherwise, I wouldn't see him alive!

Here is the news from Hindustan Times of 31st Aug 2012 giving you the update:

At Asha Kiran, 228 inmates have died since 2005


The Delhi government has admitted that 228 deaths have taken place at Asha Kiran, the Capital’s lone home for mentally challenged children and adults, since 2005. In an affidavit filed recently before the Delhi High Court hearing a PIL complaining of lack of medical care and shockingly  unhygienic conditions at the home in Rohini, the Delhi government said 59 inmates died in 2005-06, 28 in 2006-07, 34 in 2007-08, 37 in 2008-09, 46 in 2009-10, 11 in 2010-11 and 13 in 2011-July 2012.

During a hearing on August 8, the court had slammed the government for the inhuman manner in which the inmates were kept at the home and termed it the "worst kind of human rights violation". The court was perusing a report submitted by a court-appointed committee which inspected the premises of the welfare home.

Expressing shock at the revelation of 228 deaths, human rights activist and a member of the court-appointed committee Colin Gonsalves said: "This figure is high but the government feels it is low. They thought that by stating it on an affidavit it would save them before the court. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has repeatedly said deaths were taking place at the home due to negligence."

A bench of acting chief justice AK Sikri and justice RS Endlaw is to take a stand on the issue on Friday. The government denied the deaths were due to negligence and mismanagement. "Biological factors play a major role in high mortality rates among the mentally-challenged persons. A large number of inmates at Asha Kiran fall in the categories of severe and profound mental retardation with multiple disabilities and suffering from epileptic fits. Studies show that such types of individual keep very shortened life expectancy," the government said.

DP Bharal, deputy director with the department of social welfare, said in an affidavit: "From 59 deaths in 2005-2006, the same has come down to 13 in 2011-12. None of the deaths occurred due to negligence. The inmates who died were extreme cases of mental retardation or having chronic medical ailments."

Disability Certificates on Sale

‘Disability’ on sale

By Neetu Chandra in New Delhi

Enjoy benefits for the handicapped as touts can get you fake certificates YOU MAY be struggling to get admission into a college or fretting about how to land yourself a government job. But many others have an easier way out: They get ‘disabled’, not literally but officially, and enjoy benefits offered to the category. And touts make it happen. Touts in the city government hospitals can get an otherwise physically normal person an official certificate confirming his disability. This certificate can be of great help as disabled people are extended a host of benefits by the government, including reservation in admissions and recruitments. There are many who have got these certificates made with the help of touts and use it for various purposes. The touts also exploit people’s wariness of the convoluted and time- taking governmental process and do the job in almost no time for a price. The government has divided the hospitals area- wise and district-wise for issuing disability certificates. For touts issuing a disability certificate is child’s play, irrespective of the area one stays in. The touts charge anywhere between ` 3,000 and ` 5,000 and get anyone a disability certificate as required in two- three days. This reporter approached city’s Bara Hindu Rao Hospital running under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD) for getting a disability certificate. The hospital issues disability certificates to those who stay in the area near central Delhi. This reporter was approached by a tout outside the orthopaedic department asking if she required a disability certificate. “ Are you looking for a disability certificate? It’s a lengthy process in this hospital. I will get it issued for you but you will have to pay ` 5,000,” the tout, who was not an employee of the hospital, claimed. After negotiations when the reporter agreed to pay ` 3,000, the tout asked her for two photographs. “ You will get it in three to four days, the certificate will look genuine and will have all the relevant entries,” he said. Under the law, the disability certificate is issued by a medical authority notified by the state government. Each such medical authority is constituted at the district level and is supposed to receive applications from the disabled, assess their disability and issue them the certificate within a week from the receipt of application, if the disability is assessed at 40 per cent. Only a government doctor is authorised to issue a disability certificate for which an applicant is required to come to the district government hospital and present his case before the medical authority constituted for the purpose. When the reporter asked for meeting the doctor to issue the certificate, the tout said, “ There is no need to meet the doctor. You don’t need to appear before any medical board too. There should be three stamps. I will give you a stamped certificate; your work will be done. You don’t worry. I have made a dozen certificates that students are using.” The next day, the tout called the reporter and told her that the work would be done in two days. The Bara Hindu Rao Hospital issues certificates for Locomotor disability by way only of amputation complete permanent paralysis of limbs, or blindness. The procedure for issuing disability certificates to the physically and mentally challenged people by all the notified hospitals under the Delhi government is lawful and reasonably time- taking for credibility of the certificate for genuine handicapped people. “ One should always get a disability certificate through the government hospitals only. There are strict norms to obtain these certificates. The touts often print the fake registration numbers on the certificates. We are trying our best to stop this practice. We are bringing strict measures to nab these touts,” Delhi health minister Dr A. K. Walia said. RIGHT WAY TO GET IT A handicapped person needs to submit documents to the medical superintendent’s office of the concerned hospital The applicant is given a date for appearing before the medical board within 21 days of furnishing the documents An OPD card is prepared and issued to the applicant. Using this card, the applicant is required to attend the OPD of the medical officer for examination Necessary investigations are carried out by the medical officer and entries made in the medical card, after a week Applicants need to present themselves before the board on the date fixed for such appointment The handicapped person will be examined by the designated board of doctors, along with report received On the board’s recommendations, a physically handicapped certificate is issued to the applicant. Source: Disability on Sale

IIT insists on re-evaluating the disability by its medical board despite a valid certificate

IIT has refused to accept the disability certificate issued by Medical College of Darbhanga - an authorized board under the law and contrary its own medical board to declare the person only 23% disabled! Such cases are on rise and the persons with disabilities are always exposed to situations like this where their disability is questioned when it comes to availing benefits.

Here are the details from Indian Express.

IIT says no to rank 113 for disabled

Pritha Chatterjee : New Delhi, Sun Jun 17 2012, 

Seventeen-year-old Amit Kumar was thrilled to have secured the 113th rank in the IIT-JEE this year under the general physically disabled category.

He had a disability certificate from Darbhanga Medical College and a letter from the civil surgeon of his hometown Sitamarhi in Bihar. The certificate stated that Kumar has 40 per cent disability.

The IIT-Delhi, however, refused him admission after he cleared the entrance test as its 13-member medical board from AIIMS, headed by Dr R C Deka, examined Kumar and noted that he had only 23 per cent locomotive problems.

Under the Indian Disability Act of 1995, 23 per cent disability does not qualify for the handicapped quota.

Kumar has now decided to move court.

IIT-Delhi officials claim this is the first such case in the physically handicapped category of the JEE.

Speaking to Newsline, Kumar called the IIT decision unfair. “I was allowed to sit for the entrance exam under the physically handicapped category on the basis of my disability certificates. How can they declare the certification baseless, when they allowed me to apply under that category,” he asked.

Kumar’s lawyer Ashok Aggarwal said, “His certificate is given by an authorised government hospital. He also has a supplementary letter from the district surgeon who is a gazetted officer. Under the Disability Act, a certified government medical college can give disability certificates which should be considered valid for all government educational institutions.”

IIT-JEE chairperson Dr G B Reddy said the IIT policy had been advertised and if the candidate had a problem, he should have protested earlier.

“Our policy is very clear and has been the same since the institution of the IITs. In all our advertisements, we have maintained that our own medical board, comprising AIIMS doctors, will have the final word in certifying disability. The candidate participated, and even appeared for the counselling, without protesting against this. Why is he reacting only because he was not selected?” said Dr Reddy.

A 2003 judgment by the Delhi High Court, under the bench of Justice Vikramjit Sen, had given the upper hand to medical boards of government medical colleges vis-a-vis those constituted by institutions — on authorisation of disability — in the case of Dr Raman Khanna Vs University of Delhi.

Until 2005, 10 years after the institution of the Disability Act, the Delhi High Court had ordered the government to issue proper guidelines to identify disabilities and authorise government institutions to provide disability certificates.

Kumar’s disability certificate from Darbhanga Medical College, issued on August 6, 2005, states his diagnosis to be “orthopedically handicapped due to stiffness of knee and hip. He is suffering from multiple exostoses”.

Exostoses is a condition when there are unnatural lumps in the bones of the child, which cause immense pain while walking.

A doctor who was part of the AIIMS medical board for IIT said: “The problem in our country is the absence of proper guidelines to define the extent of disability, as per the patient’s disorder. What may be seen as 50 per cent disability by one board, another can be only 20 per cent. In Amit’s case, his condition may even improve after surgery, but that has not been considered by the previous board.”

Inclusive play- Sensory Garden in Pune, India

Dear Colleagues,

With the efforts of Rotary Club of Pune East and Barclays Technology Centre & Bal Kalyan Sanstha, an inclusive sensory garden has been developed.

In western world there have been several attempts similar to these to give an inclusive play experience to children with all abilities.  India should consider at least one each such park in most districts to begin with and then percolate it down to children play areas in residential areas. Such a park is not just for disabled children. This enriches experiences of all children irrespective of disabilities.

Here is the news item from Times of India

Sensory garden to help kids with disabilities learn while playing

TNN | Jun 21, 2012, 04.20AM IST

PUNE: The city now has its own sensory garden specifically created to be accessible and enjoyable to children with disabilities.

The 600-sq-ft garden, called the Rotary Sensory Garden, housed in Bal Kalyan Sanstha, has 10 elaborately-created spaces providing sensory opportunities which people with disabilities normally do not experience.

The garden, developed by Rotary Club of Pune East and Barclays Technology Centre in Pune, boasts of tactile flooring, a sand pit, mini pond, sound instruments, including drums and bells, a tactile panel wall, 66 varieties of plants, etc.

Minita Patil, manager, Bal Kalyan Sanstha, said, "Many European countries have sensory gardens to suit all kinds of disabilities. There are sensory gardens in India too, but they are primarily restricted to specific disabilities only. At this garden special children with various disabilities can learn and enjoy themselves."

A portion of the garden has a pond in which children can play. "One side of the pond has a stationary structure resembling a boat, and has been designed according to the special needs of children with various disabilities, including cerebral palsy," said Patil, adding that the garden was built at a cost of Rs 25 lakh.

A tactile panel wall at the entrance has different materials embedded in it. Children can touch and experience the different textures, describe the various sensations, and also investigate which material is hot, cold, soft or hard and can identify the materials by their names later.

The garden has a game of snakes and ladders and a periscope (an instrument for observing from a concealed position). "A 'magic sound instrument' is another interesting component of the garden. The user's voice travels from one end of a steel pipe and can be heard at the other end in the form of sound waves. In addition, there are 66 varieties of plants with different smells, taste and textures here. Many of these plants are scented, while some are also edible," said Patil, adding that the garden is frequented by an average of 150-200 people daily.

"Sensory gardens improve fine and gross motor skills of the user, encourage communication, stimulate sensory awareness and promote hands-on and multi-sensory learning. They also reduce aggressive behavior," she added.

Suvarna Kadam, parent of a four-year-old with mild autism, said, "My daughter loved the tactile flooring and spent considerable amount of time just exploring the different textures. The drums and bells create resonance which attracts children. Children are free to play as they like and can be themselves here, which is not possible in other gardens."

Madhavi Shahane, special educator for hard of hearing, at the C R Ranganathan School for the Deaf, brought about 60 students to the garden on Wednesday. "The garden not only helps in educating the students, but is also be a great recreation for them. Though these students suffer from partial or total inability to hear, they can feel the vibration caused by the musical instruments such as the drums and the musical tree. This brings them immense joy. It is their first visit to the garden so they are trying to understand all the features here. The next visit will be even more enjoyable," said Shahane.

Sharda Devi, mother of a 12-year-old with autism, said features such as the stationary bicycles will help children learn balancing. "The play ladder will help autistic children overcome the fear of downward motion," she observed.

More than 50% PwD have no Disability Certificates

Three of 5 disabled have no proof of their condition
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, June 17
Three in every five differently-abled persons in India have no proof of their disability. Seventeen years after the government enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act in 1995 to make life easier for such persons, evidence from across the country shows that only 39.13 pc of them have been issued disability certificates.

Only 12 states, led by Andhra Pradesh, have reported more than 50 per cent coverage of their differently-abled population. Union Territory of Daman and Diu has issued disability certificates to just 1.13 pc of the total differently-abled persons living there, as per 2001 census.

New Delhi is among the poorest performers and has so far given certificates to only 10.19 pc of its physically challenged population. The 2001 Census puts the count of differently-abled persons living in Delhi at 2.36 lakh. Out of them, only about 2,400 persons have got disability certificates until March 31, 2012.

Coverage reported by Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand is also lower than the national average. These states have issued disability certificates to 38.88 pc and 22.23 pc of their respective differently-abled populations.

Overall, out of 216.3 lakh differently-abled persons in India (2001 Census), the government has managed to give official proof of disability only to 84.62 lakh persons till March this year. Around 131.67 lakh differently-abled persons are still awaiting their certificates, reveals the latest data collated by the Office of Chief Commissioner of Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

These are shockingly low numbers. Simply put, 60.87 per cent of the differently-abled persons in India can't access the rights guaranteed to them under the law — be it transport concessions, job reservations or quotas in educational institutions. This also explains why year after year, the posts reserved for the differently-abled persons in government offices and seats set aside for them in educational institutes go vacant.

"A disability certificate is the very foundation of the life of a differently-abled person. It is to me what a UID is to you. It is my virtual gateway to the world, to life itself. But the procedure to get this document is so complex in India that most differently-abled persons, mainly the poor, never manage to get it," says Javed Abidi, President, Disability Rights Group, (DRG) an umbrella organisation of NGOs working for in the disability sector.

Under the law, the disability certificate is issued by a medical authority notified by the state government. Each such medical authority is constituted at the district level and is supposed to receive applications from the disabled, assess their disability and issue them a certificate within a week from the receipt of application, if the disability is assessed at 40 per cent. Only a government doctor is authorised to issue a disability certificate for which an applicant is required to come to the district government hospital and represent his case before the medical authority constituted for the purpose.

But the problem is this: Government documents reveal that so far only 16 states in India have notified these medical authorities. These are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and UP.

The DRG had petitioned the Health Ministry and the PMO earlier saying the delivery of disability certificate should be decentralised down to primary health centre-level so that a poor villager can get his disability assessed without having to take the trouble of coming all the way to the district.

"We ask a simple question. If a passport can be delivered to an applicant at home, what is the problem in delivering a disability certificate at home? A disabled has a greater right over the document because his movement is impaired. We have asked for a simple online application to be designed to allow the disabled to declare their disability. Let the government verify the authenticity of the claim and home deliver the certificates," Abidi says.

11th Meeting of Disability Commissioners: 2012

11th National Meeting of the State Commissioners, Disabilities to Review Implementation of the Persons with Disablities Act, 1995 held

Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Shri.Mukul Wasnik has urged States to appoint fulltime Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities and provide adequate staff and create necessary infrastructure for welfare and development of the disabled persons.

Addressing the 11th National Meeting of State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities here today, Shri Wasnik said that the status of implementation of the existing Persons with Disabilities Act across the country is skewed and uneven. This is attributable to a variety of reasons including absence of full time Commissioners disabilities with independent charge at a state level. He said that his Ministry would extend all possible support in creating barrier free environment in States and UTs.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Ministry is working on a new legislation for the empowerment of persons with disabilities in line with the UN Convention. He said that a Committee has been already constituted comprising of stakeholders, experts, some State Governments and Union Ministries, etc. to draft a new legislation to replace the present Act. The Committee submitted its Report; including a draft Bill called The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill. We are examining the Bill in consultation with 17 concerned Central Ministries and Departments. The Bill has also been discussed in a meeting of the Central Coordination Committee, a statutory forum set up under the existing Persons with Disabilities Act, on 12th November last.

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri D. Napolean said that State Commissioners for Disabilities should play proactive role in ensuring that all children with disabilities are covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. During the meeting he suggested to establish Disability University, special recruitment wing for differently abled persons, disability rehabilitation department, fully equipped early intervention center in every district and time slot on all national media for broadcasting programmes related to disability.

Earlier making a presentation Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Shri P.K Pincha said that all States have constituted the State Coordination Committees and State Executive Committees under the Persons with Disability Act, 1995 which provides for education, employment, creation of barrier-free environment, social security etc. However, regular meetings of these committees are not held. 14 States such as Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have appointed full time Commissioners. A total 35 States have constituted Medical Boards in each district to facilitate issue of disability certificates. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has identified more than 2366 jobs(Group A-785,Group B-254,Group C-1112 and Group D-251) including IAS and other Central Services for the disabled. 24 States /UTs have amended building by laws or issued instruction for creating a barrier free environment.

Secretary to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Shri K.M Acharya was also present during the meeting. State Commissioners for Disabilities from 26 States and UTs are participating in the 2-day meeting to review the implementation of PWD Act. Representatives from Central apex organisations including Rehabilitation Council of India, National Trust, National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation and National Institutes for different disabilities are participating in the meeting organised by the Chief Commissioners of Disabilities.

Chennai District Collector inaugurates free transport from bus stop to collectorate

Battery-operated car for differently abled, elderly

M.K. ANANTH

  

The car was a long-pending demand.–Photo: M.K. Ananth

A battery car to transport free of cost differently abled and elderly petitioners from the bus stop to the district collectorate was inaugurated by District Collector J. Kumaragurubaran on Monday. Mr. Kumaragurubaran told The Hindu  that it was bought under the District Innovation Fund (DIF) under the 13th Finance Commission.

The Collector said on an average close to 500 petitions were submitted at the collectorate during the weekly grievances meet on Monday. Of these, about 200 to 250 of them (40 per cent to 50 per cent) were submitted by differently abled and very old persons. “A car for the petitioners was a long pending demand of various associations for the differently abled,” he said.

Mr. Kumaragurubaran said a proposal to buy the car, worth Rs. 4 lakh, was sent to the State Government about three months ago. According to him the DIF gets 90 per cent (Rs. 3.6 lakh) of the cost from the State Government while 10 per cent (Rs. 40,000) is contributed by the public.

“The car is the first project sanctioned for Namakkal under DIF – of the total Rs.1 crore earmarked for this district,” the Collector said. The decision to buy a battery car was taken as it has lesser ground clearance – less than half a foot – that is much less than the clearance of many petrol and diesel vehicles in this price range.

“Initially, the vehicle will function from 9 a.m. till the end of the meeting on all Mondays,” he said and added that the free service would also be made available on other days based on demand. Differently abled persons said the vehicle had brought down the time taken for them to reach the petition counter by 10 minutes.

“The weekly grievance meeting is now conducted in the conference hall on the first floor of the collectorate. A meeting hall will soon be constructed at Rs. 17 lakh on the ground floor.

First Blind Judge in Korea shows how blind persons can function as Judge successfully

Dear Colleagues,

A very good news coming in from Korea. We have a Blind Judge Mr. Choi Young, who held the court first time with his screen reading software on the lap top. And the attendees in the court were spell bound! 

I have been working hard to see our blind brethren in the judiciary in Delhi. However, despite five posts specially reserved for the Blind in the judicial examinations held in past few years, we have seen no success.  I am requesting the Delhi High Court to organize special coaching to blind law graduates and practicing blind lawyers this year so that we can put up an example to the country. Its not that we have no blind judges in the country, but we have none in Delhi so far.

Please refer to my earlier posts "Can a blind person work as a judge?" and subsequently  "Want to become a judge?" and "A step further to ensure that Blind can function effectively in Courts" on this subject. 

Here is the wonderful news from Korea. 

SEOUL: Judge Choi Young focused on the sounds from his laptop computer at the court as he strives to grasp the case he undertook.

A text-to-speech software in the computer helped blind judge with the trial. While attendees were nervous and astonished to see how dexterously he dealt with the case, he remained calm and confident.

Korean blind judge, Choi Young, adjusts an earpiece 

as he presides over his first public ruling for a civil 

case at the Seoul Northern District Court 

in Dobong District 

(Photo credit: Korea Joongang Daily)

Choi, the Korea’s first blind judge, had his first open trial on Friday. 

Choi is one of the 86 new judges appointed in February and works as an associate judge at the Seoul Northern District Court.

The 32-year-old judge had five trials on Friday. He entered the court room at 10:00 a.m., supported by his fellow judge. He found his seat with the help of other staff. Unlike other judges, there was a laptop computer at his seat.

The court said it had installed a text-to-speech software and provided the necessary equipment, including the laptop, to assist  judge.   “He translates all the documents into audio files and put it in a USB flash drive before trials,” an official from the court said.

During the open trial on Friday, Choi seemed calm and looked no different from other judges besides he had an in-ear earphone. He also typed something on his laptop from time to time.

Observers were impressed how he could look for all the necessary files and document during the trial.

“Choi can memorize all the documents by listening to the audio files just one or two times,” a spokesman of the Seoul Northern District Court said.

Choi noted Friday that he hopes he can bring a new change in Korean society. “There was a big change after the country appointed its first woman judge. I hope I can make the same effect as the country’s first blind judge,” he said.

The 32-year-old was not born vision disability, but started to lose his vision from 1998 due to illness. He lost his vision completely in 2005 while at Seoul National University. He needed extra effort to prepare for the judicial examination due to his disability.

Despite his five consecutive failures, Choi did not give up and passed the judicial examination in 2008.

He completed a two-year program at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in earlier this year to become the country’s first ever blind judge.

Source: Asia online 

Boy with epilepsy shuttled between two welfare homes in four months

Dear Colleagues,

All of 12 years, and found abandoned at New Delhi railway station, his medical report shows he was diagnosed with epilepsy. In four months, he has been made to scuttle between two childrens’ homes, spanning the jurisdiction areas of three Child Welfare Committees (CWC), only to be returned to the first — as authorities at the two other institutions called him a “disturbance” to other inmates.

The CWC (Mayur Vihar), on December 29, 2012, had sent him to Don Bosco home in Okhla as authorities found the children’s home in their area “not equipped to handle his medical needs”.

In March, authorities at Don Bosco home, under CWC (Lajpat Nagar), said that “being a short-stay institution housing 20 children, we are not able to adequately manage the child and it becomes a disturbance for the other children.”

The boy also sustained a head injury after he accidentally fell down during an episode of fits while he was there. The authorities of the home suggested that the child be sent to another one — Antodaya Niketan in Kashmere Gate, “for its proximity to St Stephen’s Hospital and their better resources, which will help them manage the child properly.”

So, on March 25, CWC (Lajpat Nagar), ordered he be moved to Antodaya Niketan.

But within three days of being transferred here, in an official letter dated March 28, Antodaya Niketan authorities said, “The child is continuously afflicted with epilepsy and needs special attention. Moreover, it is a disturbance to other children at our home.”

They requested CWC to “transfer the child to other homes specialised in handling such cases.”

CWC (Kingsway Camp) directed the child be transferred back to Don Bosco last week.

According to Father George Nadackal, director of the Don Bosco Home, “This child needs a lot of special attention. We have to devote an attendant permanently for him. Also, his medical expenses amount to a lot — MRIs, CT scans, etc. We do not have the resources to take care of his needs. Now that he is back with us, we will try to find a solution.”

Tej Wilson, social worker at Antodaya Niketan, said, “We could only keep this child for a few days, because he had a lot of special needs and other children were getting disturbed. Since he was being well taken care of in Don Bosco, we requested our CWC to transfer him.”

With no designated home for long-term care of children diagnosed with neurological disorders, CWCs say they are in a constant dilemma over finding a place of care for such children. “Authorities at most homes say they do not have the facilities to take care of these children,” Raaj Mangal Prasad, chairperson, CWC (Lajpat Nagar) told Newsline.

However, department of Women and Child Development (WCD) officials dismissed these arguments as “excuses to turn away children”. “All normal homes are supposed to take care of the special needs of children. Isolating those with neurological disorders is not correct,” WCD Director, Rajiv Kale said.

The unwritten rule in Delhi institutions, is to direct children to Nirmal Chhaya home where an NGO, Manas Foundation, provides mental health counselling service. “We have over 120 psychiatry patients — 10 of them diagnosed with epilepsy. Since we provide a facility, all CWCs have started referring such children to us,” said Monika Kumar, Managing Trustee of Manas Foundation.

Nirmal Chaya chairperson Neera Mullick said, “We take care of all children diagnosed with epilepsy. It may be traumatic for other children to see them in a state of fits, but isolation is not the solution.”

The boy will be produced before the CWC ( Lajpat Nagar) on Monday where a final decision on his stay will be taken.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/boy-with-epilepsy-shuttled-between-two-welfare-homes-in-four-months/943272/0

MCD will create 1790 posts of Special Educator under Right to Education Act

PTI, Mar 19, 2011, 

NEW DELHI: In keeping with the provisions of the Right to Education Act, the MCD has decided to create 1,790 posts of special teachers for children with disabilities in schools run and aided by the civic agency.

A meeting of the MCD Standing Committee approved a proposal in this regard this week.

The creation of the posts is also in consonance with a Delhi high court order of 2008 that said at least two such teachers should be provided in each school along with necessary teaching aids and reading material.

Officials said the Education Department has, however, proposed to create one post of "special educator" in each primary school. It is in process to place a request to the High Court for consideration, they said.

"The proposal for creation of 1,790 posts of special educators -- one each for schools run and aided by the MCD -- was prepared in compliance with the direction of the court and the provisions of RTE," an official said.

The total financial implication of the project will be Rs 53.70 crore per annum and it is expected to be met put of Plan funds to be provided by Delhi government. "There is a provision of financing such expenditure under RTE. According to it, 65 per cent of the expenditure will be borne by the Union government and the remaining by the state," he said.

The Right to Education Act provides that a child suffering from disability shall have the right to pursue free and compulsory elementary education.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-19/delhi/29145895_1_posts-mcd-civic-agency