The Hindu : Arts / Magazine : Showcase: Personal, yet impersonal

This is one noble soul that I have come across in my entire life with such a zeal to do so much for the world around us, knowing well the physical limitations yet exploring each moment the joys of reaching out to the needy. Mr. Rajinder Johar, I truly salute your spirit and highly recommend this film by Mr. Pankaj Johar - a real tribute to the legend who continues to write history in the disability movement each day!

Please do not miss this out. It has the potential to kindle life, energy in any of us.


"A documentary film on the life of a disabled person has every chance of becoming a sob story, especially if made by a family member. “Still Standing” triumphs on this score. Pankaj Johar — who won the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Trophy for the best debut director in the international competition section of the 12th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF) — does not allow the personal to overshadow down the professional in his film based on his father Rajinder Johar’s life.
Johar senior’s story is inspiring, to say the least. Shot by a colleague soon after joining as a physiotherapist in Lucknow’s King George’s Medical College way back in 1986, a bullet injury in the spine meant he was completely bedridden for the rest of his life. After an initial phase of depression, he chose to live life. And how!

He started what is known as Family of Disabled (FoD), an NGO that has over the years provided help to thousands of disabled people in Delhi to be self-dependant. From his bed, Johar coordinates a team that provides help to disabled people from various strata of society."

.......more on The Hindu : Arts / Magazine : Showcase: Personal, yet impersonal

regards
Subhash C Vashishth

Blind can use online testing instead of scribes

Dear Friends,


As per reports, The Institute for Banking Personal Selections (IBPS) has joined hands with International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) and the National Association for the Blind Karnataka (NABK), to develop ‘Nethra Sarathy,’ the testing tool in coming 8-9 months. The tool will be deployed nationally for all visually challenged candidates taking the test by the end of 2012.


This seems a remarkable initiative to bring in an element of equality and independence to the visually impaired candidates who till now suffered many a times due to incompetent scribes and the rules related to use of scribes. Experiences are varied from a few taking undue advantage of the Scribe in most cases people suffering due to incompetent scribes forced upon the or available to them at the crucial time of examination and mostly because of the unfriendly rules relating to use of Scribes for the examination.


However, this would also mean that our visually impaired brethren should  be conversant with computers and online examination system and must be exposed to the same by mock drills by the training organisations, NGOs and the recruitment agencies. Such mock drills could be provided on their websites which can come handy for people.


Here is the coverage from our learned friend Mr. L Subramani, Deccan Herald. To read it from Source click here: Deccan Herald.

Blind can soon do away with scribes for bank exams

L Subramani,Bangalore, Feb 1,2012, DHNS:

‘Nethra Sarathy,’ an online testing tool is expected to be ready in eight months

In what could be a major boost for visually challenged persons - applying for bank jobs - the Institute for Banking Personal Selections (IBPS) will develop an online testing tool to enable them to take the test without scribes, for the first time. 

The biggest testing and skill-building organisation has joined hands with International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) and the National Association for the Blind Karnataka (NABK), to develop ‘Nethra Sarathy,’ the testing tool, in about eight months. The tool will be deployed nationally for all visually challenged candidates taking the test by the end of 2012, IBPS Director Balachandran told Deccan Herald  over the phone, from Mumbai. 

“There are nearly 1.45 million visually challenged persons aged between 20 and 29 in the country and 50 per cent of them apply for bank jobs,” Balachandran said. 

“Finding the right kind of scribes who would adequately reflect their ability to answer questions in a banking test remained the biggest impediment for them to crack the test and find gainful employment in the banking sector. We hope the new tool would obviate the need for scribes and allow them to take advantage of the technology available,” he said.

Training

IIITB Director and President of NABK Prof S Sadagopan said nearly 100 visually challenged candidates who had applied for bank exams last year from Karnataka would be trained in the newly-designed tool to check whether absence of scribe obstructs their speed or efficiency in answering questions. 

“The testing software has to be compatible with the screen reading software the visuall challenged use to read and write on a PC. But we need to ensure that the system in place is stable enough for them to take the exam without trouble,” he added. 

While IIITB would work on the patches which can be downloaded and fixed to ensure stability of performance and connectivity throughout the test period, NABK would put the tool to test and check whether the candidates feel comfortable using the online tool than a scribe. 

“The 100 students would be trained under the computer training programme we have at NABK and, at the end of the pilot project to test the tool, they would either be allowed to take the real test for bank jobs or offered more training and placement through our computer course,” said NABK Secretary V Mohan Kumar. 

Last year, more than 8,000 visually challenged candidates appeared for the recruitment test conducted by IBPS for the banking sector, one of the largest recruiters of visually challenged persons. Due to non-availability of well groomed and qualified scribes, many of them find it hard to clear the test. 

“We would like to conclude the testing of the tool in seven to eight months –or possibly a month more—and deploy it across the country by the end of 2012,” said IBPS Professor and Head of R&D Division Dr M L Dutt, who is in charge of ‘Nethra Sarathy’.

BERA Tests to check misuse of fake certification of hearing impairment

Dear Colleagues,

There have been incidences of misuse of Disability Certificates by persons not having required (40%) of disability to be eligible for the benefits available under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995.

It has come to our notice that many persons who use voice cellphones regularly to call and receive a voice call have been claiming to be persons with disability (hearing impairment) and possessing fake disability certificates thereby taking away the benefits meant for the persons with hearing impairment in terms of Persons with Disability Act 1995.

To prevent irregularities in availing reservations for physically challenged persons, the authorities in Andhra Pradesh (India) are planning to adopt a new technology, the Brainstem Evoked Response Audiom-etry (BERA) system to ascertain hearing deformity of persons in the district.

The new system will become significant when candidates claim reservation under the hearing-impaired quota. There are a huge number of cases to prove that ineligible people have availed certificates from doctors when traditional tests like the simplified tone decay tests are used. “We have received many complaints that people possess certificates as hearing impaired and have been misusing the quota. We have been asking professionals to adopt a stringent mechanism that prevents irregularities,” said Mr V.V.S.S.N. Murthy, the assistant director, Depart-ment of Welfare for the disabled and senior citizens.

Government had decided that hearing deformity should be certified only at the ENT hospital at Koti in Hyderabad. The local medical board recommends patients as physically challenged for final certification. Normally, persons with deformity of more than 40 per cent can only be considered valid and hearing disability normally is associated with dumbness. But in most cases, there is no speech deformity.

This feature proves fake certification, say medical professionals.

Source:  Deccan Chronical

Adjustment of employees acquiring disability against the reserved quota for PWD

Dear Colleagues,

A disturbing trend has come to our notice. Many government departments are trying to dodge the mandate of The Persons with Disabilities (Equal opportunity, protection of rights and full participation) Act 1995 by adjusting the employees who acquire the disability while in service (and remain protected by virtue of Section 47 of the Persons with Disabilities Act) against the minimum 3% reserved quota of persons with disabilities.

This has been practiced silently in the Indian Railways and several other departments. This nullifies the overall objective of 3% reservation as per Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995. 

Earlier, the government departments were reluctant to give the benefit of reservation in promotion or new appointment to those who became disabled while in service. However, the DOPT vide its Memo F.No.36035/3/2009-Estt.(Res.) dated 10th June, 2009 sought to curb this discrimination with the employees with disabilities. But the department has started using this memo now to silently adjust the Section 47 protected employees against the reserved vacancies sought to be filled by other candidates.

The Memo is reproduced below for your information. The same is also available at the link: http://circulars.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02adm/36035_3_2009-Estt.(Res).pdf

F.No.3603 5/3/2009-Estt.(Res.)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

North Block

New Delhi, dated loth June, 2009

Subject: Benefit of reservation to persons with disability who acquire disability after entering into Govt. service.

The undersigned is directed to say that various Ministries/Departments have been seeking clarification whether a person who acquires disability after entering into Govt. service shall get the benefit of reservation in services as provided in this Department's OM No.36035/3/2004-Estt.(Res.) dated 29.12.2005.

2. It is hereby clarified that the OM dated 29.12.2005 does not make any distinction between persons acquiring disability before or after entering into service. An employee who acquires disability after entering into service will be entitled to get the benefit of reservation as a person with disability as provided in the instructions contained in the above referred OM from the date he produces a valid certificate of disability.

3. All Ministries/Departments etc. are requested to bring it to the notice of all establishments under their control.

Sd/-

(Krishan Gopal Verma)

Director

The language is ambiguous in the Memo and doesn't clarify that the section 47 protected employees can not be adjusted against the reserved vacancies for the disabled unless such a person is also an applicant for recruitment to the reserved vacancies (higher in rank than their present rank).

The departments have been adjusting such employees against the reserved quota of persons with disabilities from the date they produce their disability certificate. The information is never leaked out. The employee being adjusted do not raise voice for it doesn't affect them. Those who get affected are outside the system in the open market hence would never come to know about it.

I have also learnt that the Railways have been adjusting "Compassionate Ground Appointees" (disabled son/daughter/dependent family member appointed in case of death of serving/retired railway employee) against the quota of reserved posts for persons with disabilities.

This practice is wrong, unethical and should be stopped. The DoPT must clarify this issue and direct the concerned ministries and departments to implement the mandate of The Persons with Disabilities Act in right earnest.

regards

Subhash Chandra Vashishth

Advocate 

Lack of Accessible Accommodation at Delhi University- a major discouragement for students with disabilities

Hi,


Barrier Free Accommodation for students with disabilities in Delhi has been an issue of concern for many years now. However, there has been no organised effort from the Government of Delhi on this front. 


In the name of accommodation, several private hostels in cramped places have come up in and around the Delhi University campus to lure disabled students too, however, the facilities are far from being satisfactory.  The incidence of rape with a blind girl living in a similar hostel by the hostel owner two years ago is an example of the pathetic and unsafe situations,  that students with disabilities have to live. 


There are more than 1600 seats reserved for students with disabilities in various courses/colleges under Delhi University, however this year not even 450 were filled up. The lack of barrier free accommodation is a major discouragement and the precious seats in the University are going vacant which is a growing concern among activists. 


Here is a recent news from Indian Express that underlines the above issue and needs to be solved on an urgent basis.

regards

SC Vashishth

Physically handicapped students worst affected (to read from source click on the weblink)

Express News Service, Delhi

Among those waiting for the new under-graduate girls’ hostel to open are hundreds of physically handicapped students.

Accommodation close to their college is an important factor for physically handicapped students, and many choose against joining DU for the lack hostels.

Incidentally, DU is trying hard to encourage physically handicapped candidates to apply for admission under its reserved category. The University reserves 1,600 under-graduate seats under this category.

According to Dr Nisha Singh of DU Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC), lack of affordable accommodation is a major hurdle that discourages disabled students, especially girls from taking up admission. “The fees in most college hostels is very high, and only a few, like Ramjas college, provide concession. We would like the new hostel to be made available soon and request the University to reserve more seats for disabled students,” she said.

During admissions this year, of the 461 students who registered for admission under the PH quota in the first list of admissions, only 135 were girls.

Officials who counsel disabled students during admissions had cited lack of safe and easily accessible accommodation for girls as a major reason for the skewed gender ratio.

Out of nearly 600 students who took admission under the PH quota when admissions closed this year, only about half managed to find accommodation in college hostels.

Others were forced to depend on hostels run by the government or agencies associated to it.