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Disability News and Information Service is produced and managed
by:
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People
A-77, South Extension, Part
- II,
New Delhi
110 024, India
Tel: 91-11-26265647, 26265648
Fax: 91-11-26265649
E-mail: secretariat@ncpedp.org
Website:
www.ncpedp.org
Developed by:
IndiaFin Technologies Ltd.
March 01, 2007 F
E A T U R E
Disability: from budget blues to budget boons
The Railway and Financial budgets should have been regarded by the Government as key policy tools that would set the tone for the rest of the country, says our Correspondent in a critical review, and wonders if the current budget would promise a new beginning with regard to the allocation for expenditure towards disability .
I N T E R V I E W
“Direct discrimination is forbidden in Finland, but yes, there is discrimination:” Riku Virtanen
Finnish law student and activist Riku Virtanen, who recently visited Delhi, is studying to be a human rights lawyer in a top university in Finland. What distinguishes his feat is the fact that he is deaf-blind. He is perhaps going to be the first deaf-blind lawyer in the world. The activist communicates with the help of technology and an interpreter. He shares his views on various issues and his recent Indian experience with Chitra S. Shankar in an interview for D.N.I.S.
N E W S
Budget 2007-08 has a silver lining - F.M. earmarks Rs. 1,800 crore for employment of disabled people
D.N.I.S. News Network – In a major breakthrough in the area of employment for disabled people, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced that he has earmarked Rs. 1,800 crore for the employment of disabled people. He also announced incentives and proposed a scheme under which the Government will reward the employer once the physically disabled employee is regularised and is enrolled under the Employees Provident Fund (E.P.F.) and the Employees State Insurance (E.S.I.).
Lalu promises more disabled-friendly coaches
D.N.I.S. News Network – Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav introduced the Railway budget 2007-2008 on 27 February 2007 and announced increase in provision of special coaches (S.L.R.D. and S.R.D.) for physically disabled passengers.
I.I.M.-B. rejects bright disabled student; Rebuffs R.T.I. plea for details of selection
D.N.I.S. News Network – This is not the first time, and sure it will not be the last. Educational institutions all over India continue to be discriminatory in their approach to disabled students, and brilliant ones at that! The sad story continues as I.I.M.-B. turns away another bright visually impaired student with a percentile score of 89.29 in Common Admission Test (C.A.T.) 2006.
Power bills in Braille to be introduced in Capital
D.N.I.S. News Network – B.S.E.S., the power distribution company in the Capital, is all set to introduce electricity bills in Braille. This initiative will enable visually impaired people to read their electricity bills, thereby making them self-reliant. All they need to do is to inform the local office.
Visually impaired people exercise their franchise independently
D.N.I.S. News Network – In a shining example for all other states to follow, the Election Commission has set up a separate polling booth for visually impaired people at National Institute for Visually Handicapped (N.I.V.H.) in the Rajpur Assembly constituency of Uttarkhand, where they can cast their vote independently. It is the first one of its kind in the country.
Cellphones to aid visually impaired people
D.N.I.S. News Network – In a pathbreaking initiative, cellphone-based technology designed to help visually impaired persons find their way in a particular location, is being developed by the International Institute of Information Technology–Bangalore (I.I.I.T.-B.), and Chennai based companies, Lattice Bridge Info and Spatial Data (Spinfo).
Artificial retina implant brings hope to blind people
D.N.I.S. News Network – U.S. Researchers recently revealed that a tiny electrical implant that attaches to the retina may some day restore partial sight to millions of people who lose sight by age-related macular degeneration.
Chennai hospital claims stem cell success on paraplegic
D.N.I.S. News Network – In the first ever instance in India, and perhaps second in the world, Lifeline Multi Specialty Hospital in Chennai in collaboration with the Niche-in Centre for Regenerative Medicine has ‘almost’ cured a paraplegic, Akbar Ali. 23-year-old Ali was wheelchair bound with no sensation below his chest after a fall from the fourth floor of a building in Abu Dhabi on 12 October 2006.
New two rupee coin creates confusion in minds of visually impaired people
D.N.I.S. News Network – The new two rupee coin recently introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (R.B.I.) is causing confusion in the minds of visually impaired people as it is difficult to distinguish it from the one rupee coin.
Provide facilities to autistic patients or face contempt charges: Delhi High Court
D.N.I.S. News Network – The Delhi High Court expressed serious concern over the non-implementation of its direction to provide proper medical treatment and facilities to autistic patients and warned the concerned Government officials of contempt proceedings.