Disability News India (DNI)
Disability News India (DNI), is a disability News service dedicated to providing a quality up-to-date information to the Indian Disability. DNI's news section is updated two times a week, though we also add breaking stories as and when they occur.
Disability News India – February 2010 Issue
- A special park for visually impaired in Chandigarh
- Disabled people unhappy with Kolkata Book Fair
- 3% jobs to be reserved for disabled people: Kerala CM
A special park for visually impaired in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Jan.31: An institute for Blind people in Chandigarh city
has set up a sensory park to offer a safe environment for the use of
visually–impaired people, which also helps them by augmenting their
other senses.
With the help of the Chandigarh administration and Municipal Corporation,
the park has been established to provide a safe place for visually–
impaired to walk around in a better and fresh environment, away from the
accidental traffic threats and pollution.
"Our specially trained teachers help in imparting mobility to visually–impaired. They are taught to walk with the help of walking
stick in order to make them independent, so that they can walk freely
without being dependent on anyone. As we see, the traffic has become one
of the major problems for such people to walk on the road. Even we do
not feel safe to send them out on roads. That is why this park has
proved very beneficial for these visually–impaired students and I am
sure they will make the best of it," said Kuldeep Sodh, the institute's
vice–principal.
Apart from this initiative, the institute has already incorporated an
infrastructure which comprises other learning skills, such as reading
Braille, learning to use computers, playing musical instruments, and
engaging students in creative activities such as singing and dancing.
This sensory park not only provides a breath of fresh air and mobility
to these students, but also attempts to enhance their sense of smell.
The students are taught to differentiate between plants and flowers by
their aromatic fragrances.
"All our senses, which are intact, get better as we smell and feel the
things, here in this park. We can distinguish between various plants
whether big or small, and our senses to touch and feel enhance," said
Labh, a visually impaired student.
Employment generating activities like caning chairs, handloom weaving
and candle–making are a part of the course curriculum, which not only
engages the students in constructive work but also helps them in good
monetary remuneration.
These activities also help enhance the courage and self–confidence of
these visually impaired students.
Source: http://news.oneindia.in
Back to TopDisabled people unhappy with Kolkata Book Fair
Kolkata, Jan 30: The 34th Kolkata Book Fair completely ignores
the needs of persons with disabilities, said the Disability Activists
Forum (DAF), a body comprising individuals and NGOs fighting for equal
rights of disabled people.
The Forum said the book fair, Asia's biggest, is "insensitive to the
needs of persons with disabilities who are an integral part of our
society".
About 2.5 million visited the fair last year.
Despite 10 per cent of the global population living with some form of
disability or the other, the book fair completely ignores the existence
of these people using wheel chairs, crutches, artificial limbs as well
as those with other forms of disability including visually impaired,
people with hearing and speech impairment, the forum alleged.
"We visited 40 stalls. Only six foreign country stalls conform to the
standards for movement of the disabled with wheel chairs," said Snigdha
Sarkar, DAF secretary.
Over the last few years DAF has reportedly made repeated efforts and
appeals to the book fair authorities for ensuring an inclusive
environment but to no avail, she said.
"This despite the Publishers and Book Sellers Guild general secretary
assuring DAF that he would request all the participant publishers to
make their stalls accessible."
A book fair visit on January 27 by DAF members including persons using
wheel chairs, mobility aids and artificial limbs revealed that the fair
was completely inaccessible to them as before.
Very uneven fair ground, inaccessible stalls and toilets made the visit
for the DAF members a very forgettable one, the forum said.
Source: http://www.indiablooms.com
Back to Top3% jobs to be reserved for disabled people: Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapruam: The Kerala cabinet today decided to reserve 3% jobs for the disabled people in public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, universities and co–operative institutions.
To help disabled people, the jobs would be reserved in posts suitable for them, chief minister VS Achuthanandan told reporters here after a cabinet meeting.
The government also decided to bring in a comprehensive prison law focussing on, among other things, prisoners' security and education.
The cabinet has given approval to the Bill in this regard, he said. The legislation would also have provisions for rehabilitation of prisoners and welfare measures.
The cabinet decided to set up two separate courts to deal with cases of atrocities against scheduled caste and scheduled tribes in the state. The courts would be established at Manjeri and Kalpetta, he added.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com
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