Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Inclusive parks/playgrounds of Kilikili get UNESCO pat

Dear colleagues, 

The efforts of Bangalore based Kilikili - an organisation initiated by Ms. Kavita Krishnamoorthy, a special educator and architect, have found pat from none other than UNESCO. Here is the news report from DNA.


Published: Friday, Mar 2, 2012, 11:54 IST 
By Subir Ghosh | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA

When a group of parents with differently abled children came together in 2005 to lobby for parks and playgrounds in the city be made accessible to such children, they faced an uphill task.

They were not sure if the move would work. But some six years later, the initiative is being lauded by UNESCO as a success story, that can be emulated the world over.

The initiative in question is Kilikili, a Bangalore-based trust that was set up to create inclusive neighbourhood play spaces for all children, regardless of their abilities, and to involve children in the design process. The Kilikili case study finds place in UNESCO’s ‘The State of the World’s Children 2012’ report that was published on Wednesday. This year’s annual report focuses on making cities fit for children.

Former Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner K Jairaj bought the idea that came in the form of a visually attractive proposal from Kavita Krishnamoorthy, the managing trustee of Kilikili. The pitch was drafted by a core group comprising Krishnamoorthy, an architect and a special educator, that was formed after an initial round of consultations with parents, schools, and of course the children.

The first project, that sought to make parks and playgrounds disabled-friendly, was set up in Coles Park. The success of the project prompted the BMPP and Kilikili to replicate the idea at 
MN Krishna Rao Park in Basavangudi and Gayatri Devi Park in Rajajinagar.

Krishamoorthy remains unassuming about the Unesco mention, and talks of the tasks ahead. Her organisation, which runs with only two part-time employees, has pitched ideas for similar projects in Jayanagar, Jeevan Bima Nagar and Whitefield. “We are pursuing the BBMP to implement the projects, but these things eventually take up a lot of time to bear fruit.”

The BBMP bears all the costs to make the parks friendly for children with special needs. Kilikili, for its part, networks with parents, schools and volunteers, and works towards developing a community around a project area.

Once the BBMP’s part is done, it is this community that takes over. “Parents of children with special needs usually don’t want to come alone,” says Krishnamoorthy. But the support that the Kilikili initiative elicited, particularly from the residents of these areas, has possibly kept her going. Kilikili is hardly an organisation — it is a network.

What bothered Krishnamoorthy initially was about the invisibility of children with disabilities from the mainstream. Her project, therefore, works on inclusion. Besides the weekly trips to parks that are organised by the schools, Kilikili holds events in these parks every three months, where all children participate. ‘Normal’ children get the chance to interact and play with those with special needs.

During initial consultations that the core group held in 2005, one of the refrains that had cropped up frequently was “other children don’t talk to us since they don’t understand us.” These events seek to sink the differences.

All, however, is not hunky dory. Lack of maintenance work by the BBMP at Coles Park has forced parents and schools to stop bringing the children here. It has been almost a year now, and Krishnamoorthy rues that the “work indeed progresses very slowly.” For instance, the ramp at one of the gates still exists, but the railing has fallen off.Repeated complaints have fallen on deaf ears. The ball is definitely in the court of BBMP. Its role in the project too has been lauded in the Unesco report.

The two other projects, however, have been very successful. Last year, close to 2,000 children had visited the two parks.

Krishnamoorthy understands the need of children. She was herself the mother of athree-year-old boy with special needs when a casual remark by her husband about lack of adequate facilities at a park had set her thinking.

Six years later, she and her colleagues are working on a technical manual that would help the BBMP design parks and playgrounds that address crucial needs of children with special needs.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Travel Another India: Indian Railways for people with disabilities

Dear Colleagues,

Its very scary for a wheelchair users to travel in Indian Railways despite their tall claims of providing facilities for disabled passengers. The railways is not run professionally, its like a cake / prize which is shared by the political party supporting the Government- thanks to coalition politics.

Railways is too slow in taking any steps and reason given is that it is too huge an organisation. Their conduct shows that they have been least interested in filling up the employment seats reserved for the disabled under the garb that disabled are a threat to security and safety if employed on several posts (which they term as technical or safety posts though there is nothing technical about many of them) until the high court of Delhi ordered them to do so on a petition by AICB.

Currently there is only lip service. There are few officers who are sincere and serious but the overall attitude and systems do not look geared up to think about accessibility as a priority issue! They do things because courts are directing them to do and there is no pro activeness on the part of Railways which is a sad thing.
That they take this issue up on priority, they need to be pushed hard through all means.

Here are some experiences from our dear friend Ms. Shivani Gupta on her travel in Indian Railways. Its scary and indicates all is not well there for disabled people. The answer as the sector feels is not special coaches for disabled but mainstreaming of disability concerns in the mainstream coaches on the basis of universal design so that persons with disabilities could travel with families and not in to secluded "so called coaches for disabled".


It was going to be a train trip for me soon after a long time. I was traveling to Puttaparthi by Karnataka Express for darshan of Sri Satya Sai Baba along with my father who is a staunch devotee.  For a number of people train travels were something to look forward to and enjoyable. In fact they were enjoyable for me to till I became severely disabled having to use a wheelchair. Since I became disabled I tried to avoid train travels as much as possible but considering that it was the most affordable means of travel I was forced to use it on occasions.


My father made the bookings well in advance. The railways gave a considerably large concession on the ticket for the disabled traveler and one escort traveling with them making the travel very cheap. We had heard about a ‘Handicapped Coach’ that the railways had introduced in every train. But it was an unreserved coach so a disabled passenger could not reserve it and as a matter of safety and convenience a disabled person would rarely travels unreserved, therefore this coach was useless for us as it still remains to be for most disabled travelers  .........read more at.. Travel Another India: Indian Railways for people with disabilities


Monday, March 19, 2012

Media has a larger role in breaking disability stereotypes

Dear Colleagues,

Here is an article on a workshop conducted by DLU (North East), Shishu Saroti, Guwahati
 on the role of Media vis-a-vis the Disability Sector"  published in The Sentinel. Several such initiatives are needed for most sectors since it is the wrong portrayal of persons with disabilities that reinforces the  age old prejudices and biases. 

Not because it is done intentionally but there is lack of awareness among the masses, the society, the media, the judiciary, the government babus, the medical and para-medical fraternity and above all the  family members of persons with disabilities and worst - persons with disabilities themselves!. Such eye-opening sessions are needed for every one and should be conducted more often in schools & colleges too!  


Media should adopt a rights-based approach rather than a charity approach while reporting about persons with disabilities. — Arman Ali

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 17: “People with disabilities are often perceived as different by normal people. They are also discriminated against. This is unfortunate and should not happen. Disabled people too have hopes and aspirations like normal people. They should not be made to feel as if they are different and should be given equal opportunity to move forward in life, like the rest,” said Shishu Sarothi executive director Arman Ali while addressing an orientation programme held in Guwahati today on the topic ‘Role of Media vis-a-vis the Disability Sector’. The programme was organized for mediapersons by the Disability Law Unit- Northeast, Shishu Sarothi.

Ali further said, “The families of disabled persons should accept them with their weaknesses and strengths. A proper environment should be created at home so that they can feel encouraged to pursue their dreams.” He added, “Unfortunately, the government is also not doing enough for the disabled people. It should make provisions for such persons.”
He called upon the media to adopt a rights-based approach rather than a charity approach while reporting about persons with disabilities.

Speaking at the programme, senior journalist Prabal Das said, “In India, even though social and humanitarian issues get written about in newspapers and magazines, the disability issue has not been highlighted much. Media should portray disability in such a way so as to help increase awareness throughout society about the realities faced by disabled persons, reduce stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices. Shishu Sarothi, which is building hope among the disabled people, should guide the media on how to portray the disability issue.”
Das lamented the fact that the Indian media usually highlights the disability issue during the Para Olympics.

Disability Law Unit-Northeast assistant project coordinator Amvalika Senapati said that as per the 2001 census, there were 5,30,300 disabled persons in Assam. As per the WHO report, 2011, there are 31,16,927 persons with disabilities in Assam.

She said, “Disability, whether mental or physical, does not disable a person. Discrimination, social stigma and poverty does. The media exerts a powerful influence on the way people with disabilities are perceived. It is important that persons with disabilities that they are portray realistically and that their disabilities are explained accurately.”

Examples of denial of right to education in respect of children with disability in the various districts of Assam, inaccessible public places and empathy of various authorities in implementing the laws and schemes in respect of persons with disabilities was highlighted by her. She highlighted how there were no provisions for disabled persons in railways stations and the ISBT.

During the programme, many points were highlighted. The media, it was said, should raise awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, bring discussion of disability into the public arena to challenge the idea of it as a taboo subject, promote policies, products and services that support full participation and development of disabled persons, avoid labels like ‘disability’ or ‘mental’ which have negative stereotypes or myths associated with them, allow persons with disabilities to speak for themselves, encourage and to expose common myths about disability.

Source: The Sentinel

Friday, March 16, 2012

Delhi Government's New Admission Guidelines voilate the RTE Act 2009


Dear Colleagues,

Directorate of Education, Delhi Government has recently issued Guidelines for Admission to Pre-primary/Class I in Sarvodaya Vidyalayas  dated 27 Feb 2012 . This guideline seeks to reserve 15% seats for SC; 7.5% for ST; 3% seats for PH; 2% for wards of employee of Directorate of Education. While this allocation may look very reasonable, however, to our amazement, this is utterly against the mandate of the RTE Act 2009. 

Such a reservation can not be permitted  under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (in short RTE Act, 2009).  What will happen to the right of every child to seek admission in the neighbourhood schools? What will happen if the category for whom reservation is made doesn't live in a certain neighbourhood? Is the Government going to bring them from some other corner of the city? Will that not be against the concept of neighbourhood schools? What will happen to children from disadvantaged sections and those from weaker sections as defined in the RTE Act?

To me this amounts to introducing  a screening process of some kind which is actually against the spirit of RTE Act and is punishable under the law. This basic exercise should have been done by the Directorate officials before issuing such an illogical and contradictory provisions in the Guidelines. 

I am sure the officials are well aware about the provisions of the RTE Act which mandates in section 3 that every child from 6-14 years has a right to free and compulsory education in the neighbourhood schools till the completion of elementary education. Therefore, screening processes of this nature should not be used to deny admission to children since this would be violation of the RTE Act 2009

I strongly support our colleague Mr. Ashok Agarwal who has challenged these guidelines and this would be in fitness of things that the guidelines be suitably amended/modified.

regards

Subhash Chandra Vashishth
Advocate

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.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Barrier Free Buildings- a distant dream- State Governments show little interest in Central Assistance Scheme

Dear Colleagues,

In October 2010,  Govt. of India invited proposals from States to give central assistance to provide barrier free environment in important State Government buildings in the State Secretariat, Collectorates, Main Hospitals, Universities and other important Government offices to ensure that these are accessible to the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) under the ‘Scheme for Implementation of PwD Act, 1995 (SIPDA),’ after effecting a major increase in the annual allocation (Rs 15 crore-Rs 20 crore to Rs 100 crore) this year.

While there were apprehension put forward by the activists that how this was going to be implemented in absence of abysmal number of access auditors in the country both for infrastructural access and web-access. Even after almost one and half year, this scheme  has found very few takers. This indicates two factors – which continue this vicious circle of inaccessibility. First is the lip service by the Government – both at the centre and the states- second is the “We can not do much” attitude of Persons with Disabilities, their organisations, DPOs/ NGOs and parent’s organisation.

We have found a similar lukewarm response to an earlier scheme for promotion of employment by which the government offered to pay a certain sum for Provident Fund contribution for the employee with disabilities.

Disability is not a priority area for the government – both at centre as well as at States, since they are grappling with much more serious subjects (seriousness is judged from the perspective of how adversely the segment may affect the voting patterns in the elections!). Therefore, after the lip service in form of schemes, nothing much comes out in absence of concerted effort on the part of NGOs/ Disabled Persons Organisations and Confederations. I remember similar story appearing in the Times of India on 07 November 2010 titled Challenge for the disabled when the new Disability Commissioner took over. However, not much has happened since then.

Barrier Free environment is your fundamental right for it is essential to enjoy “Right to Life” as enshrined in the Constitution of India and eloquently spelt out by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its various path-breaking judgements.

Therefore, it is high time that Confederations, NGOs, DPOs  who claim to work with and for persons with disabilities in India and as well as disabled people in this country to raise voice through different mediums – representations, dharnas, sit-ins outside the Minister’s office/residences, petitions in the Disability Commissioner’s court, Writ petitions in the High Courts, and every possible way which is democratic and lawful. I am sorry to say, without this, we will have similar news stories every six months explaining the pathetic conditions of inaccessible pedestrian pathways and inaccessible public spaces and transportation systems.

regards
Subhash Chandra Vashishth
Advocate- D isability Rights

Here is this story from Times of India, Pune Edition dated 01st March 2012:

Barrier-free buildings a distant dream for disabled

PUNE: Makrand Vaidya, who walks with the help of crutches, feels intimidated when he has to visit government offices in the city, because of their limiting environment.

“I have visited so many government offices here and none are disabled-friendly. My wife, who is on a wheel-chair, feels the same. My condition is such that I cannot use the crutches for an extended period of time. So, when government offices do not have ramps or a lift, I have to climb up a flight of stairs by sitting on every step to rest before moving forward. Situations like that not only drain my energy, but also my confidence,” said Vaidya.

A visually-impaired student, who declined to be named, said, “There aren’t any staff to guide the people with disabilities (PwDs) who visit government offices. More often than not, staff at government offices tend to misguide you by giving you wrong directions and partial information. Inquiry booths for PwDs at all government offices are indispensible. Lack of such facilities only delay our errands further.”

The fact that the Pune Disability Commissioner’s office has not received adequate number of applications from the state government departments seeking grants to make their offices barrier-free, shows the disinterest in making public buildings disabled-friendly.
The Union government had sought proposals for Rs 12 crore from the states, to make required changes in the office premises of state departments and make them better accessible to physically-challenged people.

Though the deadline to send the applications is already over, the Disability Commissioner’s office here has received applications seeking funds to the tune of just Rs 8.5 crore so far. What’s more, the Pune divisional commissioner’s office and the Pune Zilla Parishad, which were specially asked to send their requirements for grants under the scheme, are yet to respond.

Proposals from states have been invited by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the ‘Scheme for Implementation of PwD Act, 1995 (SIPDA),’ after effecting a major increase in the annual allocation (Rs 15 crore-Rs 20 crore to Rs 100 crore) this year.
Officials from the disability commissioner’s office had made a presentation to various state government departments, including Pune Zilla Parishad and the divisional commissioner’s office, to encourage them to submit proposals for making provisions for barrier-free environment in their respective buildings.

“However, no proposal has been received from the zilla parishad and the divisional commissioner’s office, and we are still seeking to fulfill the shortfall of Rs 3.5 crore,” said an official from the Disability Commissioner’s office.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), 2008, to which India is a signatory, calls for making buildings, work places, facilities including information, communication and other services, etc, accessible to PwDs on an equal basis. In addition, section 46 of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, makes implementation of barrier-free environment for PwDs everywhere, especially government buildings.

The official said, “However, in spite of the legislation, people are unaware of what exactly is a barrier-free environment. Only a ramp and a toilet on the ground floor do not amount to the structure being barrier-free. Thus, central assistance on significant scale under the SIPDA is provided to states to encourage them to move in the direction of making their buildings totally barrier-free.”

He said the disability commissioner’s office authorities have focused on providing at least four features in the government buildings that have hitherto submitted applications. “A ramp, toilets on all the floors for the disabled, signage boards for the hearing-impaired and a lift (for buildings where ramp does not go beyond two floors) are barrier-free features which will have to be added in the buildings mandatorily,” he said.

The official said the disability commissioner’s office had asked the state health department for proposals from eight civil hospitals from eight regions of the state. “We, however, have not received any applications from the health department,” said the official.

The disability commissioners’ office had also asked the higher education department to send proposals to make their websites accessible to PwDs and institutions environment barrier-free. However, only five universities and 11 directorate offices from the state have sent proposals within the time limit.

The official further added that Amravati district collector, Mumbai university and divisional commissioner, Mumbai, have also not sent applications. “Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, has given a proposal to the tune of Rs 3 crore, Rs 76 lakh for making four of its buildings barrier-free. Others who have sent the proposals include North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, SNDT University, Mumbai, and Nagpur Veterinary College,” the official said.

Dananjay Bhole, co-ordinator, Blind Students Learning Centre, University of Pune (UoP), said, “I have been working at the UoP for the last couple of years and was also a student earlier. For me, mobility on the campus has not been a hindrance because I have been here for some time now. But, initially, I faced several problems here since there wasn't any cell to help physically challenged people. With increasing awareness UoP has taken initiatives to make its environment more disabled-friendly. The new buildings on the campus can be easily accessed by physically challenged people. Access to old buildings is difficult for wheelchair users as there are no inclined ramps installed at the entrance to the buildings.