Friday, November 16, 2012

Present education system is inaccessible to deaf

Our entire education system, even the special schools /infrastructure created for the hearing impaired (barring few exceptions) is unwelcoming and inaccessible to the deaf children. Need of interpreters at public places is one demand from the sector to make the environment accessible for the hearing and speech impaired. However, the effort of mainstreaming or of providing interpreters will not bring the desired result if the root cause is not targeted. 

The education system in the Government Schools for the Deaf is unscientific and results in only 2-3% pass percentage at matriculation level in a state like Delhi. I personally know this since I have seen several deaf young adults re-attempting the matriculation exam time and again to get those 33% but with rot learning and remembering the paragraph visually will not lead to formation of correct sentences. Majority of deaf children who have passed 10th from the Government deaf schools can not write a full paragraph of their own which is grammatically correct - in any language - be it Hindi or English. Is this what we are aspiring for?

The whole education system for the deaf needs an overhaul with sign language also getting its due place in the  overall education system. The teachers and supporting staff do not know sign language. So much so, the deaf person remain alienated in their own families since there is hardly any effort or facility to train the family members in sign language.  A deaf person always prefers to marry another deaf person indicates the level of their alienation from the mainstream society. 

Unless we did something to remove this alienation due to lack of communication with the deaf children / persons in various walks of life - be it education, employment or social inclusion, the deaf will continue to suffer and government will continue to help them become handicapped and excluded.

The report below from UP reveals the ground realities being faced by people.



TNN | Nov 14, 2012, 01.28 AM IST

LUCKNOW: As a child Vijendra, 28-year-old always wanted to be a gazetted officer. Though deaf and mute, he overcame disability with his sheer willpower and hard work, and cleared the examinations with good grades. However, the pathetic state of affairs in the two government schools meant for hearing-impaired children (in Agra and Gorakhpur till class 10thh forced Vijendra to take admission in a regular school in class ninth, which neither had trained teachers nor facilities needed to meet the special needs of the children like him. As a result, he failed twice to clear class 10th examination, lost his confidence and saw his dreams virtually crashing. Vijendra had no other option, but to leave studies and take up job for the sake of his family. Today, Vijendra works as a helper in an outlet of a retail giant. His job is to bring back the trolley left by people at parking and for this he gets Rs 3,500 per month.

"There are many like me, who want to do something big in life but cannot because there are no schools for us," said Vijendra while narrating the difficulties he underwent in a regular school. Similar is the case of Sanjay Singh, who is working at an outlet of a retail giant.

As per official estimates, there are around three million deaf children in India and around 25,000 such children take birth every year. According to disabled welfare department, the population of deaf and mute people in the state is about eight lakh including around 4,80,000 deaf children. In the absence of a special school, around 50% students with hearing impairment drop out after basic education in India every year. The situation in UP is said to be worse. According to a study conducted by Kaushalendra Kumar, a teacher at NC Chaturvedi School for Deaf, the drop out rate of deaf and mute students after class eighth in UP is 95%. "For deaf children, normal school is like a river in which they get drowned, as they do not know how to cross it," said Kumar.

Even if a deaf and mute student is able to clear the school level, there are no facilities for them in the higher education. Take the example of Faizal (22) who managed to clear class 10th and 12th from a normal school, but found that there is no college with facilities for hearing impaired in higher education. There is a university for disabled - UP Viklang Uddhar Dr Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University, but it does not have facilities for hearing impaired. Faizal took admission in BA, but found that the teachers at the university teach orally and do not use the sign language for hearing impaired or an interpreter. "As I am deaf by birth, I cannot speak and hence there is no communication between me and the teacher," said a visibly angry Faizal whose repeated request to provide an interpreter fell on the deaf ears of the university authorities.

Not only education, there are no facilities for the hearing impaired as far as sports is concerned. Raj Kumar (23) left school after class eighth. But he is a good cricket player and was selected as an all-rounder North Zone in 2010. But after that, as there was no coaching or resources available for him, he did not qualify for any other cricket match. Now he is searching for job for livelihood. Earlier, the youth and sports department of the state used to give a grant of Rs two lakh per annum for sports activities of deaf children. However, the grant was discontinued in 2004 on grounds that it has funds only to support 'normal' sportspersons. When the deaf sportsperson went to the disabled welfare department with the request, they were sent back to sports department. They are running from pillar to post since then.

Significantly, there are number of hearing impaired sportsperson in UP who have done well at the national and international level. Asif Ayubi has won several medals at the state and national levels in 10,000 metre race and stood fourth in Melbourne Deaflympics in 2005. Vikram Singh, brought laurels to the country by winning a bronze medal in the 3rd Asia Pacific International Badminton championship. However, their career in sports was cut short after the sports department stopped the grant. "Many think that the sports and extra-curricular activities for the disabled are useless, but the fact is that it helps in breaking the communication barriers and improves self-confidence. Many deaf children have excelled in life after improvement in their communication abilities," said Rajeev Kumar Sharma, general secretary, Uttar Pradesh Sports Council for Deaf.

Sharma is himself a deaf person and is an example for others to follow. Hailing from a poor family, Sharma's parents did not spend on his education. But they educated his younger brother who was not disabled. To support his studies, Sharma sold water, watches and toys at Kaiserbagh bus stand for many years. In the morning, he used to go to school and also used to take typing classes, while in the noon and evening, he used to sell such items. He passed class eighth from NC Chaturvedi School For Deaf and class 10{+t}{+h} from a regular school in the year 1988. He got the job of typist in the Army in 1992. At presently, he is the office superintendent.

While talking to TOI, principal secretary, handicap welfare department, VN Garg said that there is need to add more schools for deaf children because two schools till class 10{+t}{+h} in the state are not enough for a large number of students. "But we face problem of shortage of funds and trained teachers. The average per capita expenses incurred on a disabled child's education is three times higher than a normal child. Apart from infrastructure, we need to provide all kind of incentives to disabled students," said Garg.

Commenting on the need of an interpreter for students with hearing disabilities, registrar, UP Viklang Uddhar Dr Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University, SK Srivastava said, "We are aware about the problem and we will appoint the interpreters when we will find them, as there is scarcity of such teachers in the market." He added that the students are not facing difficulties in the studies, as they can understand what is written on blackboard or projector. All of them have passed class XII without the help of an interpreter.

Special Financial Planning for your child with disability

Hi,

I came across this informative peace, though not complete in many respects. This is based on the information and law that exist today and doesn't suggest or foresee the circumstances in the coming days looking at the major developments in the sector, particularly, the Delhi High Court ruling that calls for equal benefits in Post Life insurance to the disabled employees; the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2012 awaiting introduction in the parliament and the supported decision making in place of full /limited guardianship. Nevertheless, this may help many. Here it goes.

A differently abled child needs special financial planning for a secure future

Vidyalaxmi, ET Bureau | Nov 14, 2012, 09.08 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Every child is special; and differently abled children are even more special. In normal circumstances, the biggest worry for most parents is high education expenses. However, in case of special children, the worries extend beyond that. Parents of such children have to plan for extra medical expenses and for expenses much beyond college. In some cases, even for their lifetime. The parents also need to put in place a system where there is someone who takes care of the child when they are no more and the benefits should keep coming to the child.

"When it comes to a special child, financial planning involves two stages. The first stage is financially providing for the life during the parents' lifetime. In the second stage, one has to build a mechanism through which the child continues to meet his/her financial needs after the parent's lifetime," says Mukund Seshadri, certified financial planner & partner, MS Ventures Financial Planners. On children's day, it is time to make a beginning and build a meaningful corpus for your special child. One can consider the following points while drawing up a financial plan.

Legal guardian after 18 years

In a regular case, parents' responsibility could be for a limited period. However, in case of a special child, the timeframe could depend on the severity of disability. In some cases it could extend for a very long time. "These children go to special school and could need extra health care expenses. You are natural guardian to your children only until they are 18 years; but once their status changes from 'minor' to 'major', you need to take legal guardianship from court for your special child," says Pankaj Mathpal, certified financial planner and managing director, Optima Money Managers. "Parents can take the legal guardianship themselves or appoint a sibling or somebody else as guardian to the child."

Allocate more to equities

"In case of a special child, you may have to provide for income for the entire life. This is very difficult to calculate," says Kartik Jhaveri, certified financial planner, Transcend India. Even if the child could eventually generate income based on his abilities and skill sets, retirement planning should be done in a manner that the child has sufficient means of income through alternative sources. The investment plan will vary from family to family based on their financial realities. Asset allocation is the key and knowing the kind of corpus and returns that you would need for your goals is paramount, according to experts. "As a general rule, a portion of the portfolio should be allocated to equities and this portion could be higher considering the time horizon in such cases (for retirement goal: parents as well as child's ) is more than 30-plus years. Parents should also have exposure to real estate (not as an investment, but as a residence), which can come in handy to the child," Jhaveri adds.

Buy a high sum assured term plan

This is a must, especially for parents who don't hold any assets. "Parents should consider buying a high sum assured term plan, which will factor in the uncertainty risk if something were to happen to the parents. Today' term plans are very reasonably priced and affordable," says Seshadri. "Parents should choose the child as a beneficiary and can nominate some trustworthy individual to ensure that the beneficiary gets his/her share of proceeds after the parent's death."

Create a trust

Another way is to create a non-revocable trust and appointing trusties. Creating a trust comes with its own set of challenges such as setting up the trust, registering a PAN Card, defining the functions of the trust, choosing the trustees etc. You can form a trust any time. The first step is to frame a trust deed with legal help. The trust deed defines the objective of the trust, includes the names of trustee members, powers and rules and regulations pertaining to its functioning. The key is to appoint trustee members who are younger to the parents.

This may take care of the possibility of the trustee's death before the parents'. "Closest family members are the preferred choice for trustees. In absence of that, you can take help of some NGOs or The National Trust," says Mathpal. The National Trust is an autonomous organisation of the ministry of social justice and empowerment, Government of India, set up under the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act (Act 44 of 1999). If you plan to set up a trust, financial advisors expect the initial costs to be around Rs 30,000 in metros and Rs 20,000 in smaller towns. "If parents have a trustworthy relative in a sibling or an uncle/aunt, it is any day easier to create a will. The process of setting up a will and its execution is far simpler and affordable for most individuals," says Seshadri.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Reality check of Accessiblity at Post Office: Lodi Road

Dear Friends,

Please refer to my earlier post - Post offices in Delhi are inaccessible but Department claims otherwise, incorporating media coverage on pathetic situation prevailing in the Post Offices of Delhi and the awareness level of the senior officials of the Department of Post on the Accessibility.

I had a reality check of accessibility status of the post office at Jor Bagh in the NDMC area which claims to be better off then most MCD controlled areas when it comes to accessibility in the public infrastructure.

The reality check /access audit  photos speak for themselves here:


Picture of the Lodi Road Post Office Signage
This Lodi Road Post Office is in a posh colony of South Delhi under
the New Delhi Municipal Council.

Picture of road side eatery blocking the pedestrian pathway
This protruding counter of this eatery on the pedestrian pathway
leading to the post office blocks the pedestrian movement 
Photo showing absence of kerb ramp on the pedestrian pathway leading to post office
The pedestrian pathway leading to the Post Office
doesn't have a kerb ramp or kerb cut. 


Photo showing decked up entrance with offers of 7% off on gold coins but access blocked by barriers
The Gate at the post office fails to welcome me. The barriers
and the huge kerb stare at me!

photo showing blocked access
These barriers purportedly placed to stop entry of vehicles also act
as barrier to my independent mobility, thereby nullifying the benefits
of the ramps provided!

photo showing ramp without handrails
From the entrance two slope ramps like a U are provided but
with no handrails or signage!

Ramp ends with a thud without and tactile indication. The ramp
edge is a trip hazard on both ends.


Similarly the other side of the ramp has no handrails  and
ends with an threshold which is a trip hazard.

Photo showing stepped entry to post office, high counters and use of granite flooring which is slippery
Entrance 1 is stepped and granite has been used in the post office
which makes it slippery and inaccessible to the visitors with disabilities.

Entrance 2 is also stepped with a similar pattern. The counter height
on both sides is inaccessible to those with disabilities and
caters to only standing persons.
When the reality check at the prominent areas under NDMC is so alarming what do we expect of the other post offices in Delhi, especially the ones in the areas served by MCD where the civil amenities are even more pathetic. This is in gross violation of the prevalent norms of barrier free environment.

Another reality check coming week in an area served by MCD !
regards

SC Vashishth


DDA's revision of its Lift Installation Policy still faulty

Dear Colleagues,

In view of problems faced by senior citizens, persons with disabilities and patients residing in upper floors of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Flats and also in light of legal mandate of The Persons with Disabilities Act (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act 1995 and the State's obligation under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that India has ratified, the DDA has revised its erstwhile policy on Procedure for issue of NOC for installation of lifts in Group housing flats built by DDA to remove the bottlenecks in facilitating ageing in place and barrier free environment in the old residential flats/ group housing societies.

The back ground

A good number of people  who bought the DDA flats  long time ago when were young have acquired age related disabilities, ailments that restrict mobility and family members, children who have difficulty negotiating stairs. The restriction in policy has rendered them prisoners in their own "once happy homes". This is against the right to independent mobility, equal participation, Accessibility in built infrastructure and housing as  mandated by the UNCRPD and the Disability legislation of India.

All the new DDA buildings have the lifts, but earlier the provision of lift wasn't mandatory up to  four-storey buildings.  However, subsequently the DDA had permitted the residents of upper floors who were in favour of installing lift to permit installation subjection to certain condition, and one among them was NOC from ground floor owner.

"I haven't gone out of my house for over two years now due to arthritis since I can not climb stairs and my flat is on first floor" said Ms. Arora, a retired teacher aged 65 and a resident of DDA Flats, Mayapuri, New Delhi.

What changes after the revision in DDA's policy?

With a revision in policy on lift installation in DDA buildings by the Authority, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is not needed any more from the ground floor owner.  According to the previous policy, the upper floor residents were required to acquire a NOC from all the floor owners to permit them to install a lift in the building.  But a disagreement by the ground floor owner was usually posing a problem for others to implement the concept.

As per the new policy,  the occupants of the upper floors wanting to install lift in their buildings will just need to obtain NOCs from the upper floor occupants,  a recommendation of the lift manufacturing agency on technical convenience, location of the lift and safety criteria and of course a structural safety certificate from a registered architect.  The expense for the lift installation would have to be equally shared by the people owning flats in upper floors.

Why even the revised policy fails to deliver?

However, the catch is, can my right as a person with disability or as a senior citizen with mobility impairments subject to NOCs from the neighbours? Its known that in old age, one gets cranky and many do not get along well with neighbours. In such a case the state has given my absolute right to mobility and independent living  in the hands of non-cooperating neighbours in other words - non state actors!

If the neighbour says I don't need it and I will not pool in the money,  the person who requires the lift due to reduced mobility has to not only foot the entire cost of installation of lift but also pay a certain fee to the DDA (as if it was a luxury!).

Therefore, in my considered opinion, this is still not in tune with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Constitution of India. The State has to come with clearly with plans and implement them without delay for every delay is justice denied. Nothing less than this is acceptable to us as citizens of this country.

Relevant Useful Links:


-- Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Advocate

TAGS: DDA Flats with Elevator, Lifts in DDA buildings, Process of lift installation in DDA Building, Barrier Free DDA housing,  Accessible housing, Barrier Free environment, accessibility in housing, ageing in place, Subhash Vashishth,