Sibal speech gets thumbs-up from disability rights activists
Disability rights activists have welcomed Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal’s Lok Sabha speech, made before the landmark Right to Education Act was passed on Tuesday.
What’s New
Railways to run battery-operated cars at stations for disabled
Extending a helping hand to disabled and elderly passengers, Railways have decided to operate battery-operated cars for them at major stations.
The small cars will operate round-the-clock to facilitate the needy passengers, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
The service will be free.
The vehicles will be run by private operators who will be selected by the zonal railways under certain terms and conditions. Zonal railways have been asked to work out details with the private operators for signing an agreement for a period of one year.
Delhi HC directs Centre to amend its insurance rules for disabled
The Delhi High Court directed the Central government to reconsider its postal insurance rules and to treat the persons with disability at par with other people.
Appearing on behalf of the government, Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramanium assured the court that the government will take broad base consultation with experts and also take advice from the insurance regulator and draft a fresh policy which will have no disparity for the disabled.
Rehabilitation University for Disabled inaugurated
In a bid to usher in a ray of hope among physically challenged in the state, Dr Shakuntala Misra Rehabilitation University for the Disabled, the first university of its kind was on Friday inaugurated here.
Speaking during the inaugural function, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said that the university would provide quality education
to the disabled, so as to help them get better employment opportunities and make them self reliant.
Using skin-derived stem cells to treat hereditary vision defects
After establishing a procedure to restore vision in people whose cornea has been damaged by physical or chemical injury by harvesting limbal stem cells from the healthy eye and transplanting them to the eye that has been damaged, the Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute has moved to the next stage. The Institute has successfully converted skin cells of mice into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) that behave like embryonic stem cells.
Sarthak Career Centric Computer Training for Visually Impaired
Introduction to Career Centric Computer Training:
Computer Training for the visually impaired is the greatest form of empowerment for them. It opens up the world to them: a world of information (aiding research, education, daily living, recreation), people, jobs, books (print to voice). Computer training involves training on Computer Basics, MS office, Internet using the JAWS screen reading software which is talking software that aids the visually impaired to “hear” everything that a sighted person would “read”.
Kolkata pandal offers divine ‘touch’ to visually impaired
Dibyendu (Debu) Adhikari is excited about his holidays. He would return home from his hostel (Kolkata Blind School) after three months for his Puja vacation. Puja for this 10-year-old is synonymous with good food, a couple of new clothes, dhaks (traditional drums, used especially during auspicious occasions in Bengal), bells and conch sounds. For him, his elder brother is indispensable during these five days of festivity. “Mejda (his elder brother) takes me around each pandal and describes every detail — the lighting, décor, goddess etc,” he said.
Fee waiver for disabled in Kendriya Vidyalayas
Kendriya Vidyalaya students with disabilities can now avail of free education in keeping with the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PWD Act).
A decision to this effect was taken by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) on Thursday.
According to a notification issued by KVS, students with disabilities would be exempted payment of tuition fee and the contribution towards Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi from this month onwards.
Blind student wins fight to take exam
A visually-impaired law student has finally won his battle against the Mumbai University after almost two years of perseverance. Amar Jain, a second year law student, refused to use a writer for his exams after a couple of bad experiences in the past. Well-versed in computers, Jain insisted on attempting his papers online in stead. However, the University rulebook did not permit any such liberty for a handicap student. After pursuing for almost two years, the controller of examination finally granted him the permission on Friday.
One shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see
Born with a retinal disease that made him legally blind, and would eventually leave him totally sightless, the nine-year-old boy used to sit in the back of the classroom, relying on the large print on an electronic screen and assisted by teacher aides. Now, after a single injection of genes that produce light-sensitive pigments in the back of his eye, he sits in front with classmates and participates in class without extra help. In the playground, he joins his classmates in playing his first game of softball.
Five disabled to be awarded by Guv
Five disabled persons of the city selected by the state government for their outstanding contribution in various fields would be awarded a special prize by the state governor on World Handicapped Day on December 2.
Informing this, district handicapped officer, KK Mishra said that Arun Kumar presently working in the office of general manager, Telecom is heading the list. This deaf and dumb person has won many awards in state level handicapped volleyball championship.
Blind-friendly library
In a few days from now, even the visually challenged would be able to saunter into the District Central Library, Karur, and savour books designed for them and stored there through the medium of computers. In a pioneering move, the library here is all set to welcome the visually challenged visitors by becoming a blind-friendly library. The proposal that had been under consideration for sometime got a boost with Collector J. Uma Maheswari deciding to grant some funds.
11th N.C.P.E.D.P. Shell Helen Keller Awards announced
The winners of the much coveted N.C.P.E.D.P. Shell Helen Keller Awards for 2009 have been announced. This is the 11th edition of these awards instituted by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.), to honour individuals and organisations who have been working towards promoting equal opportunities and providing gainful employment for persons with disabilities. The Awards will be given on December 2 in New Delhi.
CUP partners up with Indian sight charity
Cambridge University Press is to provide free content to an Indian charity, giving millions of readers with a visual impairment access to a range of educational materials.
The academic publisher has signed an agreement with the Daisy Forum of India, a charity for the visually impaired. The Daisy forum turns books into digital content, which can be read aloud by special software in computers and laptops. CUP will allow the organisation to use the content in its books free of charge.
Flexible solar cell implant could restore vision
The first flexible retinal implant could restore some vision to people with certain forms of visual impairment.
Conditions such as age-related macular degeneration occur when some of the photoreceptors in the eye stop functioning properly. But as other parts of the eye still work, it should be possible to restore vision using an implant that mimics the photoreceptor layer, says Rostam Dinyari at Stanford University in California.
To achieve this, an implant needs to convert a light signal into an electrical pulse – in other words, perform like a solar cell.
Blind call for legal action against PNB
The bank is allegedly flouting RBI norms
Led by Punjab National Bank most banks in Delhi are flouting norms issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) pertaining to visually impaired people’s accessing banking services.
Registering their protest against the discriminative and unfriendly behaviour meted out to them, some visually impaired people have called for a legal action against the bank.
New technology is making Braille redundant
Non-availability of sufficient material is one of the causes for its decline
Modern technology has changed lifestyles; the invasion of new electronic gadgets has now questioned even the relevance of Braille for the blind in the present world.
On the occasion of 201st birth anniversary of Louis Braille, inventor of Braille language, Deccan Herald spoke to few individuals, who work for the blind and asked them about the importance of Braille in a blind person's life.
Govt to amend ‘Disability Act’ to improve life of differently abled
Government will bring an amendment in the Disability act in the coming budget session of Parliament to improve the lot of the differently abled. A draft of the amendment is ready with the social justice ministry. This was disclosed by the social justice Minister Mr. Mukul Wasnik at function in New Delhi to commemorate the 201 birth anniversary of Louis Braille.
The day is being observed through out the world as Braille day. The minister said that the procedure of giving grant to NGO's working for the betterment of blind is being simplified.
Blind to read news on Braille's B'day
On January 4, Bangalore will celebrate the birthday of Louis Braille, the creator of the script for the blind with the rest of the world. Doordarshan Kendra will be observing this day in a unique way, Kannada News will be presented by visually challenged persons trained in Braille script.
Braille Script consists of six dots that are raised.
These six bumps are in different patterns, like constellations, spreading out over the page. They consist of numbers, letters, words.
Centre for disability studies likely at Pondicherry University
A centre for disability studies is likely to be established at Pondicherry University. The Department of Social Work has submitted a proposal to the university in response to a communication from the University Grants Commission to start such a centre.
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