Given below are some lawyers who are well versed in disability and related laws.
Andhra Pradesh
Dr. Amita Dhanda
Professor & Registrar
Nalsar University of Law
3-4-761, Barkatpura
Hyderabad 500 027
Phone: 040-7567955, 7567958 (D)
Fax: 040-7567310
E-mail: nalsar@hd2.dot.net.in
Assam
The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has set up Disability Law Units in different zones of India. These law units provide legal advise to persons with disabilities.
1. Disability Law Unit (Central)
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People
A - 77, South Extension Part II
New Delhi 110 049
Phone: 011-26265647/26265648/26263406/26261139
Fax: 011-26265649
E-mail: legislation@ncpedp.org
Education
There has been some controversy over the interpretation of Section 39 of the PWD Act, which reads:
Section 39
"All Government educational institutions and other educational institutions receiving aid from the Government shall reserve not less than three per cent seats for persons with disabilities.”
It has been held that Section 39 applies only to government institutions. (Harsha Shivaram v. National Law School of India, Bangalore, (1999) 4 Karnataka Law Journal 626).
A resident of Saltdean in southern England, Mark Threadgold, a world record holder of power boating and water speed, is now getting ready to attempt the record for the deepest dive ever achieved by a blind person.
A support team is helping Mark with his intensive training for the purpose. New techniques have been developed to help him overcome certain obstacles. One of the aids is a braille slate, which allows him to feel at what depth he should take decompression stops. He has also been practising tactile hand signals as a means of communicating with his dive buddy.
He dabbles in adventure, makes and breaks records, all for a cause. In November 2005, eyeNEWS reported that Hein Wagner of South Africa has become the world's fastest blind driver. Hein is in the news again. This February, he completed a long-distance cycle race, riding solo and he was the only blind competitor in the race.
Jordan Mouton, a 16-year-old junior at Cypress Falls High School in Houston, U.S.A, is a judoJordan Mouton, a 16-year-old junior at Cypress Falls High School in Houston, U.S.A, is a judo player. She plays the game with such precision, that on watching her recent performance at Cahill's Judo Academy in San Bruno, you would never know that she is severely visually impaired. When she was eight, Mouton was found to have Rod/Cone Dystrophy, a name given to a wide range of eye conditions. However, she continued playing soccer until she was 12.
Parmeet Singh, a student of class 12th, appeared for his music examination with a self created programme called ‘Braille notation’. This programme allows the user to create and attach musical notes in one’s own voice. Currently, Parmeet is working on improving his software.
Satvir, a class tenth student, successfully developed his own software for the C.B.S.E. exam. He was able to appear for the Hindi subject with this software.
In the era of online and telephone banking, there is a growing need for banks to remotely authenticate all customers during non face-to-face transactions and that includes the visually impaired customers.
Now, here is a device, ‘X.i.-Sign 4500’ that acts as personal authentication and signing tool based on the E.M.V. standard smart card designed specifically to meet the needs of the visually impaired banking users.
Luc Costermans, a 41-year old, visually impaired Belgian man claimed a place in the record books after completing a tour of France in a light aeroplane. Costermans, a former businessman lost his sight in an accident, two years ago.
"I decided to complete this tour of France as a personal challenge and to send a message of hope to other physically disabled people," said Costermans, who only began flying last November.
The programme is called ‘ACTIVE’ or Advanced Content Through Interactive Virtual Environments. It is aimed at educating blind and visually impaired middle school students about the solar system by using their other senses.
It is an interactive learning environment where Earth and space data combine with senses of touch and sound for a multi-sensory experience. Students use a ‘pen’ to maneuver over a 3-Dimensional image on a computer screen. Each ridge and crevasse is felt by the device through force, vibration or motions to the user.
All children should experience the thrill of receiving a response from Santa Claus and that’s the intention of the programme. T-Base Communications (Canada) is assisting Canada Post's annual Santa letter-writing programme by providing response letters in Braille to blind and partially sighted children from around the world.
It is the fourth consecutive year the company has helped with the programme, offering the service to Canada Post at no charge. The company replies to children's wish lists in Braille on a daily basis.
I.Accessible.2 is a programming interface (A.P.I.) that Web browsers and document programs can use to communicate with programmes that convert text to speech.
The A.P.I. is designed to help the assistive technologies work even with complex websites that have been designed with state-of-the-art tools like Ajax, which enables bursts of information. These can cause errors in automated screen readers such as Jaws and Windows Eyes.
Pakistan won the toss and invited India to bat first. India scored 225 for seven in 40 overs before the defending champions overhauled the target in 29.2 overs to become world champions for the second time.
The hosts lost only four wickets during their chase at the Pindi cricket stadium.
For India, Shahbash Boya topped the score with 54. His efforts were complemented by Daleep Mandis who fell three runs short of a 50.
However, the duo's efforts were negated by the Pakistani fielders, who built pressure on the India, making the players struggle for every run.
Dr. Gian Carlo Falcinelli’s ‘Modified Osteo Odonto Kerato Prosthesis’ (M.O.O.K.P.) technique has helped hundreds of patients in several countries see the world again in all its colours and light.
Dr. Falcinelli, currently working for San Camillo Hospital in Rome (Italy), has been imparting training in the procedure to ophthalmologists in India, which houses one-third of the estimated 11 million corneal blind population in the world.
Under his guidance, Sankara Nethralaya is establishing an exclusive centre for M.O.O.K.P. procedures to be headed by Dr. G. Sithalakshmi.
Japanese firm unveils a miniature portable keyboard that helps blind people take notes by listening to the sounds of the characters they punch in.
The battery-operated keyboard weighs 500 grams, or just over one pound. The device includes an M.P.3. player that keeps the data on memory so it can be transferred to a computer.
Created by three researchers at the ‘Yazaki’ electronics’ company, the keyboard differs from other devices as it does not rely on Braille script and can be used without being attached to a computer.
Indira Awaas Yojana
Aim of Indira Awaas Yojana is to provide financial assistance to the rural poor living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) for construction of house.
California (U.S.) based Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced recently that it plans to send monthly energy bills in Braille to its visually impaired customers.
At PG&E, we recognize our business is all about the customers we serve, so we are constantly striving to find new ways to improve services to our diverse customer populations including blind and visually impaired people, said Helen Burt, PG & E ' s chief customer officer.
Tour d'Afrique, the 12, 000-kilometer (7,500-mile) bicycle expedition/race from Cairo to Cape Town, began on January 13, 2007.
Now in its fifth year, it travels through 10 African countries taking approximately 120 days, of which 96 are cycling days, averaging 124 kilometre each day.
A group of 45 men and women from all over the world are part of the journey. Amongst them is, Douglas Sidialo of Kenya, an avid blind cyclist, a mountain climber and a motivation speaker.
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