Full Coverage: Disability

30.04.2008 A discussion paper by WaterAid, Creating user-friendly water and sanitation services for the disabled, takes a look at the social, technical, financial and policy barriers faced by the disabled in meeting water and sanitation needs in Nepal. The document recommends designing proper technologies to facilitate their access to basic services.

17.04.2008 Bowing to the demands of people with disabilities in India, Karnataka’s Election Commission has decided to build ramps at all polling booths and provide Braille-equipped voting machines in the upcoming assembly elections. But this is the fulfillment of just one demand out of many.

15.03.2008 Punarbhava, a new interactive website for the disabled, is a one-stop cyber shop for information, aids, appliances, research and employment. The portal was recently launched at the Indian capital, along with the release of a new screen reader software for the blind.

28.02.2008 There are approximately 60 million persons with disabilities in India. Most of them are poor, living in rural areas. It is pity that only 1.5% of them are the beneficiaries of various poverty alleviation and welfare schemes.

15.02.2008 Even after the ban on its use, the hazardous impact of pesticide Endosulfan sprayed in cashew plantations in Kerala, continues to affect the communities. The state government's relief package of Rs 5 million and other schemes have proved inadequate to rehabilitate the victims.

01.02.2008 Sharayu Precision is a Pune-based company in western India that believes in providing the first opportunity of employment to those who are physically or mentally challenged. Its founder Subhash Chuttar has been honoured with prestigious Hellen Keller Award for his contribution to the cause.

22.01.2008 Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) have killed and maimed hundreds of people in Afghanistan in 2007, says the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan. These explosive remnants of war left behind by various military factions during the 90s continue to endanger the lives of civilians.

26.12.2007 Only a fraction of the millions of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are able to get basic education, owing to government’s apparent indifference in ensuring their educational rights. However, the country's social welfare secretary says all that may change soon.

17.12.2007 For visually challenged people in western Indian state of Maharashtra, the life will become much easier with the setting up of a special resource centre in Pune. The centre will provide them 100 different services and equipment under one roof like medical treatment, walking sticks, audio calculators, braille watches, computer software, etc.

08.12.2007 For decades the Jaipur Foot – not only in India where it is made but also in many other countries – has helped people living a normal life despite losing their limbs. It is now being further improved by using new technology and material.

06.12.2007 The right to decent work of persons with disabilities, a new report by ILO calls for renewed efforts to support people with disabilities in the world of work. Many among approximately 470 million disabled persons of employable age often face disproportionate levels of poverty and unemployment.

03.12.2007 To mark the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, a two-day event, ‘Abilities Mela’, was held in Indian capital New Delhi to showcase the skills and talents of people suffering from variety of disabilities. Organised by National Trust and supported by major corporate groups, the event also had a job fair to provide them with opportunities for work.

03.12.2007 On the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons, December 3, Juan Somavia, DG of the International Labour Office in a message emphasised on the need to provide employment to people with disabilities and allow them to live with dignity. Exclusion of the disabled results in a loss of some US $1.94 trillion to global GDP.

28.11.2007 Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation has extended a grant of 100 million dollars for polio eradication worldwide. The grant will target Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan, the last four countries in the world where fresh cases of polio still keep surfacing.

22.11.2007 Released on November 20, a World Bank study on people with disabilities in India finds low levels of literacy and employment among approximately 90 million of its population. Majority of Indians see disability as a ‘curse of God’ and turn a blind eye to their problems.

21.11.2007 No scholarships or unemployment allowance to the disabled, no financial assistance to widows, no juvenile shelter homes, no primary school for the deaf, no home for mentally retarded, no leprosy complex and no disbursement of funds to old-age homes. Despite availability of funds, the social welfare schemes of the Delhi government are in a shambles.

27.10.2007 WHO’s newly published classification code will appraise the health of children and youth within the context of their current environment and development continuum. By documenting the rapid growth and changes in the early decades of life, the code hopes to address children's well-being through appropriate social policy, health care and education.

10.10.2007 A new manual encourages the hearing disabled communities in developing countries to take control of their health. Developed by the Kenyan Peer Education Network,The Deaf Peers’ Education Manual addresses three main issues: sexual education, relationships and hygiene for a basic understanding of sexual health, HIV/AIDS, and can be adapted to fit the cultural context and needs of the deaf communities.

08.10.2007 A smart card at an annual fee of INR 30 will help India's poor access good health. The Indian government has plans to offer health,life and disability insurance to around 400 million poor working in the unorganized sector. Also in the offing: a pension scheme for people over 65 living below the poverty line.

12.06.2007 Sakshi Trust and ActionAid have produced a Right to Information guide for people with disability to inform them on their rights and entitlements. The book mentions various benefits entitled to the disabled and directs them in drafting an RTI application.