Success & ABILITY
India’s Cross-disability Magazine
July-September, 2012
Rs 30/DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITY AFFAIRS
EXPECTATION. ANTICIPATION. CONVICTION.
Vol 16 No 3
EDITOR: Jayshree Raveendran
DEPUTY EDITOR: Janaki Pillai
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Seena Raveendran ; Eleanor Davis
SENIOR DESIGNER: R.G. Kishore Kumar
ILLUSTRATION: Prabhakar
CONTENTS
4 Stanzaas Literary pleasure - poignant verses by Srividya Suryanarayanan.
7 News & Notes
Innovations and happenings from far
and near.
11 Spotlight
nATANDA; Sri Lanka's inclusive dance troupe that redefines the contemporary dance form.
15 Cover Feature
Activists from across the country contemplate on the newly formed Department of Disability Affairs,
lucidly written by Sandhya Iyer & Abhilasha Ojha.
24 2012 Games
London Paralympics… a look at the most superlative Paralympics to date.
29 Corporate Concerns
Acting on an altruistic thought and succeeding too, is possible and proven by EuroAble, the 100 %
inclusive call centre.
33 Reminiscences
Back in the USA after a long stint in India, Aileen Crowe Nandi goes down
memory lane.
35 Legalspeak
Rajive Raturi explains the various ways in which law can aid us in achieving our rights.
39 Awareness
Sunita Menon throws light on anxiety disorder and the different therapies.
41 Food for Thought
Childhood obesity… watch out… all puppy fat is not cute, says
Dr. Gita Mathai.
44 Soliloquy
Geeta Doctor contemplates on this much splendoured earth and
its beauty.
47 Open Thought
We need to think 'inclusion' in every aspect of life even as early on as children's stories, opines
Seena Raveendran.
50 Books
A review on the inspiring autobiography Life without Limits, as seen through the eyes of
Paresh Palicha.
52 Short Story
Some time for relaxation… enjoy a piece of fiction by
Swarnalatha Rangarajan.
54 Flipside
Laugh awhile. Eleanor Davis – a 'phorener' amidst conventional Chennaites writes about the jitters
that homemade remedies and
recipes give her.
From The Editor’s Desk
Friends,
Wishing, dreaming, hoping, believing.
This is what the newly constituted Department of Disability Affairs has spurred in us. Cautious
enthusiasm, which nevertheless prods us on towards escalated expectations. Much more so, for those
of us who have been India's first generation activists. Only we know, how much we have groped in the
dark, for about a decade and a half, to cut through the gloomy jungles of nowhere-land, just to make a
clearing of sorts. For us, therefore, the developments of today are pretty much, reasons to live for, I
would say.
The disability sector never had it so good. Let the sceptics have their say as well. They're right too. We
all well know that we are not even half way where we need to be... but at least we are somewhere! No
longer unseen, unheard, invisible and pitied, but a forceful minority in the country to be reckoned with.
Hallelujah... our boat is moving, not anchored upon still waters any more. The fact that we have so much
to do... that we are inundated 24/7 with things we need to look into... that there are things to be
changed and things to be coveted – these same things that were until recently, considered way beyond
our reach – is proof enough. There exists a conviction amidst uncertainties. In this issue, therefore, we
lay bare the pros and cons of the new ‘Department Of Disability Affairs’ with an exclusive interview with
the man at the helm, Sri Mukul Wasnik, Hon. Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. Take it as you
please... with a spoon of sugar or a pinch of salt.
On the other side of the globe too, excitement reigns. The London Games have begun in full swing. For
the first time ever, a runner with prosthetic limbs is making the crossover to mainstream Olympics.
Thrilling! We bring you a glimpse of the exciting Paralympics, with exclusive interviews with Sharath
Gayakwad the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the Paralympics and Will Bayley, currently world
number one in table tennis.
On the technology side, we have reason to cheer as well. Innovations like accessible ATMs for the blind,
a gadget called 'EyeMusic' that enables blind people to describe the objects in front of them, Otto Bock's
lightweight, responsive wheelchairs that are extremely conducive for sports and more, throw open fresh
possibilities. The onset of newer and continuous sensitivity has set in. Accessibility, legislation, disability
friendly transport, inclusion, equitable opportunities have become the buzzwords of the day that we can
comment and improve upon.
I would once again urge every one of you to make use of ‘Success & ABILITY’ to voice your thoughts, to
share your experiences, to cite the changes you wish to see... after all, this is your magazine, offering
you numerous possibilities to take up at will.
Do write in
Jayshree Raveendran
j.raveendran@abilityfoundation.org
Stanzas
By
SRIVIDYA SURYANARAYANAN
SINGING MARIONETTE
If life could be just a stage
Where I found you in different age,
Lurking like a cornered fate
To remain in that state.
Sentenced for eternity
Within beguiled activity,
I wonder if we ever met
At point that is preset.
Like a strung marionette
I ramble within the net,
Only to cast long shadows
Along the heart's coastal lows.
Dream of the future I see
Flooding my thoughts like wild sea;
Could this have been my wish?
Or a desire I go fish?
I'm the puppet in your hands
I stretch within the elastic bands,
Tied so close to my being
Where I could, hardly seem, seeing.
Come choke the state out
Gathering new age shout,
Glance at the popular cry
As days begin to fry
A DREAM
A fresh cool morning breeze
Blowing through my soul
Opening avenues new
And special opportunity
Providing me a new task
A spark of imagination
Lines up new understanding
Of those spirited young minds'
Nascent wandering interest
I wish to gather in my heart
A long before told fairy tale
Narrated in slow refrain
Harvesting joy from fields
Exclusively for Children
A deep seated desire for life
Taking baby steps towards
That goal of being published
Happens to be a trail by itself
Yet I enjoy the path ahead
In the struggle to be read
I wish my stories inspire
The young and the old.
My book be dog-eared,
And tattered in over familiarity
For the little young ones.
THE FLUTE
Melody comes alive
Awoken from my soul's depth,
Vibrant and live.
Soft and gentle
Lulls and moves tedium.
A heaven sent sound
Afloat on ninth cloud
I refuse to come down.
All care and concern
For the time being flee
Like an old worn jewel.
Until nothing remains of me
My soul by Divine Music
Is cleansed and free.
In the Spiritual World
Among Eternal Beings
I shall be seen.
SARANG HAE*
GEORGIAN RESIDENCE
Entrance to my temporary home
A fancy floral metal work.
Enter
You shall encounter the PG & E Section
Comfortably mixing with mailboxes on the right.
Walk on
Pass through the next door,
On the left is the washer/dryer units;
On the right are flights of stairs leading to next level.
Warm greyish black carpeted stairs.
All in odd numbers steps
Lead on to the next level of floors.
Reach
On the third level a corner apartment
Snuggly fit to my requirement.
The warm keys in my cold hands
Open the portal to the world of my own
That I share with my roommate.
The door opens to a passage
At the end it leads to the living room.
On the left is my kitchen / on the right is the French window.
On the right of the entrance door
Is the two bedrooms and a bath with a closet.
The warmth of my bed room is really interesting play of emotions
My favourite and happy places gather into a composite whole.
A rough edged table with a mismatched chair
A shelf assembled by me functions are my wardrobe
A closet filled with my towel, and coat hangs like reassurance
A black shelf were my books from different semester fills
And opens up my inner self's search
This is where I really live as myself.
* Korean for ‘I love you’
NEWS & NOTES
ACCESSIBLE ATM FOR VISUALLY
IMPAIRED PEOPLE
India's first Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) for the visually impaired and persons with orthopaedic
disabilities has been set up in Ahmedabad by Union Bank of India (UBI) at the Blind People's Association
(BPA), an organisation based in Ahmedabad devoted to comprehensive development of persons with
disabilities.
“This is Union Bank's contribution to the cause of disabled citizens, who number as large as 5% of the
country's population. What is unique about this is that it does not discriminate citizens with visually
impairment with a separate card. Visually impaired people can use the regular ATM card like any other
citizen on these ATMs. Besides, the ATMs can also be used by customers with orthopaedic disabilities as
well, also from any bank. Hence, we rightfully call it a truly accessible ATM", says Lalilt Sinha, General
Manager, Alternate Delivery Channels & New Initiative Department of UBI.
The ATM which has a keypad with Braille stickers, is designed in a way that allows the complete
transaction process to be carried out independently by the person with disability. Tarak Luhar, Principal,
BPA, and the first person to operate the machine says, “For the first time in my life, I drew money by
myself! Earlier, I needed the assistance of someone and in the ATMs, I found it unsafe to give my pin
number to somebody. But now, I have the freedom to take my own money.” The machine has a unique
interface, which allows the user to operate by use of a headphone. Once this is done, the machine
allows them to proceed for further operations. Tarak says, “contrary to the other ATM's where you have
the dialogues only in the beginning and at the end, like, Welcome to the ATM or Thanks for using, here,
a good audio not only reads aloud all the screen messages, but also provides the complete directional
guidance.”
SWABHIMAN, AN NGO BASED IN
BHUBANESWAR INVITES PARTICIPATION
FROM BUDDING POETS,
PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS
YAP (Young Anjali Poets) Challenge
YAP (Young Anjali Poets) Challenge is a new initiative in Anjali (a national children’s festival in India) to
recognise the power of poetry. YAP Challenge will enable children to become more familiar with the
meaning of words and sentences, sentence structure, rhymes, and vocabulary.
The event will culminate as an exhibition of selected poems in Anjali camp and honouring young poets in
the Anjali dais and publishing in their website.
The YAP Challenge is open to any child in the world in the age group 12 to 18 in three categories. Poems
can be in any language, however if they are languages other than Hindi, English or Odia, then a
translation in any one of these three languages should be sent along with the poems.
Prizes and awards to the students, teachers and the schools, as well as the teams fall in seven
categories.
The deadline for submission of entries is August 31, 2012.
EAS(Emerging Anjali Shutterbugs) contest
EAS contest is a new initiative in Anjali to recognise the power of photography - its ability to bring
visibility to disability. EAS aims to create positive images of people with disabilities that will help develop
a disability consciousness to re-imagine disability in ways that value individual identity.
The contest is open to amateur photographers from around the world. The event will culminate as an
exhibition of selected photos in Anjali camp and honouring young photographers in the Anjali dais and
publishing in their website.
Prizes will be awarded in four categories
Deadline for submission of entries is August 31, 2012.
SWAYAM - Anjali Art Exhibition 2012
This is an open call to all artists. The exhibition will feature work by disabled and non-disabled artists.
Non-disabled artists must submit a work that comments or makes reference to issues surrounding
disability. It will be held from 9th to 13th of November 2012. The artworks will be chosen by an expert
panel. Bringing together the work of both disabled and non-disabled artists, the exhibition includes two
prizes; the Rs. 40,000 Swayam Jury Award, chosen by the selection committee, and a Rs. 25,000 People's
Choice Award voted for by visitors to the exhibition.
Deadline for entry is Monday, September 10, 2012.
For more information, contact: Swabhiman, A-98 Budhanagar, Bhubaneswar – 751006, Odisha, India
Email: swabhiman.bhubaneswar@gmail.com.
Tel: 91-674-2313313
CONVERTING IMAGES TO MUSIC
Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) to
enable blind people to describe objects in front of them.
These new SSDs known as 'EyeMusic', tap into the visual cortex of the congenitally blind, opening up the
opportunity for scientists to study the organisation of the visual cortex of those who have never had
sight.
The devices provide visual information to users through their other senses. The user has to wear a
miniature video camera which is connected to a small computer or smart phone and headphones.
Images are then picked up and converted into 'soundscapes' using a known sound which allows the user
to listen to, and interpret the visual information from the camera.
Musical instruments are used to represent colours; blue (trumpet), red (reggae organ), green
(synthesised reed), yellow (violin), white (vocals) and black is represented by silence. The ‘EyeMusic’
device scans an object from left to right continuously. Images at high vertical locations are recognised
through high-pitched notes, while those at low vertical locations are represented by low-pitched notes.
A sound cue is heard when the device begins scanning and the horizontal location of the object is
represented by the timing of the music note, as heard after the cue. The longer the time difference
between the cue and the musical note, denotes the further the object is to the right. The brightness of
the colour is represented by the loudness of the sound.
A group of 18 blindfolded sighted participants were trained in the laboratory of Dr. Amir Amedi, of the
Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and the Institute for Medical Research Isreal-Canada at
the Hebrew University. They used the device to locate people, their postures, to read letters and words
and recognise complex everyday objects.
“We demonstrated in this study that the ‘EyeMusic’, which employs pleasant musical scales to convey
visual information, can be used after a short training period (in some cases, less than half an hour), to
guide movements, similar to the movements that are guided visually”, explained lead investigators Drs.
Shelly Levy-Tzedek, an ELSC researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and
Prof. Amir Amedi. “The level of accuracy reached in our study indicates that performing daily tasks with
an SSD is feasible, and indicates a potential for rehabilitative use.”
The results of the study reveal that the sounds, which represent vision, activate the visual cortex of
those who have never seen. This information is crucial as it suggests that the whole brain may be 'taskspecific' rather than dependent on sensory input. “The brain is not a sensory machine, although it often
looks like one; it is a task machine”, said Amedi.
Researchers now claim that for those who have never seen, the brain is able to process visual properties
and tasks with the aid of visual rehabilitation and with the use of future medical advances such as retinal
prostheses.
“SSDs may have great potential to provide detailed spatial information for the visually impaired,
allowing them to interact with their external environment and successfully make movements based on
this information, but further research is now required to evaluate the use of our device in the blind ”
concludes Dr. Levy-Tzedek.
IOS Press & The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
OTTO BOCK’S HEIGHTENED
RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE
LONDON GAMES
The 2012 London Paralympic Games, is to be supported by the International Paralympic Committee's
long-standing cooperation partner, Otto Bock Healthcare.
The medical technology company is part of the Otto Bock global group based in Germany, and has been
providing service to the Paralympics since 1988. This year, as the official prosthetic, orthotic and
wheelchair technical service provider, they will be ready to service and repair the equipment of 4,200
paralympic athletes from across the world.
Chris Townsend, the Commercial Director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, said: “The appointment of Otto Bock demonstrates our approach to staging the
Games – keeping athletes at the centre of everything.
“Otto Bock brings significant experience at paralympic games and they will become a vital part of the
team, ensuring those athletes coming to the London 2012 Paralympic Games have a magnificent
experience and are able to compete at their optimum levels,” he added.
The wheelchairs of the paralympians are made of the strongest weldable aluminium alloy and high-tech
tubing which reduce weight and enhance strength. Unique welding technology and heating and cooling
treatments add strength to the surface of the wheelchairs, making them almost as strong as diamond –
the world's hardest material.
These produce wheelchairs that are light-weight, strong and responsive in fast-paced sports such as
wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball. For full contact sports such as wheelchair rugby, the chairs
must withstand impact and be designed for either attack or defence.
Special features, such as cambered wheels ensure the chairs stay stable and manoeuvre well so that the
player is able to dodge strikes. Castors attached to the frame strengthen and stabilise the chair and
protect the players' legs.
The chairman and chief executive officer of Otto Bock, Professor Hans Georg Näder, said: “We very
much look forward to making the 2012 Paralympic Games a huge success for London. “The challenge for
our team of technicians is to ensure the best possible care for all athletes to help them perform to their
greatest ability on the day”, he added.
Alongside maintaining wheelchairs and vital equipment to ensure that athletes can perform to the best
of their ability, Otto Bock said that prosthetists and orthotists would be available throughout the games,
to ensure that no athlete needed to sacrifice their hard work, training and commitment to the games on
basis of a defective prosthesis, orthosis or wheelchair.
Brian Bell, London Press Service
DANCING SIGNS
SEENA RAVEENDRAN
Prepare to leave all your expectations at the door…their work subvert audience's expectations…a myriad
of emotions when they play with light and shade… like waves they move, from unfathomable intensity
to almost stillness… sometimes stretch out, close in, burst into multitudinous movements, fall down and
rise again- a world in motion… their movements challenge the conventional ways of seeing dance and
disability…and reduce the distance between the performers and the spectators!
Adim pool of light… we slowly identify a crouching female and male figures… dancers facing one
another. Initially, the two dancers are lost in their own world of reflection. The note of a flute is lightly
heard… scenes change. A most lyrical pas de deux emerge, in which the male and female dancer reach
out to each other most tenderly, creating the most intimate poses, without being kitsch or suggestive.
This piece performed by Malith Upendra and Dakshika Bandara of nATANDA, a contemporary dance
ensemble from Sri Lanka was one of the dance sequences that revved up the energy quotient of
CavinKare Abilty Awards evening.
The music chosen for this production was most descriptive. It established a mood for each ‘piece’. At
times it accompanied the dynamics on stage, at times it seemed to be redundant and at times it
completely faded out. The very absence of music to accompany the dance was intentional. When the
music stopped, the dancers moved to a kind of ‘inner music’ they created for themselves.
nATANDA, Sri Lanka's first contemporary dance troupe, among whom some are hearing and speech
impaired, changed the general perceptions of dance and the possibilities of the human body forever.
Founded in 2002, by Kapila Palihawadana, the dance troupe became a jewel of contemporary dance and
disability culture. Introduced to western classical ballet by Oosha Sarawanmuttu, Kapila has brought in
an innovative dance style that blends traditional Kandyan dance elements, Ballet, Yoga and Bharatha
Natyam with western techniques. SIGNSPEAK is their latest production, in which sign language is the
seed for developing gestures, poses and movements.
According to Kapila, who choreographed it, the movements on stage transpose many situations
experienced when communicating with those impaired in speaking and hearing. It has been an
enlightening process, he reflects. As always, we took a great deal of time to learn sign language as well
as to get to know the people who use it the most. What struck us was the extent of the emotional
struggle they face. There was a great deal of sorrow, anger and aggression to contend with, but at the
end of it all, we had a whole new level of understanding and empathy for them, as well as respect for
their perseverance and focus.
They venture out to seek the boundaries that the body is able to perform. It is true, as Kapila admits; an
important feature of contemporary dance is to discover one's own body and taking care of another
person's body, taking into account the limitations of age and ability.
The students from the School for the Deaf, Ratmala, Colombo also took to the stage. They were not
introduced as dancers who are impaired in hearing and speaking but beautifully merged into the
evening's uninterrupted dance sequences.
Kapila doesn't have any particular methods to teach his hearing impaired dancers. As he says, it was
initially difficult to explain the movements. But, he says, no one else in his troupe matches their
concentration and grasping power. “To learn contemporary dance, a dance background is not necessary.
What is needed more than anything else is commitment, discipline and passion. I really feel proud when
I look back at how they were when they started out and how they have evolved and grown up… It was
like… when I got them first, they were like plain papers, now they have become an expensive painting!”
He stresses with a smile: “These dancers became the role models in their own community. Their
confidence has inspired others. I wanted them to be as good as anyone else. They responded like true
artists, emerging winners at the end. There is a lesson to be learnt from this. What is needed to be given
legitimate space along with their peers in mainstream society – is not condescension, or pity, or charity
– just recognition of one's real worth, a genuine desire to learn.”
Here comes the aspect of social values in nATANDA's work. They actively promote community dance
education by conducting workshops in schools and they attempt to bridge the boundaries of ethnicity,
religion and class by seeking to involve dancers from various social backgrounds.
EXPECTATION.
ANTICIPATION.
CONVICTION.
If everything works according to plan, 2012 may well go down in history as the year of independence for
Indians with disabilities.
At home, R. Dharmarajan is an accomplished cook. He is also a photographer and the pictures he clicked
have made it to the showcase at several exhibitions. As a senior director and additional economic
advisor of the Forward Markets Commission, a regulator for the forwards and futures markets in India,
he has also accomplished himself professionally. These achievements take on a new meaning when one
realises that Dharmarajan is blind.
A couple of decades ago, Mumbai-based Dharmarajan lost his eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa, a
condition that leads to a gradual decline of one's sight until the stage of zero vision. But Dharmarajan's
determination ensured that the disability did not halt his progress to achieve all that he set his mind
upon. That's despite the fact that India has had little to offer its 2.1 crore disabled citizens (as per the
2001 census). The state has lagged behind even in basic activities. Dharmarajan recalls that he enrolled
for the Aadhar UID in a booth meant for disabled persons but was surprised when his card that followed
made no mention of his disability! That is just one of several cases of the country's indifference to
disability so far.
Since March 2012 that despair has given way to a glimmer of hope: with the announcement of a
separate Department of Disability Affairs under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment. As Merry Barua, Director, Action For Autism puts it, “It's a hope that perhaps disability
issues will not play second fiddle any longer.” That positive sentiment stemmed from President Pratibha
Patil's parliamentary address in which she stated that the government was planning to set-up a separate
department for the disabled. A couple of months later, there was an opening in the woods, when a
central government notification announced the creation of the Department of Disability Affairs (DDA).
An initiative of the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Mukul Wasnik, the creation of
this department was primarily aimed at being able to focus more on the policy issues and problems of
disabled people. “There would be a separate budget for this department which would help in
strengthening the existing schemes and also formulating new ones and also for technological
innovations, which are very much required in this sector”, the minister said through a media statement.
The notification said that the department would have a secretary, three joint secretary level officers and
a total staff strength of 150 people to begin with. Until now, there has only been one joint secretary and
a total staff strength of 40 to tackle the various issues concerning the disability sector.
DAWN OF A NEW ERA
Expectedly, the announcement thrilled many who are working for the betterment of persons with
disabilities in India. When Javed Ahmed Tak, a Kashmir based activist who works for the empowerment
of people with disabilities, first heard about the announcement, he says there was first a sense of
disbelief, “I was not sure. I blinked my eyes. I rubbed my eyes, but finally it was true”, says Tak and adds
in the same breath, “yes, something is positive. Somewhere, somebody has been successful in
sensitising the stakeholders.”
That optimism is like a breath of fresh air for a section of the population that's been battling both
discrimination and apathy for years. That's why Tak says, “So far we were pessimistic, but steps like the
creation of the department make us feel positive. It is a positive step towards inclusion.” There are
others who share this sentiment. Bhushan Punani, Executive Director, Blind People's Association, India,
says, “The shift is that the government has realised that persons with disabilities are not an invisible
minority. They need focused attention as regards the various issues pertaining to their development,
inclusion and protection of rights”, he says.
Some like Dr. L. Govinda Rao, former Director, NIMH and NIEPMD, Government of India, feel that a little
more could have been done. He says, “I would have been happier, had the government created a
separate ministry headed by a minister of cabinet rank and separate office for disability issues in each
department of all the other ministries.”
Is that not asking for too much? Not really, if you consider the following factors, “health, education,
livelihood and civil and political rights have to be bestowed on disabled people, for which, all the
departments have to be really made inclusive. For this, each department should have one office to deal
with disabilities in a focused manner and that calls for intervention from not just one ministry, but
several”, says Rao.
Then, as Barua points out, prevention of disabilities also requires the participation of several ministries.
For instance, there are many disabilities that are preventable with prenatal, perinatal and postnatal
action. Early identification can prevent a host of conditions including blindness, deafness, intellectual
impairment and mobility impairment. “Because we lag in all this, close to half the blind population of
the world is in India, as also the highest number of deaf persons, than in any country in the world. In the
case of autism, science does not yet know the exact cause but early identification can prevent the onset
of secondary disabilities, which have significant impact on prognosis”, says Barua.
TAKING BABY STEPS
Were existing structures not sufficient to take care of India's disabled population? Both activists and the
government say it was not. “Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, disability was just
one of the many focus areas that the Ministry was tackling, along with the issues of drug abuse, welfare
of backward classes and scheduled castes and so on. A 100% focus on the issue was missing”, agrees
Wasnik (See the Minister's interview on Page 21).
But the DDA is not going to be the one silver bullet that cures all that ails the disability sector. “Even now
we are staring at huge gaps in matters related to disability. We need to have systemic changes, we need
to bring changes holistically. We need to urgently involve all the stakeholders. We have a long way to
go, but a beginning has been made”, states Wasnik.
J. P Gadkari, Director, projects and development, Parivaar, a national federation of parent organisations
of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, agrees that the ball has been set rolling. He
states that even before the dawn of the 21st century, India witnessed a phenomenal growth of the
disability movement. During the last decade it has further consolidated itself and gained strength. This
has happened because of the tremendous worldwide awakening and awareness that has taken place
and disabled people have started demanding their rights. In our country too, these very factors are
responsible for the progress made in disability issues in both government and non-government
organisations.
For instance, India is on the threshold of getting a new disability law which will ensure and protect all
human, social, political, civic and cultural rights of persons with disabilities and ensure an increased
participation of PwDs in all aspects of life, in keeping with the requirements of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNRCPD).
Irrespective of when the law comes into force, there is a lot of work to be done. First, as even activists
point out, it starts with having the right people at the helm of affairs. For starters the effectiveness of
the DDA will depend on the right kind of people at the Secretary and Joint Secretary levels who have a
keen understanding on the specific needs and rights of PwDs. “The Department should be allocated
adequate resources and provided accessible infrastructure on priority basis. As disability is a state
subject, it would be essential to establish such dedicated departments at the state government level as
well”, says Punani.
But as others like Gadkari point out, the DDA has to prove that it's a lot more than just a cosmetic
change. “Though the DDA will get a separate financial allocation, which might be quite substantial, a
major portion of this might be spent to meet the increased administrative expenses with a three-fold
increase in the staff”, worries Gadkari.
Another area which needs immediate action on the part of the DDA, is to create and provide
opportunities for employment, self-employment and necessary training facilities to enable PwDs to be
proficient in the jobs that are offered to them. Wasnik would be the first one to support this view,
“Employment for disabled persons is a primary concern for the Department of Disability Affairs”, he
says. He adds that the Government of India has schemes that provide incentives to employers who hire
disabled people in their organisations. “Unfortunately, the implementation of the incentive schemes has
not been satisfactory. One of the first major tasks for the Department of Disability Affairs, will be to
review and check the implementation of such employment schemes”, he says.
“The DDA can set up a separate information wing which will gather and disseminate the information and
also provide financial assistance to the needy among PwDs to acquire them”, suggests Gadkari. Activists
point out that almost all the present schemes for supporting NGOs, ADIP, DDRC, CRC, etc, have very
limited funds and lack a clear mandate. Some say that at present, the ministry provides a paltry sum as
salaries for professionals and educators. “The system of providing ad hoc grants on a year to year basis
should be relooked at. These grants should be provided on a regular basis as a part of regular activities
of the Department. If schools are provided grants on a regular basis as per Sixth Pay Commission, what is
the rationale for providing honorarium in case of staff under grant-in-aid schemes?” asks Punani.
Others like Gadkari say that the primary focus should be on creating early intervention facilities at all
levels, particularly in the rural areas where nothing exists. “Health care facilities are equally important
and this should also be taken up on a priority basis all over the country. A health insurance scheme like
'Nirmaya', introduced by the National Trust for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
should be extended to all”, he says.
“The Department of Disability Affairs will ensure that the needs are addressed sooner rather than later.
Periodic reports of the work done in the sector will have to be submitted to the department to be
reviewed”, says Wasnik.
But the primary challenges are even more basic. For disabled people to get these benefits, they need to
be recognised first. As of now, only 40% have been issued certificates all over India. In fact, in two north
eastern states, only 6% have received these certificates. “Why haven't 60% of the disabled population
received benefits such as certificates, which can make life easier for them? These are hard facts staring
at us”, states Wasnik.
RIGHT TO LIVING
Rao hits the nail on the spot, “Western countries lay more stress on rights and the disability construct is
quite different from India,” he says. In India, we lay emphasis on the entitlements, so disability below
40% has not been taken into account. Also, because of more stress on entitlements, our thinking has not
taken into account the ‘rights’ aspect. “Departments at the central and state level and the authorities,
civil society and parents/families have to realise that the PwDs have their basic rights as do all others.
The 40% disability as the cut off may be kept for entitlements, but for all other purposes, be it health,
education, livelihood, civil and political rights, the ‘rights’ mode of thinking has to operate”, says Rao.
He says that's the reason why the quality of life of people with disabilities has not improved, despite the
various programmes initiated in the last few decades. Rao says, “It is like a Chinese proverb: give me a
fish I will eat for the day, teach me to fish, I will eat for a lifetime. Hence, there is an acute need for all
concerned to change attitudes towards disability and we have to accept that disability rights are
indivisible and these have to be an inclusive mode with rights and legal capacity given utmost priority.”
A. S Narayanan, Secretary, the National Association of the Deaf, says the future will certainly be
different. He hopes for a scenario where a disabled person in an airport, will get help according to their
disability and not just on the assumptions of the airline staff. “Wheelchair users will get assistants and
have to be allowed to use their own wheelchair to the plane, people with visual impairment will be
provided assistants and not wheelchairs, people with intellectual disablities will not be barred from
boarding the aircraft and deaf passengers will be provided with interpreters,” he says and quickly adds,
“I do see a future where our country will have a more rights-based approach.”
That's how it is in most of the developed world. For instance, developed countries have well established
government organisations to take care of the concerns of the persons with disabilities. For example, in
the USA, the Department of Labour has a separate office of employment for persons with Disabilities,
the Department of Education has a separate Office of Special Education, etc. “From this, we can see
that while there are exclusive or focused programmes for disabilities, this is, however, an inclusive
model. These kind of support services are up to the mayor's office also”, says Rao. The arrangement for
disability issues in all European countries is similar. By this, the responsibility of dealing with issues
related to disability is that it is not of one department or ministry, but that of all the departments of the
government.
Barua adds that not every country has a Department of Disability Affairs. In many there are good
programmes and services in place even without any separate ministry or department. Running a
department effectively or not, is about the entire package. However, for India an initiative like the DDA
might be a right approach, “Having a dedicated department of disability affairs will of course ensure that
there is more focused attention to disability issues, something sorely lacking till now. Disability will not
be treated secondary to other issues as before,” she says. In the same way that having a national trust
for autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities has ensured that, despite some of
these disabilities having been covered under the PwD Act.
RAISING HOPE
Everyone accepts that the Department of Disability Affairs (DDA) is just the first step towards a new
beginning for disabled persons in India. What now? There are a host of things that disabled persons
need to be supported with, in their quest to be equal opportunity citizens of the country.
Merry Barua gives a holistic perspective, “Disability is often represented as a homogeneous construct
whereas it is actually highly heterogeneous. For instance, for those with autistic spectrum disorders,
whether children attend mainstream schools, special needs schools, or are at home, barring a few
exceptions most have no access to educational supports that would help them achieve any kind of
potential; and for students with autism, structural changes will not ensure access to an appropriate
education.” On the other hand, for those with mobility impairment, providing physical access can come
close to ensuring an education that is as good or as bad as those available to others. “So priorities would
vary greatly across disabilities as also across areas.” Barua also points out that action will have to go
beyond traditional areas of focus. For instance, provisions for employment will have to also provide for
those who have more severe challenges and would require significant support, to function in open
employment, or would require supported employment options.
Bhushan Punani says using technology for promoting employment opportunities, and empowering
persons with disabilities is the need of the hour.
He feels that going ahead, the vision should be to provide disabled people full access to computers with
appropriate software; developing screen reading software in Indian languages, ensuring production of
Braille material in regional languages, motorised tricycles and wheelchairs at affordable cost, production
of digital hearing aids at affordable cost, etc. “This ensures participation of people with disabilities and
their organisations and provides for inclusion at all levels in every sphere of social life. Otherwise, such a
department would just be another eyewash”, he says.
A total overhaul of the system that provides service to PwDs, is what J.P Gadkari recommends.
Provisions for an adequate lifelong disability allowance; an efficient system of grievance redressal;
representation to PwDs at every level of administration including the policy making bodies; are critical.
Only when these things are implemented, will a real change in the perception of the government
towards disability be seen.
The Rights of PwD Bill has recommended enhanced reservation for PwDs by doubling it to 6%. But
notwithstanding the final outcome, the DDA must concentrate on creating and providing opportunities
for employment and self-employment for PwDs. DDA should provide assistance to PwDs to participate
in sports and recreational activities. PwDs should be provided special quota in government and private
housing, he says.
A. S Narayanan says that even amongst disabled people there is discrimination depending on the
disability, “For example, the authorities often forget that some deaf people require interpreters and
these interpreters need to be paid since they play the all-important role of bridging the communication
divide between hearing and non-hearing people”, he says.
He recommends a few technological innovations that the government can focus on like Video Relay
Services (VRS) to be provided to all deaf persons wherever they may be, to enable them to contact
interpreters any time. There should also be a concerted push towards ensuring a 1% job reservation for
deaf persons.
L Govinda Rao agrees that ICT and state of art assistive technology can play a hue role in scaling down
dependence of disabled people. Universal design has to be adopted in a very aggressive manner.
Javed Ahmed Tak says that social security schemes and schemes for livelihood need to be announced
soon. Standard assistive and supportive devices with modern technologies need to be introduced to
promote complete independence in mobility, education and so on.
Ministerspeak
In an exclusive interview to Success & ABILITY, Sri Mukul Wasnik, Hon. Minister, Social Justice and
Empowerment, Government of India, answers the questions put to him by ABHILASHA OJHA on the
various concerns of people with disabilities, which will hopefully pave the way for a new beginning
through the new Department of Disability Affairs.
So far, disability has come under the all-inclusive umbrella of the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment. What prompted the ministry to set up the Department of Disability Affairs?
The prime minister, the chairperson of the UPA, were keen that the government should respond in an
effective manner as far as the rights of the disabled are concerned. A separate department on disability
affairs, within the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, as mandated in the 11th Five Year Plan, has
been on the agenda to specifically address the needs of disabled people. We took this up seriously and,
in May 2012, the government issued a notification, which paved the way for the new department.
The need to have a separate department for issues concerning disability is necessary because a 100%
focus on the sector is a necessity now. We need to have a separate budget for this department to help
in strengthening the existing schemes and in formulating new ones, and to evolve technological
innovations, which are sorely needed for the sector's growth. A separate department will also allow us
to coordinate more easily with the stakeholders, including NGOs, state governments, other central
ministries and international organisations like the United Nations.
Were the existing structures inadequate in tackling issues related to disability?
In a way, yes. The need to have the Department of Disability Affairs is a necessity because we need a
total focus on issues concerning disability. Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
disability, along with issues of drug abuse, welfare of backward classes and scheduled castes, was just
one of the many problem areas that the Ministry was tackling. A 100% focus on the issue was missing.
The task is massive and unless we have a separate department, we will not be able to address the needs
and requirements of the sector that need our attention. There are many gaps, many challenges that
need to be urgently looked at.
In what way will the working of the Department of Disability Affairs be different from the disability desk
under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment? Does the setting up of the Department reflect a
shift in the perception of the government towards disability?
Like I said, we will have a 100% focus on disability with the setting up of the Department. So far, the
government's intention to address issues related to disability was there, the mechanism was missing.
The department has to address the aspirations and requirements of the disabled in our country. To be
honest, even now we are staring at big gaps in the matters related to disability. We need to have
systemic changes, we need to bring changes holistically, we need to urgently involve all the
stakeholders. We have a long way to go but a beginning has been made.
What are the short, mid- and long-term objectives and goals of the Department of Disability Affairs?
We definitely need more coordination with the central ministry. We need to address issues at the state
level. We need to engage local bodies, we need to coordinate much better with state governments, we
need to relook at many of the schemes related to the sector; basically we need to have methods to
holistically raise awareness about disability.
It's very important to fulfill all the aspirations of disabled people.
Among the first tasks, we need to formulate a new law to replace the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995,
and replace it with a comprehensive rights based law in accordance with the provisions of the United
Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). That is our priority.
Among other major initiatives, we will have to ensure that disability certificates (so people can avail
various government benefits) are issued to all the people concerned. The north east states, in particular,
need to fully utilise the central schemes for the sector. In fact, in two north-eastern states, only 6% of
the disabled population have received these certificates. Now, that's not good. All over India, only 40%
of disabled people have been issued certificates. So, why haven't the rest of the 60% of the disabled
population received benefits such as certificates, which can make life easier for them? These are hard
facts staring at us.
Similarly, it is important that all our national institutes for the disabled become centres of excellence.
The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, which was launched by Indira Gandhi National
Open University, for example, will lead the way in academic development, training and propagation of
Indian Sign language. It's an exclusive education project for the teaching, learning, training and capacity
building for the vast hearing impaired population. The government is striving to achieve a barrier-free
environment with its measures and ideas for the disabled.
To meet the aspirations of disabled people, to provide them equal opportunities in every sphere is what
I'm striving for, through the Department for Disability Affairs. So, besides putting the legislation in place,
we need to have a revision of many schemes related to disability, maybe even bring out newer schemes
that could help our country to become more disabled-friendly. Sensitising officers, opinion makers and
the society at large is what can really bring about a change in the sector. The government is committed
towards bringing a change in society so as to become a more disabled-friendly nation on the whole. The
Department of Disability Affairs will bridge the gap that there has been in the various issues of disability.
What are the challenges that you foresee in ensuring that the Department of Disability Affairs has a
positive impact on the disability sector?
Like I said, issuance of certificates, creating institutions of excellence for the disabled, are some of the
challenges because clearly we need to do a lot more for the sector. Speaking of gaps, a major lacuna is
the absence of commissioners for the disabled in many states. It's a huge deal given that these
commissioners are entrusted with the task of allocating grants and addressing grievances. We need to
frame state policies for the disabled and that's possible only when we have state commissioners in
place. Also, though a national policy for the disabled is firmly in place, framing of state policy needs to
be done urgently at the state level.
If you ask me the biggest challenge in the sector, it is to bring about an attitudinal change in society at
large to sensitise people towards the disabled.
Employment for the disabled is a primary concern for the Department of Disability Affairs. The
Government of India has incentive schemes for employers who hire disabled people in their respective
organisations and companies. Unfortunately, the implementation of the incentive schemes has not been
satisfactory. Among the first major tasks for the Department of Disability Affairs, we will review and
check the implementation of such employment schemes.
The Department of Disability Affairs will ensure that these needs are addressed sooner rather than later,
periodic reports of the work done in the sector will have to be submitted to the Department to be
reviewed. Like I said, the work is massive and we need to start with immediate effect.
Is the Department of Disability Affairs modeled on other initiatives in foreign countries?
While we do keep track of what other nations, including some of the developed countries are doing in
this direction, I must clarify that we are not emulating any one country. We are constantly upgrading
and reviewing the techniques and technological innovations in the sector, we are promoting research in
the sector but I think it's important to tailor-make everything based on the needs and requirements of
our nation. So, no, the Department of Disability Affairs is not modelled on initiatives in foreign countries.
Can you share the fund allocation of the department?
It's too early to give details because the notification has just come. However, there will be a separate
budget allocation for the department.
All this notwithstanding, we need to keep in mind that no law or stricture can help, if the attitude of
people in India towards people with disabilities does not change. The most important factor why some
countries do a more effective job while others don't in managing the aspirations, is the attitude of their
respective citizens. “In most of these countries citizens presume individual responsibility towards their
community. As a result, a vast majority of their people instinctively make accommodations for those
who may have any kind of special needs including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, children,
etc.” This, she says is mainly the lack of awareness and the stigma associated with disability. If the
people who represent and carry out the duties of any department of disability belong to this same
community that believes that disability is a ‘shame’, that it's a result of past sins, then not much can be
expected by mere use of strictures and whips without sufficient emphasis on changing perceptions. And
when perceptions change, the one small step of setting up the DDA will become a giant leap for India's
disabled population, for, we need to keep in mind that while we can mandate policies, we cannot
mandate attitudes.
SANDHYA IYER,
Write Cause Foundation
'Everyone's Games’
ELEANOR DAVIS
From August 29 to September 9, 2012, over 4 billion viewers will take to their seats as 4,200 athletes
competing in 20 sports, 21 disciplines in 19 venues, step up to the start line, putting years of training
into practice to test their speed, strength, power and agility, in what is set to be the biggest Games to
date – the 2012 Paralympics.
This is the year that the Games go back to their roots, hosted in London. It was in 1948 in Stoke
Mandeville, England, that Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised the first games amongst veterans of World
War II with spinal cord injury (as featured in Success & ABILITY April-June 2012). Using sport to re-build
self-confidence, mental and physical strength, quickly caught on and four years later, in 1952, the
Netherlands partook in the games. By 1960 Rome modelled the games on the Olympics, forming the
'Paralympics'; with 400 athletes from 23 different countries.
Initially athletes on wheelchairs were the competitors. Now however, barely over 50 years later, the
Games bring head-to-head those with impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement,
limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and
intellectual impairment. Throughout the fast-paced, intense 12 days of sport, athletes compete for gold
medals in sports ranging from archery to judo, rowing to wheelchair fencing, football, cycling and
equestrian.
A classification system ranks the athletes, depending on the impact that their individual disability has on
their ability to play their chosen sport. This, according to the website of the London Organising
Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) 'is essential in elite sport for disabled
athletes, as it minimises the impact of eligible types of impairment on the outcome of the competition.'
The London 2012 organisers thus not only aim to put on the world's biggest sporting event to date, but
also to make it the world's first truly sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games. LOCOG hold inclusivity,
accessibility and sustainability at the forefront of the Games. From ethically sourced food for sale in the
arenas, to the promotion and rejuvenation of walking and cycling routes across London, to community
based projects that brighten up the east of the city home to some of the most deprived in Europe.
Labelled 'Everyone's Games' by Sebastian Coe (Chair, London 2012 Organising Committee) and John
Armitt (Chairman, Olympic Delivery Authority), the Games will embrace diversity and inclusivity with
accessible websites, inclusive and diverse opening ceremonies and a ticketing system which is easy to
use by all.
“Never before have an Olympic Games and Paralympic Games been more integrated in their delivery
from the outset” says Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at LOCOG. “...our approaches in
every area – from plans for athletes, spectators and volunteers, to our culture and education
programmes, right through to transport and venues – have been integrated throughout.”
“We are committed to making sure that the London 2012 Games are as accessible as possible. We
wanted to set an excellent standard of accessibility, ensuring that the Olympic Park and venues are
accessible to all types of visitors, including wheelchair users, families and people of all ages.”
The London Underground is known for its steep escalators, spiral staircases and busy platforms. In one
of Europe's most populous cities, with a population of around 7,771,139 joined by tourists from all
corners of the globe, transport poses a challenge for persons with disabilities travelling to the Games.
In order to truly make these 'everyone's games' LOCOG have a number of services to improve transport
accessibility, including shuttle services from key accessible train and bus stations, allocated parking slots,
and a 'Games Mobility' service, to offer assistance around the Olympic Park. For those watching in the
arenas, audio description and commentary will be available and audio augmentation will be provided for
hearing aid users.
“Specific accessibility designs include making the corridors large enough for two wheelchairs to be sideby-side, having a Changing Places toilet (a toilet with a hoist) and no segregated seating in venues for
disabled people (for example, wheelchair users can sit with their friends and families)” says Holmes.
“There will also be a free service which will loan out manual wheelchairs and mobility scooters and
guide visually impaired people to their seats” he adds.
The Village at the Olympic Park will host both Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the Games.
LOCOG have brought in Tanni Grey-Thompson, 11 time gold medalist in wheelchair racing and vice-chair
of the Athletes Committee, to ensure accommodation that is accessible to everyone.
Yet, if inclusion, is key to this year's Games then some might wonder why the Olympics and Paralympics
continue to commence 15 days apart, rather than merge to a simple all-inclusive event.
“When there is a say that disabled persons are equal, that's when the IOC (International Olympic
Committee) and IPC (International Paralympic Committee) will have a meeting together and will resolve
the Olympics and Paralympics” says Venkatesh, Executive President of the Paralympic Badminton Sports
Association of India, who is also highly involved in India's Paralympic Equestrian Society and Dwarf
Sports of India.
“The Paralympic Games are no ‘add-on’” states Holmes. It is for logistical reasons that a fortnight gap
exists between Olympics and Paralympics, giving time for preparation. “Also, I believe that Paralympic
athletes want to have their own separate moment on the world stage” he adds, hoping that the
Paralympics will inspire disabled youth to engage in sport and enjoy the same access as able-bodied
youth:
“Our vision is to use the power of these Games to inspire change: in people's lives, in attitudes to
disability issues and in the way sporting events are delivered.”
This year's Paralympics have been, by far, the most popular, with over 1 million tickets sold 10 months
after they went on sale. Ticket sales included a 'Ticketcare' scheme, which allowed those who need a
carer or personal assistant to accompany them to the games free of charge.
“Our disabled people are equally talented” continues Venkatesh, using the example of Oscar Pistorious,
the South African Paralympic runner who competed internationally against able-bodied runners. His
performance led to a series of controversies which saw Pistorious banned from competing against ablebodied athletes under the impression that his prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage. This decision was
later revoked and the tests carried out on the athlete were revealed to be scientifically flawed and
biased, not before preventing him from entering the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
While Pistorious is now preparing to enter the men's 400m and 4 x 400m relay as the first double
amputee track athlete to compete in both games, he will not be the first Paralympian to compete at the
Olympics. In 1984, Neroli Susan Fairhall, a paraplegic athlete from New Zealand, was the first
Paralympian to enter the Olympic Games, competing in archery from her wheelchair. In 2010, Danielle
Brown became the first Paralympian to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Her reflex
sympathetic dystrophy didn't stop her mounting the podium unaided, to receive her medal.
The Paralympics prove that having a disability does not mean you can't reach your goals: you can excel
in them. Paralympians push themselves beyond their limit, with a fighting spirit to show that anything
and everything is possible when a dream is born. With 499 gold medals up for grabs this year, we speak
to two hopeful contestants...
Sharath Gayakwad, the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the Paralympics is currently training in
Australia in preparation for the Games. Born with a deformed left hand, he was encouraged by his
school to take part in mandatory swimming from the 4th Standard. Despite his parent's worries that his
hand might hold him back, he enjoyed three years of swimming for fitness and fun, when his talent in
the pool came to surface,
I got to know about special competitions conducted for disabled people and started training
competitively. As I started swimming more and spent a lot more time in the pool, I began dreaming big
and dreaming about competitive swimming...
From then on, Sharath hasn't looked back. Competing in a sport that requires symmetry, balance and
strength, he has 30 international and 40 national medals firmly under his belt. He will now compete in
the 100 metres breaststroke at the Paralympics: a first for him and a first for India. The road to the
Paralympics has not always been smooth for this swimmer. Society treated me differently in the
beginning, but everything has changed now. People are very supportive, helpful and understanding. Still
there is a lot to be improved and life can be difficult for a disabled person in India as there are no
disabled friendly services...
With the strong foundations set in place by his supportive parents, and now with sponsorship from
GoSports Foundation, Health Add Consultancy and BEML, Sharath has been able to overcome financial
restrictions, and even an injury in 2009-2012. His disability has never come in the way of his dreams.
What he has to overcome, is his own personal best,
The medal has never made any difference to my confidence or the level of the competition. I have
always wanted to swim fast and give my 100% and keep improving every time I swim.
It was very difficult in the beginning, but my disability has never been a problem for me or my goals or
for dreaming big! With practice I am now able to do almost everything. In fact, I can't remember
anything that I can't do now.
Sharath is paving the way for athletes like himself who have a disability. Despite problems of
accessibility which affect the lives of many on a daily basis, he is confident for the future of paralympians
in India:
“The young and upcoming Para-athletes have a lot of scope in sports and sport is not only going to help
them in achieving something but it will help them a lot in their confidence and building up their career...
The Government of India is supporting by sponsoring the team for international competitions and
conducting training camps before the competitions. The government is also giving cash prizes for
winning medals at the Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Championships...Yes,
the support is not enough but it has certainly improved over the years.”
Will Bayley, currently the world number one in class 7 table tennis, is also preparing to make his mark in
the 2012 Games, competing for Great Britain. Born with arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that
causes contractures, stiffness and poor mobility of the joints and muscle fatigue, sport helped him to
overcome a series of reconstructive operations for splinted feet, from just the age of three months old.
But Will was born with immense determination and a positive attitude,
I have had many hurdles, it's never easy. I love the game but it has massive highs and lows you have to
be so mentally strong to play at this level.
Will's talent emerged whilst recovering from cancer at the age of seven. His grandmother presented him
with a table tennis table, unknowing of the flair she had sparked. 17 years on Will describes his passion
for the sport, one of the largest events with 29 medals and 276 athletes competing: Table tennis is fast,
and unpredictable that's why I love it!! It's always different and fun.
Alongside the vital support of his mother and his friends, Will's key to success has been to keep the
competition in mind, when the training gets tough: I think everyday someone will be training harder
than me, be fitter and stronger in training. I don't like that, so it pushes me.
Does his disability impact on his goals? No, I don't let it. I just think about what I can do. He says , ...I
push myself to the limits and do things that surprise me every day.
For all the latest information on the 2012 Games visit the London 2012 accessible website:
www.london2012.com http://www.london2012.com
A CALL OF THEIR OWN
SEENA RAVEENDRAN
EuroAble is an employees' place. The 5000-sq-metre call centre radiates a sense of achievement and
cheer the moment you step in. Done up in bright yellows, greens and blues, India's first state-of-the-art
call centre manned and operated entirely by people with disabilities, brims with confidence. Set up by
Eureka Forbes Ltd, (EFL), a consumer durable brand in association with National Society for Equal
Opportunities for the Handicapped, India (NASEOH) in suburban Chembur, Mumbai, aims to integrate
people with disabilities in the mainstream.
EuroAble is the brainchild of Mr. Shapoor Mistry, Chairman of Eureka Forbes Limited. Highlighting the
vision of EuroAble, he says, “A special feeling comes to me when I see smiles on everyone's faces. Our
conviction to set up this call centre is a humble attempt to spread happiness to our consumers,
leveraging the commitment and passion of the team working here.”
This call centre, which started as a pilot project with just six employees currently has today around 90
people. The centre has been so designed to make the work place comfortable. A large hall has over 80
work stations, including 10 exclusively for people with wheelchairs. Extra care has been taken to ensure
mobility with roomy workstations a foot longer than the standard. “Setting up the work place was a big
challenge. There was no earlier model to look to. One had to carefully engineer the space required – the
passage between the work tables, to the washrooms and cafeteria. The desktop computers are fitted
such that all the controls are on top, so that the employees need not bend down. Also, the floor had to
be of the right texture so that people on crutches do not slip. The washrooms were designed with antiskid tiles and wider space and support rails were provided as per international standards”, says Vinath
Hegde, Head of Customer Relations Management.
While 20% of the employees are graduates, others have barely finished their high school. Unlike any
other BPO, training for the EuroAble employees was not a some days affair'. “We had to instill in them a
lot of confidence through conselling. After a two–month period of rigorous training that involved
sharpening of their communication skills, special coaching in English language, voice modulation and a
thorough familiarisation with all the related products of the company there were a new breed of
professionals”, says Vinath. According to the employers, their confidence levels are so high now that
they converse with each other in English and handle some irate customers quite easily.
“I still remember the day when I went for a job interview for a typist position. My application was torn
to shreds in front of my eyes due to my physical disability. Today I have all the courage and strength to
wipe off my tears and face every challenge. At EuroAble, I was trained thoroughly in communication
skills and was provided with product knowledge. Every day has been a milestone ever since I joined
EuroAble”, says Nutan, an employee.
Sudha Balachandra, Executive Secretary, NASEOH, says that they had to think out of the box when one
of the major companies who were offering data-entry work to people with disabilities moved out of
Mumbai, “So we explored the possibility with Eureka Forbes and it is great to see that they are 100%
successful in their attempt.”
At the moment, this centre handles customers only from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and
Rajasthan. Soon customers from Delhi region too will be serviced from here. While Hindi and Marathi
are the main languages used, many customers speak in English and the EuroAble team is able to handle
calls in English with increasing confidence. “Every afternoon, after lunch we make them read
newspapers aloud to test and train them on voice modulations and pronunciation”, says Vinath.
The company also plans to provide transportation facilities to its employees. At EuroAble, there is a
great camaraderie between the boss and the employees. The small pantry area where they all have
lunch says a lot about the comfort zone of the employees. “Some of us have worked in other call centres
as well. But here, we feel, we are at home”, says an employee.
The company has plans to expand the concept to other cities in the coming years. “It gives dignity,
status and life to many people with difficulties. We would like other companies to follow the lead”, says
Vinath.
Now, that is empowerment at its best!
Tete-a-tete with Vinath Hegde, Head, Customer Relations Management
Your broad vision and philosophy:
Our objective was to set up a call centre in the highly competitive and professionally demanding voicebased call centre industry employing only people with disabilities. This was to prove that it was possible
to harness their talents and achieve market based performance standards. Also, we intended to provide
the employees with adequate training and industry level compensation to mainstream them into
society, so that they gain financial independence. Another objective being, to gain expertise in running
such call centres and thereafter help other corporates to set up either full-fledged (such as EuroAble)
centres or 'cells' within their system; thereby providing employability and financial independence to
more people with disabilities.
What difference you think EuroAble has made to society?
While world over, corporates are outsourcing call centres, EFL has taken the EuroAble call centre 'inhouse'. Knowing that it would take considerable time to achieve milestones and that it would be more
expensive, we took such an effort only on our unbounded confidence on our employees. We were
confident that over time, the quality would be high, retention would be the best and satisfaction the
highest. It's a part of our vision to provide inclusive growth.
What, according to you are the qualitative/quantitative results?
We, at EFL, are satisfied that it has generated income for people with disabilities giving them financial
stability. Also, this opportunity has provided them self-reliance and assured them of their capabilities.
The job endowed dignity to them and guaranteed them that they are no longer a burden on their family
or society and that they are valuable resources to society.
It was an achievement for us too, to see them talking so confidently today. During the training, I was
surprised to see the speed with which they picked up the product know-how. They had the passion to
learn, resilience to survive and the interest to grow.
What are the general bottlenecks faced by people with disabilities towards employment?
On the practical level, it is difficult to work in normal workstations due to physical as well environmental
constraints. These constraints vary from seating arrangements (generally higher chairs without casters
are required), access to the workplace, which includes transport facilities, which are generally ignored.
Most of our employees, who were previously working in call centres had to quit their job because of the
lack of acknowledgement of their needs from their employers. They would require extra space to move
around and also to keep their wheelchairs/crutches and there could be emergencies any time. EFL took
special care and attention to address to these small, yet important aspects while setting up EuroAble.
Your take on being an equal opportunity employer:
We would urge other corporates to also create opportunities for people with disabilities since their
capabilities are no different from us. At EFL, we plan to take this call centre across north, south, east and
west regions in India, catering to the requirements of our multilingual customers.
WONDERSTRUCK: THE RETURN HOME AILEEN CROWE NANDI
Reverse culture shock – experts always warn that it can be brutal. Indeed, coming back to one's homecountry can often be more difficult than moving abroad.
After five delightful years in India and nearly four in Mexico, my family and I relocated from Chennai to
Silicon Valley, last summer. The extreme real estate prices, the magnificent variety of foods from all over
the world and the diversity of cultural events and things to do kept us spellbound for months. We still
continue to be amazed by all that California has to offer.
However, what struck me the most, in fact, what made me ‘wonderstruck’, entailed watching how
seamlessly people with disabilities seem to integrate into life in the U.S. In large part, due to my
association with Ability Foundation's efforts to advocate for people with disabilities in India, I was a keen
observer of the not-so-subtle changes back home.
I first read Brian Selznick's new book, ‘Wonderstruck’, which features two deaf individuals who ‘finger
sign’ and communicate with the world through various means. Selznick, who also wrote the exquisite
‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’, focuses on children's books that have a strong graphic art medium.
Wonderstruck portrays two interwoven stories from different generations, depicting the difficulties of
being deaf in the United States – fifty years ago, and now. For more background on the history of deaf
culture and sign language that inspired Mr Selznick, please see:
http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/essay_deaf-culture.htm.
Then, I was delighted to learn that a new prime-time TV show, ‘Switched at Birth’ features a deaf person
as the lead character who communicates in sign language. The show's premises – that two girls were
switched at birth at the hospital and, upon meeting in their teenage years, they must learn how to
integrate each other's families – demonstrate family members signing. It is almost impossible to
understate the importance of witnessing a deaf character on prime-time TV who is not mocked, labeled
‘deaf and dumb’ or rendered as a sidekick.
Finally, my youngest sister sent me an inspiring link to hear Keith Nolan talk about Deaf in the Military:
http://www.ted.com/talks/keith nolan deaf in the military.html. Awestruck as I listened to this (the
video is in sign language with voice translation and subtitles), I learned that the Israeli Army accepts deaf
soldiers. Though a U.S. Naval recruiter once told him (by written note, no less): “Bad ear – disqual,”
Cadet Nolan persevered against great odds to join a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program.
However, though he was among the top in his class, he was unable to join the Army because he would
be unable to pass the medical exam due to his deafness. As Cadet Nolan points out, 80% of all positions
in the U.S. military are non-combat and he has a strong desire to serve. He is currently lobbying political
leaders to demonstrate that people who are hearing impaired and disabled are fully capable of serving
in the armed forces. With this determination and work ethic, I have no doubt that he will excel in his
future efforts. Bear in mind that African-Americans and women were also once barred from the U.S.
military…
Indeed, seeing deaf people gain prominence in books and on TV fills me with a sense of unearned pride.
I have done nothing to facilitate their creation, but their existence validates my struggles. Yet, all is not
rosy in the United States. I have long decided that my mission in life, once I retire from the Foreign
Service, is to both raise money to fund companies that invent low-cost technologies for the deaf/hearing
impaired and to lobby health insurance companies to partially cover the cost of hearing aids, at least on
par with glasses. A new pair of hearing aids costs thousands of dollars, which is not covered by health
insurance; putting a significant burden on individuals and families to cover this expense. That I have
decades before my retirement speaks to the time it will take to accomplish these goals. But,
wonderstruck, awestruck and inspired by deaf people who are achieving great things, I owe it to my deaf
friends and colleagues to ensure that everyone has access to hearing aids, interpreters and other
technologies.
However, don't think that India will be left off the hook. As my husband hails from India, I'm sure we'll
spend part of every year in India in retirement, where I plan to continue working with deaf/hearing
impaired communities to promote equal access to education, speech therapy, and assistive
technologies. Stay tuned….
Aileen Crowe Nandi is a U.S. diplomat currently on domestic assignment in San Jose, CA. She previously
spent five years in India, in Chennai and in Kolkata. Her outreach with the deaf/hearing impaired schools
ranked among her most profound experiences in India.
MOVING FORWARD
RAJIVE RATURI
The judiciary and UNCRPD
India's ratification of the UNCRPD kindled hope amongst India's 70 million disabled people, but the
paradigm shift that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) promises is yet to
happen. Discrimination continues in every possible way in accessing our socio- economic, and civil
political rights and, if the widespread instances of the ill treatment and torture that are being reported
in our dailies are an indication, then it is a long way that we have to go before we can hope for the
paradigm shift.
So it happens that you continue to read about airlines deplaning disabled persons and the lucky ones
who are not deplaned, are handled as baggage. What is more alarming is that, in most instances of
violence and abuse, it is the state which is the perpetrator.
Consider the following… just to cite a few instances reported in the media over the last one year:
*the killing of an intellectually impaired person in Poonch area of J&K by a Special Police Officer who
killed to claim a reward ostensibly for having decimated a dreaded militant;
*the Railway Police who tied up and beat to death a person with mental illness in the railway station in
Jhansi in UP; a blind
passenger who was killed by the Railway Police in Warda station in MP;
*a deaf girl was gang-raped by 11 State Armed Police personnel in Kokrajhar in Assam; mentally ill
persons who were ill- treated and tortured and tied in chains in institutions in Kerala; forced
treatment being meted out to persons in private
psychiatric institutions in Karnataka;
*prisoners with disabilities being ill-treated in Tihar jail in Delhi leading to the death of one of them;
*ill-treatment of prisoners with mental illness in Tihar jail in the absence of proper treatment guidelines;
*the death of children with intellectual disabilities in the Asha Kiran – a home in Delhi and of course, the
very recent, infamous case of clinical trials on marginalised communities including persons with
mental illness in MP.
These… mind you… are only the tip of the iceberg.
So… whilst the pillars of our parliament and executive remain incommunicado as to whether they will, or
will not, implement the various provisions of the CRPD, we turn to the pillars of our judiciary to seek
justice and further the Convention.
So… despite the Ministry of Civil Aviation now working on an overdrive, setting up committees and
wanting to post lists of do's and don'ts, Jeeja Ghosh has gone to the Supreme Court seeking justice for
the humiliation she suffered;
the UP Viklang Sangh has gone to the Allahabad High Court demanding criminal action against the
railway police, compensation for the victim's family and to order the Railway Board to immediately start
awareness and sensitisation programmes for the railway police;
SICREM wants the Karnataka High Court to order closure of private psychiatric institutions which do not
conform to the law;
Snehi has gone to the Delhi High Court challenging the guidelines framed by Institute of Human
Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for treatment of prisoners with mental illness;
The Gauhati High Court took suo moto notice of the gang rape on the basis of a letter signed by civil
society and has disposed the matter with directions to the magistrate in the lower court to deal with the
matter expeditiously;
The Kerala matter has been taken to the High Court and the government is being asked to disclose the
findings of investigations to ensure all infrastructure and legal entitlements of inmates, audit and quality
control and the constitution of a permanent committee for social audits and the setting up of a review
board;
Jose Abraham has gone to the Delhi High Court regarding the death of a prisoner with a disability
praying for an inquiry into the death, fixing responsibility and to proceed departmentally against all
those involved, including the Session's Court Judge;
The ‘Aasha Kiran’ matter is in the Delhi High Court and the court is being asked to call for records of
deaths, impartial inquiry on the same, direction for strong action against the concerned office bearers
and payment of compensation to the parents/guardians of the children who died, directions for
provision of all necessary infrastructure and legal entitlements in all homes under the JJ Act and the
constitution of a permanent committee for supervision and monitoring purposes, a CBI enquiry into
deaths and production of all inquiry records of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights;
Dr. Anand Rai has gone to the Supreme Court on the clinical trial matter asking for the production of
records of all clinical trials, compensation for the victims, CBI inquiry, prosecution and issuance of writ of
mandamus to the Chief Secretary of MP to take disciplinary action and establishment of a committee to
analyse all the legal provisions for drug trials and recommend proper guidelines for the same to the
Supreme Court.
So, whilst we wait expectantly for the judicial pronouncements on these matters as well as other
matters, positive pronouncements are coming in too:
* In Syed Bashiruddin Qadri in WP 2281/2282 the Supreme Court accepted the argument of 'reasonable
accommodation' that enables the provision of aids and appliances like computers, LCD projectors does
not cast an undue financial burden on the state and on March 10, 2010 passed an exemplary order
upholding the rights of persons with cerebral palsy to employment.
*This order furthers Article 2 and 27 of the CRPD.
*In NAD vs. UOI in WP 10849/2009 where the Delhi High Court ordered on February 14, 2001 that deaf
persons be allowed to take a driving test and be entitled to apply for a license if they pass the test.
*This order of the Delhi High Court furthers Article 9 and 20 of the convention.
*In NAD vs. UOI CWP 6250 of 2010 on the issue of sign language interpreters in government offices, the
Delhi High Court again in an order dated November 24, 2011, remarked that in spite of having the will,
the Government has been lacking in direction, and ordered the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment to appoint a Nodal person to coordinate the process of survey and coordination with
University Grants Commission and other ministries/departments, preparation of report, creation of
posts and recruitment to such posts with qualified sign language interpreters… thus furthering Article 9
of the CRPD.
*The Punjab and Haryana High Court in CWP 3087/2011 in a case involving the termination of a
physically disabled candidate who had successfully competed and was appointed as a clerk in the
District and Sessions Court in Karnal in Haryana opined in their order dated February 21, 2011 that there
was plenty of work to be done on computers in a District and Sessions Court and ordered for his
reinstatement and also for the Public Works Department to provide for a ramp, and for the office to
provide a congenial working atmosphere and this thereby furthering Articles 9 and 27 of the convention.
*The Punjab and Haryana High Court in CWP 12609/ 2010 in an order dated January 20, 2011 ordered
the Punjab Government to ensure that persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities be
included in all schemes for allotment of land at concessional and preferential rates and the Mumbai
High Court passed similar orders instructing the MAHADA to ensure inclusion of persons with mental
illness in all housing schemes and both these orders are in compliance with Article 28 of the CRPD.
*In a writ filed in The Chhattisgarh High Court WP 6730/2011 challenging the discrimination of persons
with disabilities in the TET examination the Chhattisgarh Government issued an office order dated
December 14, 2011 stating that persons with disabilities would be given10% relaxation in passing score,
extra time and will be provided writers and furthers the Right to Work and Employment as stated in
Article 27 of the convention.
So… whilst the pillars of our parliament and the executive maintain a silence on the implementation of
the CRPD, the pillars of our judiciary are passing proactive judgments, slowly and steadily developing
positive case laws which further the UN Convention on rights of persons with disabilities.
The author is Director, Human Rights Law Network – a nationwide collective of lawyers and social
workers who work to provide marginalised communities with access to the justice system.
Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety is common. At some point or another we have all experienced anxiety – either slowly creeping
upon us or pouncing on us from nowhere. However, when this very same anxiety transcends normal,
permissible limits, we call it a ‘disorder’. SUNITA MENON
Anxiety disorders affect daily life, causing unexplainable physical symptoms (sweating, palpitations, loss
of bowel control, blood pressure, etc) and lead to great inconvenience and hardship to the sufferer.
The trouble is that often anxiety disorders remain undetected, unexplained and untreated. Those
suffering from anxiety disorders usually have a low self-esteem, lack self-confidence and are unable to
cope with places, events and people that may be stress-inducing to them. Anxiety disorders include
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder
(SAD), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder (includes Phobias) and Adjustment Disorder.
It must be remembered that in the case of all the above mentioned anxiety disorders, the sufferer could
have either a psychological or biological vulnerability (or even both) that makes him/her overestimate
danger (both real and perceived), or underestimate their own ability to cope and be oversensitive in
his/her 'fight or flight' response.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a counselling approach, much sought after to treat anxiety
disorders. CBT is based on the idea that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion) and how we
act (behaviour), interact and influence one another. Thoughts in particular according to CBT determine
both our emotions and behaviour. CBT is not about positive thinking and telling the client what he/she
must think and believe. It is a form of therapy, that instead, develops in the client self-help skills to
modify maladaptive thinking practices, thereby aiming to reduce excessive emotional reactions and selfdefeating behaviours in the client. The client is given homework to learn to put theory into practice. It is
a collaborative effort between therapist and client that is also time limited (does not extend
indefinitely).
For the purpose of discussion, this article shall deal with CBT and Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs)
alone.
An anxiety disorder client comes with childhood experiences, core beliefs and many assumptions and
schemas that are an intrinsic part of his/her personality. So, when the client faces a triggering event that
makes him/her anxious, NATs instantaneously occur in the mind. Errors in cognition (faulty thinking) are
spontaneous and easily accessible to the client. Requiring little or no effort to be generated, NATs are
brief, often regarded as true and are not a result of reasoning. Cognition errors in anxiety disorder
clients include arbitrary inference (no evidence to support beliefs), selective abstraction (blow out of
proportion the triggering event), overgeneralisation (based on a single incident), personalisation
(relating all to self), mind reading, catastrophising, emotional reasoning and magnification/minimisation
(scale of intensity).
A CBT therapist offers interventions for NATs by first drawing the attention of his/her client to their
thinking process. For this, the client is encouraged to list NATs that surface during his/her daily life, and
especially every time an anxiety triggering event occurs. A record is usually maintained on a log sheet
that includes the A, B and C of NATs – A stands for the trigger, B for the beliefs and assumptions that
interpret the event for the client and C for the feelings and behaviour that then follow. The logic being
that, all experiences must first be given a conscious meaning for us to experience an emotional response
to it. This means that when there is a triggering event in the life of an anxiety patient, it is his/her core
beliefs that will interpret the event (in an internal dialogue) and then generate feelings in the patient
that will go on to dictate his/her behaviour. So, it is the thoughts of the client that a CBT practitioner will
focus on, because, these very same thoughts set the mood of the client and not the actual event by
itself.
There are predisposing (childhood, genetic, personality, family, etc.), precipitating (life events),
perpetuating (social environment, compliance to treatment) and protective (support system) factors
that contribute to the occurrence of NATs in anxiety disorder clients. The therapist helps the client slot
his/her NATs based on the above contributing factors thereby giving the client more clarity as to their
origin and reasons behind their existence. The client is encouraged to then modify and alter his/her
NATs based on a more cognitive rationale (beliefs can be invalid, beliefs may be challenged and beliefs
must be given up if found invalid and self defeating).
For CBT to work, it is important that the client be a willing partner in therapy – which means, he/she
must both accept personal responsibility for change and be compatible with cognitive rationale. CBT
techniques don't suit everyone. If the client is not willing to share with the therapist his/her deep rooted
emotions and accessible cognitions and be willing to do homework (maintaining logs and diaries etc.)
among other requirements, it becomes difficult to establish a client-therapist relationship.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY
We as a nation, tend to equate prosperity with a ‘well fed look’ and stare admiringly at plump parents
accompanied by children with pot-bellies who can barely walk, writes DR. GITA MATHAI
Everywhere you look today (except perhaps in the villages), you see fat children. Their little pot-bellies
bulge out of tight t- shirts. Their shorts and pants slip down their hips when seated exposing the gluteal
line. As they walk, their shorts get stuck between the thighs in front. 30% of urban children are obese.
Tragically, 70% remain that way and go on to become obese adolescents and adults with an early onset
of all the problematic lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Parents, grandparents and
caretakers are not convinced that anything is wrong... they bring these children in for consultations with
a common refrain, “my child does not eat anything!”
Obesity, (childhood or adult) is not a perception—a question of “do I look fat or thin”, it is a scientifically
calculated documented statistic. It is calculated by measuring the weight in kg and dividing it by the
height in metre squared (The normal value is around 23). It is difficult to convince parents that their
children are overweight, even when confronted with values higher than 30. Perhaps this is because we
as a nation tend to equate prosperity with a ‘well fed look’ and stare admiringly at plump parents
accompanied by children with pot-bellies who can barely walk. It may be a subconscious psychological
aftermath of generations of coping with famine, want, unavailability and unaffordability of food. As the
money rolls in parents abandon their traditional healthy lifestyle and adopt a western approach to food
and leisure. It is probably true that the fat progeny ‘does not eat food’. They probably eat plenty of
chips, cream biscuits, chocolates and other snacks instead.
Our tradition of breast-feeding infants provided them with the correct amount of calories for the first
six months of life. A ‘let down’ reflex controls the production of milk; as the baby sucks more milk is
produced. This ensures that the baby gets enough for its requirement, and doubles its birth weight by
the end of the fifth month and triples it by the end of the first year. A baby that starts life at 2 kg will be
normal if they weigh 6 kg at the first birthday. Their appearance will be a stark contrast to the baby that
was 4 kg at birth and 12 kg on the first birthday. Both are normal, but cannot be compared as they
represent two ends of a normal spectrum.
Unhappy with small but normal babies, parents often supplement breast milk with powdered formula
or cow's milk, a practice that should be avoided as far as possible. There really is no superior or
adequate substitute for the ‘real thing’, that ensures healthy, adequate and normal growth.
Traditional weaning is with home cooked cereals like rice, ragi and wheat with added milk and sugar.
Today parents opt for readymade sodium rich, precooked, packaged weaning foods, or ‘milk biscuits’
with disastrous results. These changed child rearing practices have resulted in an epidemic of childhood
obesity.
With cartoons, television serials, computer games, homework and tuitions, children are spending
upwards of three hours a day almost motionless. This is accompanied by snacking on fat laden packaged
food and drinking high calorie sugar dense aerated bottled drinks. There is practically no physical activity
at all.
Busy parents prefer these sedentary activities as they require minimum parental participation. For
activity and sports, parents have to take the children to a place where they can play. There is a shortage
of parks and open spaces and children cannot be left unsupervised as there are the problems of safety,
and social crimes like abuse and abduction. (This used to be true only for girls but now both sexes are
equally in danger.)
The problem is compounded by the fact that life in India is very competitive. Only a few sports people
succeed, but academic excellence ensures ‘good jobs’. Parents are under the misconception that
children who ‘play’ will be too tired to study.
Gradually caloric intake overtakes expenditure and obesity sets in. It causes many psychological
problems in children. They develop a negative self image and either withdraw into themselves or even
become bullies. By the early twenties many are already exhibiting signs of syndrome X or insulin
resistance, their blood sugars and lipid profile becomes abnormal. They develop diabetes, hypertension
and heart disease. Girls may develop polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with irregular periods and
eventually fertility problems. Indians are genetically prone to these abnormalities.
Studies have shown that children over the age of two need an hour of physical activity a day. This can be
a single hour session or split into two 30 minute sessions. Even 6 split 10 minute sessions are effective. It
can be running, cycling, playing structured games, skipping or swimming.
Exercise helps children not only to maintain an ideal body weight, feel less stressed and angry, improve
concentration in school and sleep well at night. Objective studies using MRI scans demonstrated that
exercise in children increases brain activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is the area
associated with cognitive skills, complex thinking, decision making and correct social behavior. Also the
IQ of these children improves by almost 4 points.
Children all over the world are becoming obese for the same reasons. Other governments (UK, USA,
Japan, and China) have woken up to the fact that obese children grow into unhealthy unproductive
adults, with medical problems that are a burden on the national exchequer. They have begun to tackle
the problem on a war footing. We have not, and this means that India may eventually be a country
where the life expectancy starts to fall.
Parents have a crucial role to play in making children healthy. Eating habits are set in childhood and
obesity often has its roots in early training. Parents, after all, purchase, cook and serve the food. Junk
food (chips, fried snacks, chocolates, biscuits, etc) is calorie dense and has unhealthy trans fats. It has no
nutritive value but adds a disproportionate amount of calories. Fruits and vegetables should be stocked
as snacks instead. Sweetened carbonated beverages are calorific dynamite and can be substituted with
water. School lunches and snacks should be home cooked and healthy.
Most importantly, parents should remember that children follow ‘family traditions’. They should
exercise and lead by example. TV viewing should be limited. Oily, fat filled, ready to eat snacks should
not be purchased, stocked and consumed.
The writer is a pediatrician with family practice at Vellore.
RITES OF SPRING
GEETA DOCTOR
The season of festivals is upon us... reminding us that the sun is back and the sap is rising once again.
In the higher altitudes it's a season of hope after the harsh winters, a time to watch when the frozen
earth cracks upon and the first crocuses, yellow and white, or pink and purple, bell-like shapes ring out
their colours. It's a time to rejoice when people shed their winter clothes and listen to the honking of
birds as they fly across the skies once again.
In our warmer climate we can watch the changes at a faster pace. The v-shaped formations of migratory
birds are already beginning their return journey. While the trees, particularly the large leathery leaves of
the fake almond trees and the million leaved flakes of the rain trees, or the pale yellow pearls of the
Odina shower our streets and gardens with gold dust. Our trees shed their leaves before the onset of
the hot season. It's also the time when birds try out their living arrangements with their partners.
It's not for nothing that the parrot has been the chosen bird for lovers in India. For during this time of
the year, the air is filled with the excited calls. They dart about the bare branches of the trees and busily
prospect for natural nesting places in the hidden niches and crevices of old trees. If you decide to share
your early morning tea with them, make sure you scatter handfuls of ‘bajra’ on to a sheet or mat and
you will be rewarded with the marvelous sight of whole parties of red- beaked, rosy ringed parrots flying
in to peck and squabble their way through a meal. They are also partial to dry red chilies that they
carefully rip apart to get at the seeds within the hard exterior.
Sharing the same table as it were with the parrots are squirrels, mynahs and the occasional pigeons; the
fat matrons amongst the bird population, who also deserve a mention for being continually in a state of
amorous excitement. If parrots believe in a good conversational gambit and enjoy the joys of sharing a
good meal, with plenty of witty repartees, before they fly off to their nests, pigeons have only one thing
on their mind. They must be like our action starved parliamentarians always willing to make the best of
things. (They feed upon the remnants left by the parrots).
An occasional woodpecker might come by to watch, but whether the golden backed ones with their
designer wear, or the long beaked white breasted one, these prefer to test their culinary skills tapping at
barks and drilling their way to look for tiny grubs and insects. Patrolling the corners of these tree-lined
avenues are the crows. They disdain to eat any kind of birdseed or grain but they keep a careful watch
on their territory. For, they too have young offspring in their untidy nests that are often the prey to
some of the other innocent looking creatures. Squirrels for instance raid their nests for eggs. Koels leave
their young altogether to be outsourced to crows who make the best of parents. While if the nests are
low enough there are predatory cats and the occasional raids by monkeys, who still inhabit our urban
space and pounce upon both eggs and chicks.
If the days are full of birdsong the nights are also filled with light. It's not just that the days get lighter at
this time of the year, the skies are so clear that you can watch the stars and recount the legends that
people from the most ancient times have created around them. As for the Moon it hangs down so low,
you do believe that it must be made of pure gold.
There is a Burmese tale about the ‘Man in the Moon’.
It starts with a famous Indian alchemist who was certain that he had found the formula to turn metal
into gold. In many of the stories that the Burmese tell their children, the stranger who comes into their
placid lives, with shape changing ideas, or as a trickster, is most often an Indian. So the Indian magician
went around from house to house borrowing money to complete his experiment until finally, the
villagers had enough of him. They threatened to chase him out. In despair he threw the contents of his
last experiment down the hole in his outhouse and plucked his eyes out. When his young assistant went
to relieve himself, he ran out to tell his Master that there was a golden glow in the outhouse coming
from the hole.
“The miracle has happened!” said the Master. He then took the lump of gold out of the outhouse and
directed his assistant to pluck out the eyes of the nearest creature and bring them to him. The boy
found one eye from a rabbit and one from a dog. With these the Master went from house to house
changing their metal utensils into gold and when finally he had repaid his debts, he flew up into the air
to the Moon that had been a dark lump of metal. With his magical gift he turned that also into gold.
To this day, you will find the Man in the Moon staring down at us with his two different eyes. And this is
why sometimes he appears in the shape of a rabbit and at others like a dog, still playing his tricks upon
us by the light of the Moon.
Once upon a time…
Our society is defined by its literature. More so, when we are at a young, impressionable age. Young
minds are shaped by, not only Aesop's fables, Amar Chitra Katha and Grimm's Fairy Tales, but also by
the newer stories written. While we cannot change the stories of yore, surely we can think further on
the ones that we now write to include children with disabilities in the stories as well? Why not expand
our minds and our little libraries by celebrating diversity in all its hue? Though characters with
disabilities are very rarely portrayed in children's books in India, writers and publishers when spoken to,
are enthusiastic about the concept. SEENA RAVEENDRAN speaks to a few, who share their thoughts.
Among my four-year old daughter's collection of stories, there is a single one that she likes to listen to,
more often than the others. This is 'Little Vinayak', the story of a baby elephant. She loves the way he
trips and falls when he walks. Being different from his friends makes him sad. One after the other, he
tries the several ideas offered by his mother and his friends to fix the problem with his long trunk. But,
nothing seems to help him. Much to his dismay, he continues to trip on his long trunk, until one day,
someone visits him and shows him a unique way to approach the problem.
The main thing that my little one recognises here, is that not all are similar. So, if her friend has a
problem, she should certainly lend a helping hand.
Books have always been a wonderful way for children to explore and understand the world. This also
creates a special bond that develops over shared stories and most of the children's first impressions of
their world come from reading picture books along with parents and teachers. Cute little books like
these, with bright and bold illustrations tell inspiring stories that celebrate disability positively. Through
the characters within the stories, children feel more empathetic and there is also a greater sense of
belonging, and less sense of isolation in being disabled. These books facilitate learning in the child,
bringing their attention to the diverse people in their world, who have different approaches to the same
things.
Indian juvenile literature is on a changing path. Writers find it a welcome change.
Children's books in India are, apparently diverse – we have mythology, fantasy, the good, the bad and
the ugly and more… but none, yet inclusive. Traditionally, in any story, the writer tries to make the
central character important or emulative. Through this, we get the notion of the hero as somebody
likable and in many ways, better than the rest. This person is typically blessed with physical prowess,
intelligence, and a sense of justice and generosity, which makes him/her more appealing to others.
However, times are changing globally. There are times when the readers tend to root for the underdog
or the dark horse – characters who aren't superhumanly perfect and come with their share of failings.
Since the children thus portrayed have their own limitations and are not obsessed with being perfect,
the plot too, can be generic. Maybe, this is a cue for me to get inspired in my next book! says Sowmya
Rajendran, editor of Goodbooks.in, a website for Indian children's books.
Without an obvious or forced focus, children's literature can be made inclusive. Stories about characters
who happen to have a disability are a wonderful way to familiarise these circumstances for both – kids
who have a disability and those who don't. Initiatives like 'Little Vinayak', and 'The Bookworm' (about a
child with a stuttering problem) have been widely appreciated, adds Manasi Subramaniam,
commissioning editor of Karadi Tales, a children's treasure house of audio, video and picture books.
This is certainly not yet another genre of children's fiction, nor a new concept, but just a fresh outlook. It
is just that the writer has to see his/her characters from a three dimensional perspective; inclusive
images that are casual and accidental, funny and colourful, humorous and thought provoking, that
reflect the diverse society we live in. They're good, they're bad, they're happy, they're sad, they sing,
they laugh, they swing, they play… they are everywhere like everyone. Earlier, even in the West,
characters with disabilities were either completely missing, or if so, stereotyped, as individuals seeking
sympathy. However, in India, contemporary children's writers have started thinking off the trodden
path.
To represent different childhood and different kinds of children depicted in our books has been Tulika's
prime focus. Our book, ‘Why Are You Afraid to Hold My Hand?’ addresses common misconceptions,
myths and doubts about disability through the voice of a child with cerebral palsy. The Child’s voice
questions the attitude towards disability and offers a solution to these dilemmas in a direct and
powerful way: Accept me as I am, says Nivedita Subramaniam, a popular children's author and associate
editor with Tulika Books, a children's publishing house in India. They have also published picture books
Ten, Cricket! and Blackboard, that include children with disabilities, in their visuals especially. Ten is a
simple counting book, but its pages have children from different walks of life. Similarly, in Blackboard
(from their series, Imagine Words, which encourages children to develop their vocabulary using pictures
in a storytelling setting) each child shown is different from the other. Games are played for fun and
'everyone can play' is the theme in Cricket!, another picture book which features photographs of
children from diverse backgrounds, neighbourhoods, including the physically disabled or visually
impaired children, enjoying the sport.
This initiative extends to publishers, illustrators and writers to embrace diversity - so as to encourage
children to accept and appreciate disability from a young age. People from every area concerned with
children's books - from makers to sellers to buyers - can influence and be part of this changing culture.
This issue resonates in me as well. There is a need for more books featuring children with disabilities as
anyone else. Sometimes, it might be a relief for children to see their problems reflected in the book,
says Praba Ram, writer and founder of Saffron Tree, a children's book blog.
So, why don't we see more of these characters in stories? From a publisher's point of view, it is the lack
of such compelling manuscripts that includes children with disabilities simply as characters without
labeling them, says Niveditha.
It's encouraging to see that authors and publishers are open to the idea of books with diverse
characters, perhaps this will lead to a positive change in children's literature!
OPENING A NEW WORLD
PARESH C PALICHA
Title: Life Without Limits
Author: Nick Vujicic
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 256
Price: 550
Your smile becomes the most important weapon in your armoury to survive in this world when you
possess a deformed body (let the political correctness be set aside for a while). Anyone born with severe
physical disabilities may be aware of this fact subconsciously as I was, but it struck me, or came to the
fore into my consciousness, when I saw Nick Vujicic's picture on the cover of his book 'Life Without
Limits: Inspiration for a ridiculously good life'. I have been staring at his face for nearly a month now,
sometimes straight and sometimes guiltily from the corner of my eyes as he was lying on my table and I
was busy doing something else instead of reading his book. Coming back to the smile, it dawned on me
that the smile on his face conveyed that he was perfect, accessible and happy, despite having no limbs.
Nick was born with Phocomelia (without limbs), and went on to become a world renowned public
speaker spreading the message of hope and faith among the down trodden and less fortunate in the
slums of Mumbai and Cairo, and the far flung regions in South Africa and Indonesia.
I have not read too many biographical books on disabled people, as I feel I would have to relive my own
life through that person's story as there are always some universal similarities in such stories. So, you
have to brace yourself first and even take a break when things become overbearing.
The other thing, Nick being a motivational speaker, takes the tone of one, while writing this book,
believing that every reader who has taken up this book, may be feeling low or depressed and seek to
change his/her life for the better. As he writes in the beginning: “To wish for change will change nothing.
To make the decision to take action right now will change everything!” Initially, those of us who have
casually picked up the book first to read about an interesting life story, may find it difficult to plunge into
this book. It gradually becomes easier once we get used to the tone.
Nick begins his story right at his birth, about how his mother refused to see or touch him, out of shock.
Nick's mother who was a nurse, and a midwife at that, was worried through out the pregnancy period
but the doctors had allayed her fears and the ultra sound scan reports had not shown any complications
either.
Nick's childhood was as normal as it could be, with two younger siblings and a number of cousins. He
was adventure loving and had learnt to be in an upright position by thrusting his forehead to the wall.
He goes on to say that however confident and determined he was externally, doubts and dark thoughts
always haunted him in private. He used to pray to God every night for a miracle and hoped he would
have at least one limb when he woke up. But obviously that was not to be and depression led him to
attempt suicide by drowning in the bathtub. This phase was temporary, as people around him (mainly
his parents) made him realise that his birth was according to the plan of God and that it had its purpose
that would be revealed to him one day.
Nick, an Australian of Siberian descent had migrated to California, USA with his family for the better
medical facilities there. He realised that he was good at public speaking as a teenager and he started
seeing the positive impact he had on the members in the audience.
'Life Without Limits' is structured very thoughtfully with the foundation of optimism, hopes and dreams
leading to an attitude of gratitude and in the end, realising one's life's purpose.
A book's purpose is supposed to open up a new world to the reader and Nick Vijucic opens up a
ridiculously good world with his book, and whatever your faith or beliefs are, it fills you with positivity.
TRUSTING GRAVITY
SWARNALATHA RANGARAJAN
Living together was getting scary. Like walking on the balcony ledge of the fifteenth floor of the high rise
where we live. We agreed that it would hurt if either of us let go from that height. So we decided to
gently hit ground and then allow the other to walk away, trusting gravity.
Rudra was always the one for bright ideas. He threw the plan at me saying, “Let us celebrate the end in a
virgin forest and for God's sake please don't bring along your Virginia Woolf and Mozart!”
“And you leave your foul cigarettes and Bacardi rum bottles behind. Then it's a deal!” Rudra smiles and
it breaks like lightning over his face.
We hit the road with virtually no baggage. “No clothes!” said Rudra wagging his finger, “The jeans you
are wearing will do. Remember the Thekkadi trek we did back in college? We lived in the same clothes
for almost a week!” I laugh absurdly happy for a moment that he had recovered that little nugget of
memory from the fog of ten years.
The new highway rolls out like a silk route. Whizzing ahead at hundred kilometers, Rudra seems happy.
The wind plays with his hair, winnowing and spiking it. With his Pinocchio nose, green-flecked eyes and
large stick-out ears, Rudra looks like a goblin. I succumb to a childhood habit of tweaking his ears.
Looking very surprised he bursts out, “Behave yourself Maya! The last time you did that to me, you got a
huge whack! Do you remember?” The 'last time' was fifteen years ago but why had the goblin gone into
hiding? I could somehow never figure that out!
She is so damn fragile! Everything about her is glass; radiant, translucent glass which can shatter and
break any moment. Sometimes I can't even pick up the pieces because it cuts real deep. I was nervous
about this trip but it isn't so bad. The smile in her eyes illuminates the dark spaces between us for a
moment.
I swerve to avoid a truck which hurtles past, ramming into a stray dog. There is an instant collage of
blood and spilling guts. The light leaves her face. I reach out for a bottle of water and make her drink.
She curls up like a kitten and asks for music. We listen to old Beatles numbers and soon we are in the
heart of the Wynad forests.
“It's beautiful but so chaotic Rudra! Where does a tree begin and a bush end?”
“Don't worry about that now. You have gotten used to all those manicured parks in the city. Sit down
and listen to the birds!”
“The silence here is so awful. I can hear my heart beating!”
“You can also hear a leaf falling if you make the effort! Let us move ahead Maya! Somewhere I hear a
stream.”
“Yuck! Rudra, look at this! This decaying mush, what is it?”
“Dead trees! But look at the fairy ring close by. Mushrooms feeding on dead matter. But see how pretty
they look! Can you imagine dancing elves?
The birds had gone silent. I was rearing to go ahead and locate the stream. Maya seemed rooted to the
fairy ring. The light of the forest shines in her eyes as she turns toward me and asks, “Why can't this
happen to us, Rudra?”
I look again at the emerald-lusciousness of the death-feeders. Not quite knowing what to say I pat her
head. “Let's go” I say and she completes my thought, “looking for the stream!”
EAST OR WEST: THE BATTLE OF THE BEST
I put down the delicious iced bottle and instead began to drink from the packet placed in my hand – a
warm, spicy, bitter liquid ran down my throat: “Buttermilk! You must drink it every day.” ELEANOR
DAVIS's account of her battle to stay healthy in India
It's summer time. It's 40 degrees and rising. You're losing water and salt rapidly, through every pore
possible. Even the evening breeze from your terrace resembles a hairdryer in the face.
Arriving in India from the UK, I was prepared, mentally at least, for the Indian summer. I had a survival
plan: plenty of chilled water in the fridge, light meals with ample juicy fruits, salads and natural sugars,
to keep energy levels high.
Cotton clad and armed with a hand fan, I landed at Chennai airport. No sooner had I taken a step into
the suffocating heat, igniting a chorus of “taxi Ma'am?” and I was whisked away to be served mounds of
hot, spicy sambar and rice – chillies colliding with mustard seeds, wrapped in curry leaves, bouncing
around my mouth whilst my taste buds screamed out at me. This was all washed down with hot spiced
tea — served in stainless-steel. I had been on Indian soil for just one hour and hands, lips and mouth
were on fire.
My survival plan went out the window, and in its place has come a menagerie of health tips and advice,
which, as time goes by leaves me questioning all I have ever known in the West. Why is it that in hot
climates we eat hot food, and in cold climates, cold food? Where's the Ying and Yang in that? Is it East
vs. West, Ayurvedic vs. Scientific? I'm at logger heads: my western past vs. my eastern presence. Here's
why...
Let's start with this iced water business.
There it sits, in all its chilled, thirst-quenching glory, calling me from the fridge after polishing off Aunty's
masala-dowsed tomato gravy. I reach over, turn the lid and tilt back my head in anticipation when,
“No!” shrieks my friend, “it will cause cancer if you drink iced water after food...!” Stumped and
deterred, I put down the delicious iced bottle and instead began to drink from the packet placed in my
hand – a warm, spicy, bitter liquid ran down my throat: “Buttermilk! You must drink it every day.”
The explanation, or urban myth, depending on your view, goes that by drinking iced water, the
emulsification of fats slows down, allowing fat to line the walls of the digestive tract, eventually causing
cancer. And apparently, it's not just after food: water in between meals can mess up ones digestion, is
another word of advice I've been given. So when can I drink it?
My western background tells me to drink water as much as possible, in any (clean) form, to hydrate my
body. Some western health and fitness experts even advocate iced water– to speed up the body's
metabolism as it works harder to bring the consumed water down to body temperature.
On the other hand, buttermilk, the product left after cream is removed from milk to make butter, is full
of probiotics or 'healthy bacteria' which boosts your immune system, protects the gut and aids good
digestion. Add a little ginger, which not only removes the edge off this bitter refreshment, but has added
health benefits: soothing a sore throat, calming feelings of nausea, and easing a headache.
Still, bemused as to how I might cool myself down, I settled for another warm cup of tea. As the sweet,
sugary froth hit my lips I couldn't help but question: if ice water can cause health problems, what about
the excess sugar in my tea? Or the salt in my food, for that matter? I kept quiet and took myself off for a
nice cold shower instead, before bed.
The next morning I awoke, sweaty yet sniffing – a product of the air conditioning blasting into my
sinuses, or so I thought. “It was that 'head bath' you took last night, it will give you a cold”, I was
corrected. Not only should I not have washed my hair at night, but by showering so soon after food, I
again risked messing up my digestion. My friend, who was also sniffing that morning (but had not so
callously head-bathed the night before), blamed the lemon juice she drunk before bed for her
subsequent sniffs.
Once again I had to battle with that pesky western voice in my head, “only an internal virus can cause a
cold” it told me, and can water on the outside, affect what's going on in the inside? Perhaps we
shouldn't get back onto water...but lemon juice? At home we call this a 'super-food' good for mind, body
and soul, and used especially when blocked up with a cold.
Not getting very far with liquids, I turned to learning some key Indian dishes, with a slight western touch.
A successful shopping trip later and it was time to fry some onions, garlic and chillies, all with a splash
of...
“Olive oil?!” My hosts shocked at my casual use of what is generally considered a skin conditioning
product, in my tomato dhal.
Next came the mangos; perfectly ripe and ready at this time of the year, India's famous fruit, dangling
invitingly from the trees,
“That will give you ‘heat’” I was warned, as I bit into the stringy flesh.
Further warnings flooded in: apple peel contains no nutrition; drinking milk with fish will cause spots,
and avoid half boiled potatoes. Instead, to stay cool and healthy, I should oil my hair once in three days,
drink and wash in warm water, eat crab to cleanse a chest cold and most importantly, the absolute
necessity: drink buttermilk, more buttermilk and even more buttermilk.
Health advice is all around us; it seems that every other shop is a pharmacy, a clinic or a natural health
centre. The key to good digestion and how not to get ‘heat’ is on the tip of everyone's tongue. In terms
of understanding the medical in's and out's, eastern vs. western methodology, I'm still none-the-wiser.
And I'm not sure it matters. Part of being in a different country, a different culture, is to embrace
diversity, difference and have an open mind. Know your body and what works for you, exercise well and
keep a clear mind, balance your diet and eat and drink everything in moderation. One month in to my
stay and, although I'm still cooking with olive oil, enjoying mangos and sipping on the occasional cup of
iced water, I am now a firm believer in buttermilk.