Monday, June 27, 2016

Hearing Impaired students prepare for military service despite stumbling blocks

Here is an awesome story from Gulf News about the quest of a hearing impaired teacher to prepare and inspire his deaf students for military service in the "School for the Deaf Cadet Corps" that he founded two years ago.  The stumbling block is the closed mindset of the Defence Department that declared last month in a report that it would be “imprudent” to create a programme assessing hearing-impaired people’s fitness for military service. It cited the cost of equipment modifications, security risks from wireless assistive devices and the burden for non-disabled service members if their hearing-impaired counterparts can’t perform the full range of military tasks.

It is so strange that some one who is not deaf decides what a deaf can do or can not do! This is often due to their own ignorance about potential abilities of those with disabilities.   The cost of assistive devices and accommodations would be much less in comparison to the the contribution of such diversity. Israel has taken a lead in this regard by inducting deaf people in suitable roles where the work is more visual than hearing. The quest of this teacher is praise-worthy and I am sure the cadets trained and assessed would find placements and opportunities to serve their motherland through military service.

Here goes the story from the Gulf News-


The Defense Department declared in a report last month it would be ‘imprudent’ to create a programme assessing deaf people’s fitness for military service

Frederick, Maryland: Four teens in camouflage fatigues march briskly around a brick plaza at the Maryland School for the Deaf, silently marking their cadence in American Sign Language: “Left!” “Left!”

These members of the school’s Cadet Corps aspire to military service, but their path is blocked. Deaf people are barred from joining the armed services, as corps creator Keith Nolan well knows. He’s been told, “No,” since 2001, when he tried to enlist in the Navy at age 18.

Nolan is determined to change that.

“I want to show there are no barriers,” he said through an interpreter.

His determination has led to passage of a House bill bearing his name — the Keith Nolan Air Force Deaf Demonstration Act of 2015, which called for a demonstration programme.

The Defense Department declared in a report last month it would be “imprudent” to create a programme assessing hearing-impaired people’s fitness for military service. It cited the cost of equipment modifications, security risks from wireless assistive devices and the burden for non-disabled service members if their hearing-impaired counterparts can’t perform the full range of military tasks.

But Nolan, his cadets and his congressional supporters are undeterred.

“They’re not taking us seriously,” said Cadet Jennida Willoughby, 16, through a sign-language interpreter. “We’re going to keep fighting back.”

During after-school and occasional weekend meetings, Cadet Corps members compete as teams in contests of physical strength and brainpower, and take turns leading problem-solving missions around town, said David Alexander, a school audiologist and Army veteran who helps to run the programme. They’ve gone overnight camping, taken a field trip to the US Military Academy and made a presentation to other students and faculty about the West Point visit.

The cadet corps is independent, not affiliated with the military’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

But Willoughby, an accomplished scuba diver, dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL.

She and her fellow cadets, all rising seniors at the school 72km west of Baltimore, note along with Nolan that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has been hiring hearing-impaired workers since 1987. The agency, which analyses aerial and satellite data, sent three hearing-impaired analysts to support US military operations in Africa from 2012 to 2014, using only American Sign Language.

And the military already has members in jobs that require sound-deadening earphones such as guiding planes during landings and take-offs from aircraft carriers.

“We can serve our country,” said Cadet Blake Brewer, 17, whose older cousin is a Marine. “We can show what we can do.”

Although firearms training is barred by the school’s no-weapons policy, Brewer said he’s willing to take up arms for his country.

“I’m flexible with where they would need me,” he said.

Cadet Maverick Obermiller envisions himself as an engineer, one of the “supporting roles”, including cybersecurity positions, which Nolan says should be open to hearing-impaired people.

There’s a precedent for hearing-impaired people in military service: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have always recruited hearing-impaired volunteers and found ways for them to serve in uniform, spokeswoman Libby Weiss said in an email. She said the IDF communicates with deaf or hearing-impaired soldiers through adaptive devices, text messages, emails and lip-reading. In 2012, the IDF announced an Israeli sign-language course to help commanders communicate better with deaf and hearing-impaired soldiers, then numbering more than 100.

Weiss said hearing-impaired service members are usually exempt from instructing roles, or jobs that would require them to communicate by telephone.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, cites Israel’s experience as one reason he will continue pressing for a US demonstration programme. Israel has “the benefit of a more diverse and talented pool of service members,” Takano wrote in an email. “Their example shows that this policy can be effective in some of the most tense and dangerous military arenas.”

Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, said in an email that she, too, will continue pushing the Defense Department to see whether Americans with disabilities can serve and meet required military standards.

Nolan, who teaches high-school government and history, said supporting the military in a civilian role isn’t the same as serving in uniform, as one of his grandfathers and a great-uncle did.

Nolan made it through two years of ROTC at California State University, Northridge, before being told his deafness made him ineligible for advancement.

He founded the Maryland School for the Deaf Cadet Corps two years ago to teach skills he deems valuable no matter what career his students choose.

“I want to see them pave the way for the future,” Nolan said. “I have done my part so far, but I want to see them take it and break through.”

Monday, May 9, 2016

RTI reveals Delhi's Schools not compliant to CBSE guidelines on disabled friendliness

This report filed by Mr. Manash Gohain in Times of India Delhi Edition and published on May 08 2016 titled "City schools tough place for disabled" based on over 160 RTI replies received by Ms. Abha Khetrapal of "Cross the Hurdles" reveals how equipped and serious Delhi is when it comes to providing quality education in an inclusive set up for children with disabilities. Here goes the story.

Most Delhi schools are not inclusive, and their differently-abled students are deprived of assistive devices or materials even though the Central Board of Secondary Education has issued guidelines on these. Replies to queries under the Right to Information received from the capital's government, government-aided and private schools reveal that most of the institutions have not carried out audits to establish the levels of the prescribed amenities.

Unfortunately , CBSE, having issued three guidelines over the years, too said in a reply to an RTI query that it had no information on access audits, compliance and action taken in case of non-compliance. The education board first issued guidelines on making school disabled-friendly way back in May 2005. It reissued fresh guidelines in October 2008 and then reiterated these in 2009, making it incumbent on schools to comply with measures suggested in the guidelines.

These included provision of support through accessible educational material and the availability of trained teachers, modification of the existing physical infrastructure and teaching methodologies to meet the needs of all children, including those with special needs, ensuring availability of study material for the disabled and talking text books, reading machines and computers with speech software and the induction of an adequate number of signlanguage interpreters, transcription services and a loop induction system for the hearing-impaired students.

TOI has copies of the 160 RTI replies received by petitioner Abha Khetarpal, President of Cross the Hurdles, an NGO that works with people with physical challenges.Only two of the schools claimed to have carried out the mandated access audit. In a majority of the schools, the queries about study materials, teacher training, infrastructure, access audit report and number of students with disabilities evinced "not applicable" as the response. Just five schools said they had visually-impaired students, and there was no data on students with disabilities like locomotor disability.

According Khetarpal, “The annexure in the 2009 guidelines clearly stated the things that schools were to provide in order to make them inclusive, failing which they would lose their affiliation. CBSE now replies that they do not keep a record of such information.“ The board told Khetarpal that affiliated schools only provide Open Text Based Assessment material in Braille, but this carries only 10% weightage in the final exams and is also meant only for Classes IX and XI. What about 90% of the study material, she asks.How would students with visual impairment cope?

Some private schools refused to divulge the information on the ground that they did not come under the purview of the RTI Act. So, there is no confirmed number on students with disabilities in regular inclusive schools and what they study . Khetarpal says that when asked this, CBSE said it not only didn't have the data, but that it also doesn't monitor compliance of its guidelines.



Friday, January 29, 2016

Despite a good progress 34% Indian children with disabilities (6-14 yrs) are still out of school : UN Report


In India, high percentage of kids with disabilities still out of school: UN

United Nations: India has been able to decrease its number of out-of-school children by nearly 16 million between 2000 and 2012, driving the progress in South Asia, but it still has 1.4 million children not attending primary school, a United Nations report said.

The majority, 31 million of the 58 million out-of-school children, were girls. India has 58.81 million girls and 63.71 million boys of primary school age. As of 2011, 1.4 million children of primary school age did not go to school in India, with 18 percent girls out of school and 14 percent boys.

The report said that while India has made significant improvement in primary education enrolment, the figures for children with disabilities are staggering. Out of 2.9 million children with disabilities in India, 990,000 children aged 6 to 14 years (34 percent) are out of school.

The percentages are even higher among children with intellectual disabilities (48 percent), speech impairments (36 percent) and multiple disabilities (59 percent).

"India has made tremendous efforts to make its education system more inclusive. Under the Right to Education Act, all children have the right to go to school...To accommodate a greater number of children with disabilities, further progress is needed," it said.

The biggest decrease in the number of out-of-school children was seen in South Asia, where their numbers fell by 23 million between 2000 and 2012, according to a new joint report 'Fixing the Broken Promise of Education for All: Findings from the Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children was produced by UNESCO and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)'.

Much of the global progress since 2000 in decreasing the number of out-of-school children has been driven by a small number of countries, with India alone decreasing its number of out-of-school children by nearly 16 million between 2000 and 2011.

In relative terms, 42 countries were able to more than halve their numbers of primary out-of-school children between 2000 and 2012, including Algeria, Burundi, Cambodia, Ghana, India, Iran, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Viet Nam, Yemen and Zambia.

However, despite such impressive progress in many countries, about nine percent of all children of primary school age worldwide, which accounts for eight percent of all boys and 10 percent of all girls, were still out of school in 2012.

The other countries with more than half a million out-of-school children include Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan. India had 14 percent of children in the 7-14 years age category involved in child labour.

The report credited initiatives such as abolition of school fees, cash transfer programmes and school feeding programmes in ensuring more children attend and stay in school.

The largest school feeding was implemented in India with 120 million school children benefiting by 2006 and has been credited with a significant positive effect on both school enrolment and attendance rates.

The report further said that one in five adolescents worldwide is not in school, which means that some 63 million young people between the ages of 12 and 15 are denied their right to an education, mainly because they are marginalized and poor, the joint UN agency report said as pressure mounts to include universal secondary education in the post-2015 global development agenda.

"This report serves as wake-up call to mobilize the resources needed to guarantee basic education for every child, once and for all," UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said.

The data found that as children get older, the risk that they will never start school or will drop out increases. One in ten children of primary school age is out of school compared to one in five adolescents. The study also found that in total, 121 million children and adolescents have either never started school or dropped out despite the international community's promise to achieve Education for All by 2015.

The report added that "business as usual" has not worked and there has been almost no progress in reducing the number of adolescents out of school since 2007. Children living in conflict, child labourers and those facing discrimination are most affected. And without major shifts in policies and resources, previous education gains may erode.

"If current trends continue, 25 million children, 15 million girls and 10 million boys, are likely to never set foot inside a classroom," it said. For a concrete policy shift, the study calls on governments to provide robust information on marginalised children.

Source: PTI


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Design invention to meet needs of Teen with Cerebral Palsy at Nike to help many

Design changes by Nike to make persons with Cerebral Palsy wear their shoes independently on request of Mr. Matthew is just another example how companies can use universal design to meet the needs of people. So this request from a user helps Nike do some invention & bring in a shoe they call the Flyese that is designed especially for people who have trouble with their hands and the company is bringing it to market in the Fall. Surely, it will many people & not just those with Disabilities of upper limbs!

Read more at :

Teen With Cerebral Palsy Asked Nike For A Pair Of Sneakers And Got An Amazing Response

Teenager Matthew Walzer has Cerebral Palsy, and just like any of us, he wanted the freedom to take care of himself. He decided to send a letter to Nike asking them for help. Because of his condition, he has trouble with shoelaces. In his letter, Matt explained that he is soon going to college and wants a shoe he can put on himself. He also quoted an early mantra of Nike’s, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.”

What the company did in response? Simply wonderful! Not only did they do something amazing for Matthew, they took it a step further and now have a shoe they call the Flyese that is designed especially for people who have trouble with their hands and the company is bringing it to market in the Fall. It’s awesome how this young boy’s request sparked off an invention that’s sure to help many people!

Source: Reshareworthy.com 

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Special Educator must in all Schools affiliated to CBSE

CBSE makes special educators must in all schools
Abhishek Choudhari | Jul 8, 2015, 03.28 AM IST

Nagpur: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has now made it mandatory for all affiliated schools to appoint a special educator so that children with learning disabilities could be assimilated with other students. Apart from the central board's philosophy of "inclusive practices" in schools, this directive has also been necessitated due to strict guidelines of the Right to Education Act (RTE).

DTS Rao, board's joint secretary, wrote in the letter to schools containing above directions, "Board will appreciate cooperation of the schools in implementation of the above."

Laying down broad guidelines, CBSE said a special educator was specifically required in schools to work with children and young adults who required additional support in order to complete their learning successfully. Rao wrote, "Special educators (SE) will focus on children with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities such as autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy and specific learning disabilities as they are emotionally vulnerable and have behavioral difficulties". The scope of work has been widened for SEs as CBSE says they could also work with "gifted and talented children".

But finding qualified SEs is a big challenge for schools. Annapoorni Shastri, senior principal of Bhavan's BP Vidya Mandir (Shrikrishna Nagar), said, "In Nagpur it is difficult to get SEs with proper qualifications. Part of the problem is that in teacher training colleges, special education course is focused on kids with hearing and speaking disability rather than autism etc."

Schools where such children are enrolled said teaching approach has to be tailor-made. Shastri said, "For an autistic child there has to be one-on-one teaching and they cannot be burdened with all subjects at once, hence the open schooling system is for them. For others, CBSE does offer choices of subjects like music, e-typing etc which are relatively easy to handle."

Apart from subject choices, the other aspect that makes inclusive education possible is the students' support system on campus. Sumathi Venugopalan, principal of Centre Point School (Wardhaman Nagar), said, "Every student moves up from our pre-primary section school, Mothers Pet, so they all are anyway close to each other. It is only at a later age that learning disabilities become apparent and we all adapt accordingly. We have a 'buddy system' in which a student volunteers to help another and builds a great ecosystem. Some of our students have cerebral palsy and autism but they are doing well with help of SEs, counselors and their classmates."

Not every school has students with special needs, something that maybe incidental or deliberate. With CBSE making it mandatory for every school to have a SE, one might expect to more such admissions taking place.


Special children, no special educators?

PROBLEMS FACED BY SCHOOLS WHEN HIRING

* Finding qualified special educators in Nagpur is a challenge

* Schools say 'teacher colleges' focus only on teaching physically challenged kids

* Theory and practical skills required for kids with learning disabilities are lacking in teachers

* Considering that children with special needs form a very small percentage of total strength, dedicating enough manpower is financially tough


EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Pre School/ nursery play school

* Std X passed and certificate program in early childhood and special education.

* Std XII passed and diploma program in early childhood special Education DECSE-MR DECSE-VI.

* Std XII passed and diploma in teaching children (Deaf and hard of Hearing)

* Std X passed and diploma certificate care giving program.

* Any other equivalent qualification approved by Rehabilitation Council of India.

Elementary (primary and upper primary)

* Std XII passed and two year DEd Special education in any of the category of disability

* Std XII passed and one year diploma in special education (DSE) in any of the category disability

* Diploma in community based rehabilitation (DCRB) with six months certificate course in education of children with special needs.

* Post graduate diploma in community based rehabilitation with six months certificate course in education of children with special needs.

* Diploma in Multi rehabilitation worker with six months certificate course in education of children with special needs

* Junior diploma in teaching the deaf

* Primary level teacher teaching course in visual impairment

* Diploma in vocational rehabilitation mental retardation (DVR-MR)/ diploma in vocational training and employment mental retardation (DVTE-MR) with six months certificate course in education of children with special needs

* Diploma in hearing language and speech with six months certificate course in education of children with special needs

* Std XII passed with RCI recognized qualification for minimum one year duration and six months with special needs.

* Any other equivalent qualification approved by RCI

Secondary and senior Secondary 

* Graduate with B.Ed. (special education).

* BEd general with one year diploma in special education

* BEd general with two-year diploma in special education

* BEd general with post graduate professional diploma in special education

* BEd special education and post graduate professional certificate in special education

* PG diploma in special education (mental retardation)

* PG diploma in special education (multiple disabilities: physical and neurological)

* PG diploma in special education (locornotor impairment and cerebral palsy)

* Secondary level teacher training course in visual impairment

* Senior diploma in teaching the deaf

* BA/BEd in visual impairment

* Any other equivalent qualification approved by RCI

Source: Times of India 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Scheme of Railway Photo Identity Card for online concessional ticket booking for Persons with Disabilities

Dear friends,

As you all are aware, the Indian Railways is implementing  a scheme of Photo Identity Cards to persons with disabilities to enable them to avail concessions in train tickets in a hassle-free manner. Earlier it was being tested as a pilot project only in Northern Region, however, now the Railways has decided to replicate it throughout nation.

Here is the notification by Indian Railways : Concession based ticketing for PH based on Photo I-Card

The photo I-card can be used to book concessional tickets through both ticket counters as well as through the Internet. The card with a unique ID number will have to be carried during journey and produced for onboard verification.

Till now, a person with disabilities used to fill the concession form and produce all relevant documents at the ticket reservation counter to avail the concession in train tickets and there were several complaints from stakeholders who were demanding a hassle-free system.

In the new system, persons with disabilities will have to approach the nearest Divisional Railway Manager office along with all the relevant documents in original claiming concession and passport size photograph for issuing photo identity card. The persons with disabilities will also be required to provide a mobile number for communication while applying for the card, said a senior official.

After due verification by the concerned zonal railways, a photo identity card will be printed containing a unique ID. An automated SMS will be sent to the passenger on given mobile number to collect the card showing the original concession certificate.

After getting the card, the person is not required to fill any concessional form to avail the facility at the counter. Tickets can also be booked on the internet using the ID number printed on the card. The validity of the card will be for five years or the last date up to which concession certificate is valid.

For obtaining the Rail Identify Card for persons with disabilities for online reservation on IRCTC website, following documents are required to be submitted to the nearest DRM Office :-

(a) Written application requesting the ID card for online ticket booking through IRCTC  (Click here for a copy of the application )
(b) Copies of medical board certificate,
(c) Latest concession certificate,
(d) Mark list of Class 10 showing date of birth or other valid proof for date of birth
(e) Aadhar card or election ID for Proof of Address
(f) 3 Passport size photographs

Jharkhand CM unveils State's Disability Policy on 20 Mar 15

Dear Friends,

Jharkhand Chief minister Raghubar Das on 20 March 2015 (Friday) released the state's disability policy, underlining the need for collective efforts to facilitate barrier-free movement of people with disabilities and inclusive programmes to bring them into mainstream.

Mr. Das heading the BJP Govt in Jharkhand urged all government departments to be sensitive towards the problems of persons with disabilities and  to ensure proper execution of the policy to bring about tangible changes across the state.

"All old government buildings in the state, which currently do not have lifts, will soon be equipped with elevators to ensure barrier-free movement of people with disabilities," Das said while speaking at a daylong state-level workshop on disability at Sri Krishna Institute of Public Administration in Ranchi which was organised by Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development in association with NGOs Deepsikha, Chotanagpur Sanskritk Sangh and UNICEF.

The newly launched state disability policy accepts that at least 5 per cent of the state's population lived with some sort of disabilities - double the number (2.26 per cent) quoted in the recent census report of 2011.

Apart from barrier-free movement, the policy also stresses on inclusive programmes with regard to health, education, nutrition and employment, to ensure social rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

To access the copy of the Jharkhand State Policy for Persons with Disabilities- 2015 in Hindi Language click on the image below or the Text Heading below the image. 

झारखण्ड राज्य विकलांग जननीति हिंदी भाषा में प्रकाशित की गयी है/ इसे पढ़ने के लिए कृपया निम्न लिंक पर क्लिक करें!





  झारखण्ड राज्य विकलांग जन नीति 2015


Friday, February 27, 2015

Amendment in Leave Rules in consonance with mandate of Section 47 of Indian Disabilities Act 1995

Dear colleagues,

There is yet another welcoming news from the DoPT in favour of government employees who became disabled during service and had to take long leaves for medical reasons. Such leaves were often revoked or refused by the senior officers/ department Heads on whims and fancies sincere there was a complete silence in the rules on the impact of Section 47 of the PWD Act.

The DoPT has finally amended the Central Civil Services(Leave) Rules 1972 to remove this anomaly to bring its leave rules in consonance with requirements of Section 47 of The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

The Memorandum provides that  leave applied on medical certificate in connection with disability should not be refused or revoked without reference to a Medical Authority, whose advice shall be binding.  It also removes the ceiling on maximum permissible leave laid down in Rule 12  in such cases and thus any such leave debited for the period after a Government servant is declared incapacitated shall be remitted back into his/her leave account. The Memorandum allows even family members to make the leave application with medical certificates where employee is unable to submit due to disability.


Here is the OM reproduced for your ready reference:

No. 18017/1/2014-Estt(L)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, the 25th February, 2015

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Amendment to Central Civil Service (Leave) Rules, 1972 – Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PWD Act, 1995,)-regarding

The Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 were amended vide the Department of Personnel and Training Notification No. 13026/1/2002-Estt(L) dated the 15/16th  January, 2004 consequent to the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PWD Act, 1995) which came into force from 7th  February, 1996.

2. Section 47 of the PWD Act, 1995 provides that services of no employee can be terminated nor can he be reduced in rank in case the employee has acquired a disability during his service. The first proviso to the Section 47 lays down that if such an employee is not suitable for the post he was holding, he could be shifted to some other post. However, his pay and service benefits would be protected. The second proviso provides that if it is not possible to adjust such an employee against any post, he would be kept on a supernumerary post until a suitable post is available or he attains the age of superannuation, whichever is earlier. Further, the Clause (2) of Section 47 provides that no promotion shall be denied to a person merely on ground of his disability. In Kunal Singh v. Union of India, [2003] 4 SCC 524, Hon’ble Supreme Court has observed that the very frame and contents of Section 47 of the PWD Act, 1995 clearly indicate its mandatory nature.

3. The issues relating to leave or absence of Government servants who have acquired a disability while in service are required to be dealt with in the light of the provisions of the Section 47 of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The case of a disabled government servant who is declared fit to resume duty but who may not able to perform the duties of the post he was holding earlier may be dealt with as per the first proviso to Section 47 of the PWD Act, 1995. The second proviso shall apply if it is not possible to adjust him against any existing post. In all such cases, the Government servant so adjusted shall be entitled to the pay scale and other service benefits attached to the post he was holding.

4. A disabled Government servant who is not fit to return to duty shall be adjusted as per second proviso to the Section 47 mentioned above, until he is declared fit to resume duty or attains the age of superannuation whichever is earlier, with the same pay scale and service benefits. On being declared fit for resuming duty, the Government servant who is not fit for the post he is holding, may be adjusted as per the first proviso to Section 47.

5. Leave applied on medical certificate in connection with disability should not be refused or revoked without reference to a Medical Authority, whose advice shall be binding. The ceiling on maximum permissible leave laid down in Rule 12 may not be applied to leave on medical certificate applied in connection with the disability. Any leave debited for the period after a Government servant is declared incapacitated shall be remitted back into his/her leave account.

6. For a government servant who is unable to submit an application or medical certificate on account of disability, an application/medical certificate submitted by a family member may be accepted. The provisions relating to examination of disabled Government servants and the Medical Authorities competent to issue such certificates are also being amended.

7. Necessary amendments to the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 are being notified separately.

Sd/-
(Mukesh Chaturvedi)
Director Tel: 23093176

To obtain a signed PDF copy of the above Memorandum Click here: 

Amendment to Leave Rules for Employees with disabilities : 26 Feb 2015  


Related Media Coverage:PTI

Don't deny leave to disabled employees: Government tells departments

Thursday, 26 February 2015 - 4:00pm IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI

Any leave debited for the period after a government servant is declared incapacitated shall be remitted back into his or her leave account," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in an order.

Leave applied on medical certificate in connection with disability of a government employee should not be refused or revoked, the Centre has said.

For a government servant who is unable to submit an application or medical certificate on account of disability, a family member is allowed to inform the office or submit required documents on his behalf, it said.

The Centre is in the process of notifying new rules to ensure equitable working atmosphere for persons with disabilities in government departments.

"Leave applied on medical certificate in connection with disability should not be refused or revoked without reference to a medical authority, whose advice shall be binding...

"Any leave debited for the period after a government servant is declared incapacitated shall be remitted back into his or her leave account," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in an order.

As per rules, no employee can be terminated nor can he be reduced in rank in case the person has acquired a disability during his service. Even if such an employee is not suitable for the post he was holding, he could be shifted to some other post. However, his pay and service benefits would be protected, the rules said.

The rules also provides that if it is not possible to adjust such an employee against any post, he would be kept on a supernumerary post until a suitable post is available or he attains the age of superannuation, whichever is earlier.

Further, no promotion shall be denied to a person merely on ground of his disability.

"For a government servant who is unable to submit an application or medical certificate on account of disability, an application or medical certificate submitted by a family member may be accepted.

"The provisions relating to examination of disabled government servants and the medical authorities competent to issue such certificates are also being amended," the DoPT said.


Source: DNA India 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Travelling Allowance for Attendant/ Escort accompanying Govt. employees with Disabilities - Memo Released

Dear Friends,

This is further to my earlier post titled "DoPT issued the Memorandum on Facilities for Govt. Employees for efficient performance of duties" dated 22 May 2014. Yesterday, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India has issued the below OM regarding Travelling Allowance in respect of Attendant.Escort for accompanying a Government Servant with Disabilities on travel during official tour or training or attending an official workshop etc. 

This was a long pending demand of the disability sector and also granted in the DoPT OM No.No.36035/3/2013-Estt.(Res) dated 31st March 2014 which has finally been fulfilled by Govt. of India. All the officials, activists and stakeholders involved in bringing this to reality deserve accolades. 

As per this OM, Government servants with disabilities can claim travelling allowances for their escorts, if the field office or local administrative offices, where they would be visiting for tour or training within the country or Indian Missions abroad, for overseas visits, officially express their inability to provide an attendant of their own.  Mileage allowance would be admissible to the escorts at the same rate and similar class of accommodation as government servants with disabilities are entitled for.

This OM will benefit nearly 6000 Central Government employees with disabilities alone and expected to be emulated by various states. 

Here is the content of the OM:

Travelling Allowance in respect of Attendant/Escort for accompanying a Government Servant with Disabilities on travel during tour/training etc.

No. 19030/3/2013-E.IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance 
Department of Expenditure
******
North Block, New Delhi. 
Dated the 17th February, 2015.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:- Travelling Allowance in respect of Attendant/Escort for accompanying a Government Servant with Disabilities on travel during tour/training etc.

References have been received in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure seeking provision in the Rules/instructions regulating Travelling Allowance, in order to allow grant of Travelling Allowance to the Government servant with Disabilities in respect of an Attendant/Escort accompanying such a Government servant with Disabilities during travel while on tour/training, etc. At present there are no provisions in the Travelling Allowance rules which allows Government servants to claim Travelling Allowance in respect of Attendant/Escort accompanying them on tour/ training, etc. where such Government servants require the assistance of an Attendant/Escort for travel.

2. The matter has been considered and it has now been decided to allow Travelling Allowance in respect of the Attendant/Escort, for accompanying a Government servant with Disabilities during travel while on tour/training, etc., to be claimed by the Government servant with Disabilities. The admissibility of Travelling Allowance, in respect of the Attendant/Escort accompanying a Government servant with Disabilities, would be subject to the following conditions:-

(a) Ordinarily, the field offices/local administrative offices at the touring station, which the Government servant with Disabilities is required to visit on tour or training institutes where the Government servant with Disabilities is required to undergo training, would be required to provide an Attendant/Escort, from the existing pool of staff/persons employed, from the time the Government servant with Disabilities arrives at the destination and till such time the Government servant with Disabilities departs from that destination back to his headquarter station/place from where the Government servant with Disabilities had initially proceeded to that destination. During travel abroad, either on foreign tour/training, the Indian Missions/Posts (Embassy of India) at the country of visit would be required to .provide an Attendant/Escort, from the existing pool of staff/persons employed, during the period of stay of the Government servant with Disabilities in that country.

(b) Only when field offices/local administrative offices at the touring station or training institutes or Indian Missions/Posts at the country of visit, as the case may be, officially express their inability to provide an Attendant/Escort to the visiting Government servant with Disabilities, would the claim of Travelling Allowance in respect of Attendant/Escort accompanying the Government servant with Disabilities arise. In such cases, fare for travel of Attendant/Escort accompanying Government servant with Disabilities would be reimbursed. While for travel by air, Airlines are expected to provide assistance to Government.servant with Disabilities during travel as per Airlines policies, a Government servant with Disabilities however, can take along his personal Attendant/Escort for travel by Indian Railways for assistance during journey and boarding/de-boarding, even when an Attendant/Escort at destination station is provided officially.

(c) In all cases, Government servant with Disabilities are required to purchase travel tickets for self and Attendant/Escort at concessional rates, if any, offered by Railways/Airlines.

(d) The facility of Travelling Allowance for the Attendant/Escort would only be admissible to those Government servants with Disabilities, wherein it is certified by the competent Medical Authority that such a person compulsorily requires assistance of another person for travel. Under this clause, necessary certificate is to be obtained from the Head of Department of a Government Civil Hospital designated for the type/form of disability of the Government servant. Based on the certificate from competent Medical Authority, Heads of Departments would have to further satisfy the need for an Attendant/Escort during travel of the Government servant, before allowing the journey for the Attendant/Escort.

(e) Subject to clause (d) above, Travelling Allowance for the Attendant/Escort would be admissible to the Government servant with Disabilities while on tour (domestic or foreign). However, the authority deputing such a Government servant with Disabilities on tour would have to record in writing that the tour is considered necessary in the discharge of duties and responsibilities assigned to the Government servant with Disabilities.

(f) Subject to clause (d) above, Travelling Allowance for the Attendant/Escort would also be admissible to the Government servant with Disabilities when deputed on training provided it is recorded by the authority competent to depute such officials on training that such training is a mandatory training for career progression or induction training for probationers.

(g) Travelling Allowance consists of two parts; Mileage Allowance and Daily Allowance. No Daily Allowance would be admissible to the Attendant/Escort of the Government servant with Disabilities. Mileage Allowance would be admissible to the Attendant/Escort at the same rate and in the same class of accommodation, as the Government servant with Disabilities is entitled to under the Revised Travelling Allowance Rules, read with travel restrictions imposed under austerity measures/economy instructions, issued from time to time by the Government. However, in case of travel by any of the modes of conveyance by road, as prescribed under the Travelling Allowance rules, no separate mileage allowance would be admissible to the Government servant with Disabilities, in respect of the Attendant/Escort, except where the travel is by public bus.

(h) For commuting between residence to office and back, certain categories of Government servants with Disabilities are eligible for Transport Allowance at double the normal rates. As no Travelling Allowance is admissible to Government servants for training at headquarter station, consequently, no claim of Travelling Allowance to the Attendant/Escort of the Government servant with Disabilities would be admissible for training at headquarter station.

3. In so far as persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders issue in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Sd/-
(Subhash Chand)
Director

PS:
To obtain a signed PDF copy (but inaccessible for those using screen readers) click below:

Ministry of Finance OM No. 19030/3/2013-E.IV dated 17 Feb 2015


Related news that appeared subsequently on 18 Mar 2015:


Travel allowance for escorts accompanying disabled government employees 

By PTI | 18 Mar, 2015, 03.12PM IST 

NEW DELHI: Coming to the aid of Central Government employees with disabilities, the Centre has decided to extend travel allowance for escorts accompanying them during official tours and training. 

A first-of-its kind initiative by the Union Government, the facility has been provided for the differently-abled employees on official overseas assignment as well. 

The move is expected to benefit around 6000 employees with different types of disabilities. 

"It has now been decided to allow travelling allowance in respect of attendant/escort for accompanying a government servant with disabilities during travel while on tour/training, etc., to be claimed by government servants with disabilities," an Office Memorandum by the Department of Expenditure of the Ministry of Finance said. 

Of the 6000 Government servants with disabilities, nearly 5,000 are physically impaired, over 800 fall under the category of hearing impaired, while about 500 were visually challenged. 

As per the office memorandum, Government servants with disabilities can claim travelling allowances for their escorts, if the field office or local administrative offices, where they would be visiting for tour or training within the country or Indian Missions abroad, for overseas visits, officially express their inability to provide an attendant of their own. 

Mileage allowance would be admissible to the escorts at the same rate and similar class of accommodation as government servants with disabilities are entitled for. 

The facility of travelling allowance for the escort would only be admissible to government servants with disabilities, wherein it is certified by the competent Medical Authority that such a person compulsorily requires assistance of another person for travel, the office memorandum stated. 

"State Governments are expected to follow the guidelines issued by the Union Government in this regard. This would be beneficial for Government servants with disabilities employed in State Governments also," Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Joint Secretary, Department of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said.

Source: Economic Times 

Monday, February 16, 2015

Accessible India Campaign / सुगम्य भारत अभियान

Following Information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 23 Dec 2014:

Accessible India Campaign (सुगम्य भारतअभियान ) is the nationwide campaign for achieving universal accessibility for all citizens including Persons with Disabilities, to be able to gain access and live independently. The Accessible India Campaign comprises of the following key components:-

(i) Create Mass Awareness
(ii) Capacity Building
(iii) Interventions (Technology solutions, Legal framework, Resource generation)
(iv) Leverage corporate sector efforts including CSR resources.
(v) Leadership endorsements

Section 44, 45 and 46 of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Act, 1995 deals with non-discrimination in transport, non-discrimination on the road and non-discrimination in the built environment, respectively. All the Establishments, appropriate Governments and the local authorities are mandated by these provisions of the PwD Act to take, within the limits of their economic capacity, measures for providing easy accessibility for persons with disabilities in a non-discriminatory manner.

The Ministry as well as the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) from time to time request the State Govts./UT Administrations for providing barrier free access to public places by constructing ramps, lifts and railings.

Vide letter dated 24.01.2012, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) had written to all the Chief Secretaries of the States/UT Administrations among other things to take concrete and time bound steps to enforce accessibility standards and guidelines.

CCPD also takes up with the concerned State Govts./authorities as and when non-availability of facilities for access to public places for persons with disabilities comes to their notice.

The Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities of the concerned States are also requested to follow up with their respective State Govts./UT Administrations.

A letter dated 8.07.2014 has also been sent from Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment to the Chief Ministers of all States requesting them to issue suitable directions to all concerned for taking appropriate measures in concrete and time-bound manner for incorporation of barrier free access to all public buildings and transportation. They have also been requested that similar provisions may be made in local municipal/building bye-laws.

Moreover, under the Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 (SIPDA), Ministry provides Grants-in-aids to all States/UTs to provide barrier free environment in important Government buildings (State Secretariat, other important State level offices, Collectorates, State University Buildings/ Campuses, Medical Colleges and Main Hospitals at Divisional Headquarters, other important Government buildings), for Persons with Disabilities as per Section 46 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation of Rights) Act, 1995 (PwD Act). This includes provision for ramps, rails, lifts, adaptation of toilets for wheelchair users, brail signage and auditory signals, tactile flooring, etc.

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