General

Odisha: Taxi driver arrested for raping, killing a visually impaired minor girl

A taxi driver was arrested in Puri on Saturday for allegedly raping and murdering a visually impaired minor girl, police said.

Banamali Barik, 35, who was arrested, is a drug edict and has a criminal record. He was a frequent visitor to the victim's house. He has confessed to the crime, District Superintendent of Police Anup Sahu told IANS.

The 15-year-old victim was a student of a blind school in the state capital Bhubaneswar, 60 km from Puri, and had gone to her village for her summer vacation.

Car rally for the visually impaired on 9th

People find it difficult to drive on city roads with their eyes wide open. But, 154 visually-impaired men and women have registered to take part in a rally to be held in the city on Sunday. The number is even likely to increase.

The rally titled FOReSIGHT 2013, is being jointly organised by the Association for the Blind, Bangalore Knights Round Table 174 and others.

Strong link exists between blindness and poverty: Mukherjee

Visual impairment has a very debilitating effect on the family and the economic condition of those suffering from it, President Pranab Mukherjee today said and called for use of latest technology to combat it.

He also said that the treatment should be made affordable for all while speaking after inauguration of an eye hospital started by the Swami Swaroopanand Charitable Trust in Narsinghpur district here.

Public places should be designed keeping in mind the convenience of those suffering from any impairment, the President said.

Visually Impaired 14 Year Old Raped in Gujarat

A 14-year-old blind girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour in Odhav area of the city, police said today.

The girl was asleep on the terrace of her house on Sunday night when Manish Parmar (25), the accused, forcibly took her to his terrace and raped her, police said.

Her elder sister approached the police yesterday.

"Parmar, was arrested late last night. He has confessed to his crime and has been sent to judicial custody," Odhav Police Inspector V D Brahmbhatt said.

NHFDC and Punjab National Bank signs an MOU to facilitate concessional credit to PwDs on refinance basis

National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC), Department of Disability Affairs, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Punjab National Bank (PNB) signed MOU to facilitate concessional credit to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) on all India basis here. Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NHFDC, Shri Harsh Bhal and Shri S.S Bhatia, General Manager, PNB signed on the MOU.

No handout from National Commission for Persons with Disability

The Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mustapha Atila has reiterated that the National Commission for Persons with Disability was not set up by the APC government to offer gifts or handouts; stressing that the commission should only focus on creating the enabling environment for persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone.

Shimla kids to learn through film festival on disability

Public welfare trust Umang Foundation will organise a film festival on disability, the first such programme in Himachal Pradesh, an organiser said here Sunday.

A total 19 national and international award winning short films will be screened at Portmore Government School Monday, foundation chairman Ajai Srivastava said in a statement.

The Practice of Medicine, Perfected: Portrait of a Doctor, France, 1953

Mother's vision helps visually impaired siblings see

Doughty-spirited siblings from Malad battle physical challenge and find When Jyoti Goyal’s son Ashish was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa at age eight, she was concerned about how he would deal with the trauma. At age 15, her younger daughter Nidhi was diagnosed with the same illness. Both her children lost their vision completely by the time they turned 22.

Union Bank of India Chairman inaugurates their 100th accessible ATM machine in New Delhi

Just 6 months after the installation of it's 1st accessible ATM in July 2013, in March 2013 Union Bank of India installed it's 100th accessible ATM in accord with it's plans. An article published in the Hindu Business Line on July 30th 2013 read, "Union Bank of India (UBI) plans to open nearly 100 “talking ATMs” for visually impaired customers across the country in 2012-13, Mr D. Sarkar, Chairman and Managing Director, said. So far, UBI has four such ATMs – in Mumbai, Lucknow and Gujarat — and their usefulness has prompted the bank to increase the number."