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Resolutions and solutions

Mon, 07/30/2012 - 19:21 -- admin
To start the new year with something for our readers to look forward to, beyond the I spoke to a number of people to make a resolution that could be instrumental in bring about change, however small, during 2006. The responses from those responsible for shaping public policy and capable of directing mass behaviour are disappointing in their vagueness and open-endedness. Offset against these are the resolutions of people in the non-governmental and non-commercial arenas – here, there is no hesitation in making a concrete commitment, and in taking the steps necessary to see it through. Click on the list of names below to read their resolutions or simply scroll down the page.

S. Jaipal Reddy | Dipendra Manocha | Dr. William Rowland | Dr. Madhumita Puri | A.K. Mittal | Kailash Chandra Pandey |
Dr. Manoj Kumar | T.D. Dhariyal | Shanti Raghavan | L. Subramani | Meenu Bhambhani | Priti Monga | Piyush Pandey

 



Minister for Urban Development and Culture, Government of India

We will try to see that all buildings in urban India are disabled-friendly, and also accessible for visually impaired or disabled people. In urban areas, we will also try to provide access to reading facilities, for blind and poor people in particular, and for everybody in general.


After repeated attempts, a source at the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, speaking to our correspondent, claimed that they did not have any resolution to contribute. He said that the Ministry did not have yearly targets; states send requests for grants. On its part, the Centre wants to see all disabled children educated.

Despite repeated attempts and faxes, we did not get any response from the Disability Division, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

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Director, IT and Services, National Association for the Blind, Delhi

  1. Release Hindi screen reading software. I hate to tell people that they can learn computers only if they choose to work in a foreign language and I cannot provide any help if they read and write in their native language. Also, current screen reading software is unaffordable and I do not want myself and others to live like thieves [by using pirated software] but to face the world with their heads high in telling what software they use in their P.C.
  2. Increase the network of talking book libraries that produce digital books and collaborate to avoid recording of same books at different locations.
  3. Integrate O.C.R. software for Indian languages with screen reading programmes so that P.C.s read Hindi language books.
  4. Provide opportunities to computer programmers with vision impairment so that they are able to participate in projects related to accessible software and hardware tools for persons with vision impairment.
  5. Provide an excellent and affordable DAISY Digital Talking Book Player for developing countries.
  6. Facilitate establishment of DAISY resource centres in developing countries of South Asia. These countries currently do not have any good accessible book production facilities and need infrastructure for this purpose.


President, World Blind Union

My personal commitment: The transformation of the World Blind Union into an organisation that makes a difference to blind people in every part of the world. This stems from my belief that international organisations must work as change agents.

My New Year's resolution: That governments in developing countries get their blind children into school. No more than 10 per cent of blind children outside of Europe and America currently receive schooling. To ensure this, at this stage, the World Blind Union has entered into discussions with a number of other agencies and hopes to announce the beginning of a new initiative sometime this year.



Executive Director, Society for Child Development, Delhi

I will employ at least one person with a visual impairment in the institutions managed by us. This will be a small step towards helping ease the difficult employment scenario.

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Regional Director, Regional Centre of National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Chennai

My dream during the coming year is to be able to do something concrete for the inarticulate majority of visually impaired persons in the country and more specifically, in the region where I work, for those who live, nay subsist, in rural areas and urban slums and have had no or limited education. Those for whom adaptive technology is yet a far cry; those whose voice is still too feeble to be heard in the corridors of power in the NGO and government sectors.



Executive Secretary, Blind Relief Association, Delhi

In the coming year, we want to add more value to our vocational training programme so that more and more students are inspired to take up self-employment as a career option. We all also have to ensure that the Durgabai Deshmukh College for Special Education (Visual Impairment) starts functioning.

As General Secretary, Indian Blind Sports Association

I wish to promote football and judo sports for blind sportpersons in the coming year. On the agenda are also national (in 2006) and international (in 2007) blind sports meet. I wish to ensure full participation of visually impaired sports persons in the meet.

 



Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Delhi

We have resolved to see that the Disability Act is implemented in the true sense and that it reaches the person sitting at the last step of the development, especially those living in remote and rural areas.

I assure you that we will take all the possible steps to keep up with our resolutions to the extent possible to the capacity of this office.

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Deputy Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Delhi

If you see any violation of the 3 per cent reservation in admission rule, please bring it to our notice. We resolve to take the violators to task. We want to promote equal opportunities for everybody.

 

 



Founder and Managing Trustee, Enable India, Bangalore

Identify job opportunities where larger numbers of visually impaired persons can be provided jobs, as well as ensure appropriate training, counseling, placement and retention of visually impaired persons. Even though jobs for blind people have increased, it is still dismally low. This has to change in the current economy where there is a high demand for qualified people.


 
Journalist, Deccan Herald, Chennai

Given a chance, I would like to do something in 2006 in my own small way, to tell the present generation about the difficulties that visually impaired people had faced in the past, which would help them remain aware of the difficult and often uncertain path the community has crossed. History offers all of us a context in which we have to put the present and understand the bigger picture. It also keeps us humane, a virtue I feel missing from the present generation, which sometimes show its confidence in excess.

 

 



Disability activist and professional, Delhi

As I have observed in the last few years, the disability movement in India has crossed the stage of creating basic awareness. Today we need advocacy that is backed by solid research. I resolve to continue to work towards setting up a cutting edge research institute in disability that will focus on policy change and implementation for a cross-disability group, which does not exclude people with visual disabilities.



P.R. Officer, Shroff Charity Eye Hospital, Delhi

I will make all possible efforts to reach out to fellow women, disabled or non-disabled, to get them to discover and learn the art of positivity. This will be mobilised with the launch of a self help group in the first week of January 2006. The group will be known as ‘The Silver Linings’. Each member of this group will learn the art of positive thinking and will then take that knowledge to everyone she is in touch with. They say life is tough but one has to be tougher to make life worth living. And strength comes from counting one’s blessings and being happy about them.

 



Executive Chairman and National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Limited, Delhi

This year I will open my eyes to the possibilities of doing things that people believe I am capable of doing for visually impaired people, and will try to make a difference in their lives.

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