Hi Rakesh, I have written to M.R Vip drawing his attention to the phrase: "any other issues affecting blind and visually impaired people ". I don't think that one can be more precise than this and if he still insists, then let him keep doing that and we don't have to get bug down by his e-mails and we have far more serious issues to discuss. For example let's concentrate on discussing about the amazing data that Tara has forwarded us. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rakesh Kumar Gupta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Dr. Vipin K. Malhotra'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 11:03 AM Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies)
> Accessindia mailing list home page > > Introduction > > Welcome to the official home page of the AccessIndia mailing list. > AccessIndia is a mailing list or an electronic discussion group for > blind and visually > impaired people in India. The topics of discussion include issues > concerning assistive and access technology, Internet, Careers for the > visually impaired, > Government policies, audio-digital books, screen readers, scanning of > books and printed material, use and accessibility of electronic > equipment and any > other technology or accessibility issue concerning the blind in India. > > Subscription details > If you would like to subscribe to the AccessIndia mailing list or change > your subscription, please visit the > AccessIndia subscription page. > > Note > > This website is still under construction. More content will be available > soon. If you have any suggestions or comments, please write to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dr. Vipin > K. Malhotra > Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:06 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) > > Dear members, > Respecting our moderator's personal views on the much talked of issue > "sexual harassment of blind women" in this particular list by using his > discretion. I am blocking the subject matter for at least my mail box. > Though I always think that the issue is of utmost significance yet I > strongly believe that he displayed objectives on the given website > should be > the guidelines for conducting any discussion on the forum. Where we > could > have purposeful discussion. And those who joined the access india for a > specific purpose they should not be robbed of their precious time. > It is always felt that there should be a separate group for discussing > rights of the disabled and the problems felt by them in their day do day > > life. > I invite some one who could start such group for healthy and meaningful > discussion. > Because lately there are so many issues which have come up on legal > front > since the PWD act of 1995 has been passed. > Those who are bent upon discussing this issue on this list.I am > reproducing > below the objectives of this group for their consideration. > In future since I would not be getting any mail by this subject. so I > won't > even know whether my friends have adhered to my advice or not. > > With regards, > > Vip > > Objectives of Access India > > The AccessIndia mailing list provides an opportunity for blind and > visually > impaired computer users in India to exchange information as well as > conduct > discussions related to assistive technology and other accessibility > issues > which may directly or indirectly influence their professional, academic > or > personal > activities. > > The AccessIndia mailing list was started on 4th January, 2001 with the > objective of providing an online forum for blind and visually impaired > computer users > in India to exchange information, ask technology related questions and > discuss ideas and issues pertaining to accessible technology. > The topics of discussion for the AccessIndia list can include questions > or > issues concerning access to computers and information technology, > effective > use > of internet, careers for visually impaired in public as well as the > private > sectors, challenges or accessibility issues faced by blind persons in > their > respective professional or academic fields, government policies directly > or > indirectly affecting blind persons in India, Access to digital as well > as > printed > sources of information including talking books, scanning and other means > of > alternative technology, access to public utility services, educational > institutions > and workplaces, accessibility of consumer electronic devices such as > digital > voice recorders, and mp3 players among other things and any other issues > > affecting > blind and visually impaired people in India. > Although a large number of subscribers to the AccessIndia list are > blind, > any organizations or individuals who are working in the education or > rehabilitation > of blind and visually impaired persons, family members of blind persons, > > volunteers helping blind people in anyway and anyone interested in the > topics > discussed on AccessIndia are encouraged to join the list and make their > valuable contributions. > For your information, the archives of the list are available to all > visitors. >>From this web page, you can subscribe or unsubscribe to the list or > change > your subscription options. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Taraprakash" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 10:42 PM > Subject: Re: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) > > >> Hi. Below is the remainder of the report as promised. >> >> >> . The labor market does not adequately accommodate disabled women, nor > are >> there sufficient laws to prevent and punish harassment - either sexual >> harassment >> or harassment on the basis of disability. According the United > Nations, >> only >> one quarter of women with disabilities worldwide is in the workforce. > They >> are twice as unlikely to find work as disabled men. In the United > States, >> disabled men earned 55 percent more than disabled women in 1994-95. >> . There are reports of high rates physical and sexual abuse against >> disabled >> women and girls living in institutions for the disabled. In some >> countries, >> disabled women living in institutions are abused at twice the rate as >> those >> living in the community. >> . In Africa, where the myth that having sex with a virgin can cure a >> person >> of HIV/AIDS, women and girls with disabilities are targeted for rape >> because >> they are presumed to be asexual and thus virgins. >> . The combination of discrimination on the basis of gender and > disability >> results in low literacy rates for women and girls with disabilities > and >> low >> rates >> of school attendance. UNESCO estimates that the overall literacy rate > for >> persons with disabilities worldwide is 3 percent, and for disabled > women >> and >> girls it is 1 percent. One source says that less than 2 percent of >> children >> with disabilities are attending any form of schools, but no gender >> breakdown >> of that number is available. In the U.S., disabled women are five > times >> more >> likely than non-disabled women to have fewer than eight years of >> schooling. >> Particularly for girls who do not attend school, information on >> reproductive >> health is less available, leading to the unsurprising result in the > U.S. >> that >> young women with disabilities are significantly more likely to be > mothers >> three to five years after leaving school than non-disabled young > women. >> Studies >> in the U.S. also show that disabled students experience higher rates > of >> sexual harassment in schools, and disabled girls face higher rates > than >> disabled >> boys. >> . Disability benefits are lower for disabled women than for disabled > men >> in >> some countries, such as Canada. These benefits are tied to work and >> earning >> histories, thus penalizing women who face discrimination in the labor >> sector >> and lower wages than men. >> list end >> >> Although human rights abuses against women and girls are rampant, they > are >> largely ignored. Justice systems fail to accommodate disability, > making it >> difficult >> for women to prove abuses of their human rights. For example, some > courts >> will not entertain allegations of sexual violence brought by blind > women, >> because >> of supposed difficulties in identifying the perpetrator. In terms of > donor >> attention, bilateral assistance to address the needs of disabled > people is >> rare, >> and poverty reduction strategies often ignore both the issues of > disabled >> people and issues of gender. >> >> Background on the Draft Convention on the Protection and Promotion of > the >> Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities >> >> Since 2001, there has been serious movement toward an international > treaty >> on disability rights. The General Assembly adopted resolution in 2001 >> which >> established >> an ad hoc committee to work on such a treaty. By July 2005, the ad hoc >> committee has had five major meetings and has produced a draft treaty >> covering a >> wide variety of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural > rights. >> The >> ad hoc committee's sixth meeting takes place from August 1-12, 2005. >> >> In terms of women's rights in the draft convention, they are addressed > in >> many of the articles (e.g., ones dealing with statistics and data >> collection, >> equality and nondiscrimination, violence, work, participation in > political >> and public life, education, health care, privacy and family issues, > and >> social >> security.) There is also a proposal that there be an additional > article >> specifically on women's rights to highlight the fact that disabled > women >> suffer >> distinct discrimination from disabled men. >> >> The United Nations " >> Enable" >> website has comprehensive information on the drafting process for the >> disability treaty. >> >> The language of the current draft of the treaty must be drawn from > four >> different documents that reflect the status of negotiations on various >> articles. >> They key documents are: >> List of 4 items >> . The >> original draft convention from January 2004, >> which proposed language for Articles 1-25. >> . A series of >> suggestions >> from member states on the treaty as a whole, set forth in the 3rd ad > hoc >> committee report from May-June 2004. This document includes proposed >> article >> 15bis >> specifically on women. >> . The >> 4th ad hoc committee report from August - September 2004, >> which summarizes the member states' basic agreement on Articles > 4-7(4). >> . The >> 5th ad hoc committee report from January-February 2005, >> which summarizes the member states' basic agreement on articles >> 7(5)-14(bis). >> list end >> Regards >> >> original message >> >> >>> Here is a bit for those who want to work more in this field. >>> >>> Women and Girls with Disabilities >>> >>> Human Rights Watch is committed to promoting the human rights of all >>> persons, and is supportive of the movement toward codification of a >>> specific >>> international >>> human rights treaty on disability rights. We are concerned that the >>> current >>> draft of the treaty does not yet adequately protect the human rights > of >>> women >>> and girls. This website and the linked documents provide background > on >>> this >>> issue and suggest improvements for the treaty. >>> List of 3 items >>> . Background on Abuses of Disabled Women's and Girls' Rights >>> . Background on the Draft Comprehensive and Integral International >>> Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity > of >>> Persons with >>> Disabilities >>> . Human Rights Watch letter outlining concerns about the draft > disability >>> treaty >>> list end >>> >>> Background on Abuses of Disabled Women's and Girls' Rights >>> >>> Approximately 300 million women around the world have mental and > physical >>> disabilities. Women constitute 75 percent of the disabled people in > low >>> and >>> middle >>> income countries. Women with disabilities comprise 10 percent of all >>> women >>> worldwide. >>> >>> Women are more likely than men to become disabled during their lives, > due >>> in >>> part to gender bias in the allocation of scarce resources and in > access >>> to >>> services. When ill, girls and women are less likely to receive > medical >>> attention than boys and men, particularly in developing countries > where >>> medical >>> care may be a considerable distance from home. They are also less > likely >>> to >>> receive preventive care, such as immunizations. Due to social, > cultural >>> and >>> religious factors, disabled women are less likely than men to make > use of >>> existing social services, including residential services, and it is >>> estimated >>> that disabled women worldwide receive only 20 percent of the >>> rehabilitation. >>> A study in the Asia Pacific region found that more than 80 percent of >>> disabled >>> women had no independent means of livelihood, and thus were totally >>> dependent on others. According to the World Health Organization, > girls >>> with >>> disabilities >>> may be more readily institutionalized than boys. >>> >>> Disabled women and girls face the same spectrum of human rights > abuses >>> that >>> non-disabled women face, but their social isolation and dependence >>> magnifies >>> these abuses and their consequences. Women and girls with > disabilities >>> fare >>> less well on most indicators of educational, professional, financial, > and >>> social >>> success than their non-disabled female and disabled male > counterparts. In >>> some countries, laws overtly discriminate against disabled women and > men, >>> including >>> by barring them from marrying if they have any form of mental > disability. >>> >>> Even where the laws are not discriminatory, disabled women and girls > face >>> a >>> host of abuses at the hands of their families, communities, and the >>> state. >>> Though >>> definitive data is rare, there is some evidence that disabled women > and >>> girls face higher rates of violence and discrimination than > non-disabled >>> women. >>> List of 8 items >>> . Disabled women's sexual and reproductive rights are grossly abused. > >>> They >>> experience forced sterilization; forced abortion due to > discriminatory >>> attitudes >>> about their parenting abilities; and denial of information about >>> reproductive health and contraceptives. When seeking reproductive > health >>> care, disabled >>> women often face abusive treatment at the hands of physicians who do > not >>> understand their particular circumstances. A study in the U.S. showed > >>> that >>> women >>> with disabilities were significantly less likely to receive pelvic > exams >>> than non-disabled women. >>> . Disabled women also face limitations on their rights to marry and > found >>> a >>> family, and often lose of custody of their children. In some > countries, >>> it >>> is >>> almost impossible for disabled women to adopt children. >>> . Disabled women face high rates of violence, both at the hands of > family >>> members and of personal assistants. Their dependence on their > caregivers >>> makes >>> it even more difficult for them to pursue a remedy than for > non-disabled >>> women. Even where shelters are available for survivors of domestic >>> violence, >>> they >>> are rarely accessible for disabled women. Research indicates that the >>> violence faced by disabled women may be more chronic and severe, and >>> takes >>> some unique >>> forms, such as withholding of essential care and medication. It seems > >>> also >>> to be more prevalent: surveys conducted in Europe, North America, and >>> Australia >>> have shown that over half of disabled women have experienced physical >>> abuse, >>> compared to one-third of non-disabled women. In the United States, >>> children >>> with disabilities are almost twice as likely to experience sexual > abuse >>> as >>> non-disabled children. >>> >>> >>> (To be continued on Monday Unless the "law" stops me) >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "smriti singh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 3:54 PM >>> Subject: [AI] A Burning Issues(replies) >>> >>> >>>> Dear list members, >>>> >>>> I don't have regular access to internet, otherwise I >>>> would have participated fully in the discussion. >>>> Anyway, here are my quick comments on all the >>>> responses: >>>> >>>> To begin with, I feel that not much replies have come >>>> on the basic issue I raised. I am actually talking >>>> about institutions who keep visually challenged girls. >>>> Either they have schools for them, or they provide >>>> hostels. I think we all know that girls are not safe >>>> there. It does not mean that all the institutions run >>>> in the same manner. >>>> >>>> As far as one's isolation is concerned, university >>>> students, particularly visually challenged, are >>>> already isolated. So, I'm not scared of being >>>> isolated. I do agree that institution like Nab raise >>>> their problem concerning to study, but no institution >>>> take care about their social rights. Even for >>>> scholarships, some institutions do not allow girls to >>>> use their institutions' address. So, they have to give >>>> address of their friends for receiving the >>>> scholarship. >>>> >>>> I'm also very upset that women have not responded on >>>> this issue. Most of us talked about the self-defence >>>> and martial arts, but do we think our visually >>>> challenged girls have enough sex education? That is >>>> why they are more vulnerable. So, before teaching any >>>> self-defence trick, I think it is necessary for >>>> visually challenged women to understand what they have >>>> to protect themselves from. I would like to inform all >>>> of you that I am not thinking about this issue only >>>> since that NDTV report. I am thinking about this issue >>>> for a long time. I have worked on a project with Prof. >>>> Romila Thapar. For that project, we had conducted >>>> interviews of visually challenged girls. Besides, I >>>> have many visually challenged friends who are staying >>>> in such hostels. So we know what situation is like. I >>>> and Mr. Shobhan Singh have written a joint article >>>> about visually challenged women which was published in >>>> International Journal of Disability. So, it is not >>>> that we are unaware about laws. There are certain >>>> governmental law, true. But, when these NGOs for women >>>> go to register themselves, they are not asked what >>>> precautions they are going to take to ensure safety of >>>> those women. In other words, there are no code of >>>> conduct that governs these NGOs or institutions. >>>> >>>> Being an academician does not mean that one cannot >>>> raise social issues or one is unaware about it. I >>>> would like to request all access India members that, >>>> more than anything, it is necessary to spread >>>> awareness about the entire matter. >>>> >>>> With Regards, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Smriti Singh >>>> Programme: M. Phil (English Literature) >>>> Room # 03 >>>> Sabarmati Hostel >>>> Jawaharlal Nehru University >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> > ________________________________________________________________________ > ____________ >>>> Have a burning question? >>>> Go to www.Answers.yahoo.com and get answers from real people who > know. >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>>> >>>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other > changes, >>>> please visit the list home page at >>>> >>>> > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n >>> >>> >>> To unsubscribe send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>> >>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>> please visit the list home page at >>> >>> > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n >> >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com > > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
