dear friends, let me share you my article. this i have sent to hindustantimes. see below:------ Fighting disability with spirit
"Considering that India alone has 60 million disabled people, it is imperative that accessible technologies are made available to people with disabilities and it is the endeavor of Techshare to create an environment and ecosystem that supports this need," says Shilpi Kapoor, Managing Director of Barrierbreak, a firm that provides solutions in the field of accessibility for people with disabilities. The people with disabilities have a different kind of ability too. "Disability is a matter of perception and the White Cane is a symbol of… A Blind Person. It is a tool of mobility for a Blind person. & communicates that a blind person also needs space to walk independently. So, it is A symbol of Independence", says Jawaharlal Kaul, the secretary general of All India Confederation of the Blind New Delhi advocating safety guidelines for the blind. Researches are on to develop electronic white canes by different Organizations and it is hoped that they would come with imperative results soon. To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired persons and to recognize the white cane's significance in advancing independence, October 15 of each year is observed as "International White Cane Safety Day." According to Philip Strong, the history of White cane is not new one. To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired Americans and to recognize the white cane's significance in advancing independence, we observe October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day." Today, the white cane works both, as a tool for the blind as well as a symbol, but this has not always been the case. Throughout history, the cane, staff, and stick have existed as traveling aids for the blind and visually impaired. James Biggs of Bristol claimed to have invented the white cane in 1921. In February 1931, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a scheme for a national white stick movement for blind people in France. In May 1931 the BBC suggested in its radio broadcasts that blind individuals might be provided with a white stick, which would become universally recognized as a symbol indicating that somebody was blind or visually impaired. In North America the introduction of the white cane has been attributed to the Lion's Clubs International. With the realization that the black cane was barely visible to motorists, the Lion's Club decided to paint the cane white to increase its visibility to oncoming motorists. In 1931, the Lion's Club International began a national program promoting the use of white canes for persons who are blind Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, blind persons had walked with their canes held diagonally in a fixed position, and the role of the white cane took on a symbolic role as an identifier. Doctor Richard Hoover developed the "long cane" or "Hoover" method of cane travel. 6th October 1964, American President Lyndon B Johnson Proclaimed 15thOctober to be observed as White Cane Safety Day. During the early 1960's, several state organizations and rehabilitation agencies serving the blind and visually impaired citizens of the United States urged Congress to proclaim October 15 of each year to be White Cane Safety Day in all fifty states. * Exclusive left turn cycles, uncontrolled right turn channels are increasingly used. These turning movements cross the pedestrian path, their timing cannot be anticipated by the blind pedestrian and their sound obscures the directional cues from straight-through traffic. * Blind pedestrian's judge traffic by sound, whether they travel with a white cane or with a guide dog, while those with low vision supplement visual cues with sound cues, too. * More than 4906 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 1999 in America only what to say for India; * There were 85,000 pedestrians injured * People who are blind or visually impaired are disproportionately represented in the pedestrian population. *Manufacturers have developed pedestrian audible pedestrian signals in the West and (APS) that emit a low audible locator tone to alert a blind pedestrian that a crosswalk signal is nearby. * Pushing the walk button activates a walk cycle, which lasts for a set length of time sufficient to allow an average person to safely cross a street. The American Council of the Blind has printed a Pedestrian Safety Handbook, used by ACB's 67 affiliates throughout the country. The handbook includes articles defining the problem, model language for pedestrian safety legislation, descriptions of available accessible traffic signals, and other advocacy information. For details contact AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND Time is changing fast. So is the attitude of people and hence a mass education to the public in this regard is needed through the helpful attitude of our media. Persons with Disabilities Act of the Parliament have sections in this respect but the role of State Governments is negligible, though a bulk of money is allocated for the purpose by Centre. (Dr. Udai Narain Sinha) Reader in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Lucknow University, Lucknow. On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 8:43 AM, Krishnan Moothimoola <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > dear friends > > whitecane day is celebrating on 15th october and i expect a sharing of > varrious issues of white cane in this forum. > krishnan. > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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 > -- u.n.sinha 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
