Dear Minar Wonderful compilation, we too need to replicate it and sensatize the political parties. Harish Kotian
-----Original Message----- From: Minar Singh [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 17 February 2012 10:27 To: aliluhar; anil bhagat; [email protected]; [email protected]; Geeta Suman; [email protected]; Kotian, H P; [email protected]; keyboardusers; [email protected]; [email protected]; Nitin Dhaware; [email protected]; Pradip Chandra Sikdar; Salman Khalid; shahi88avinash; [email protected]; shyam371987; [email protected]; suchika agarwal; zainab.smart21 Subject: The following is a compilation of articles, obtained from the web, on the subject of accessible democracy to blind or low vision persons. The following is a compilation of articles, obtained from the web, on the subject of accessible democracy to blind or low vision persons. It addresses election materials, legislative content, and jury participation--with examples from New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Jamal Mazrui National Council on Disability Email: [email protected] ---------- The Royal National Institute for the Blind logo Accessible Elections - how you can help __________________________________________ Visually impaired people can be excluded from the profusion of print information offered from candidates and political parties in preparation for a general election. However there are many things you can do to get in touch with visually impaired people to make sure that they receive the information from you which they need. Campaign Literature * Make sure this is accessible to all. Are your messages easily understood and readable? * Clear print benefits all readers but can make all the difference to visually impaired readers. * Don't be tempted to put too much on a leaflet - keeping print a reasonable size increases the number of people who will be able to read your leaflets. * Other factors can make it easier to read too including good colour contrast, plain typeface, use of lower case letters rather than capitals, bold rather than light weight text, generous spacing and non-glossy paper. See RNIB's Clear Print Guidelines. * Many visually impaired people will only be able to use braille or audio cassette. Using your own voice and words in a personal recording is a very effective way of putting your message across. Use the list of addresses to find a professional transcriber. * Remember that information in alternative formats should be available without undue delay or extra cost. Keep in touch with visually impaired people * Producing your information in legible print, tape and braille is a first step, but it does not actually guarantee that visually impaired people will be aware of it. So how do you reach people who have difficulty in reading print in the first place? * Let people know that you can offer braille or audio tape. State this clearly in the print document so that others can inform visually impaired people. * Get to know your local society for the blind. They have direct contact with many blind and partially sighted people for whom they may run clubs, resource centres and visiting schemes, so they are an excellent means of passing on information. Why not ask to meet their members or send press releases for inclusion in newsletters or magazines. They may even be able to distribute information you have produced in accessible formats to their members. * Make the most of local radio - about a third of all visually impaired people listen to it. Some stations have special programmes for visually impaired people. * Talking Newspapers are very popular among visually impaired people as they provide up to date information from national and local newspapers and magazines. * Charities such as RNIB, the Partially Sighted Society, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and Action for Blind People (to name just a few) provide information and/or produce newsletters. Keep them informed of what you are producing as they are key information brokers. * Remember that day centres, clubs and residential care homes for elderly people will have a high proportion of users with impaired sight. They can assist you in passing on useful information to their residents. * Community centres and places of worship often play an important role in providing information, not least for people from ethnic and cultural minorities. Helping people to vote * Voting can be difficult for many blind and partially sighted people. Ballot papers are not available in formats other than print and voters often have to be accompanied by someone to help them cast their vote. * The greatest challenge may well be getting to the polling station in the first place. Organising transport for voters who have limited vision and guiding them into the polling station is a good idea. RNIB provides leaflets explaining the best way to guide a blind person. * Many visually impaired people will prefer to vote by proxy or post to retain some privacy. Applications for an absent vote on the grounds of blindness or physical disability or other mobility problems should be made on form RPF 7B (available from the local Electoral Registration Office, listed in the phone book under local council offices). The form can be returned at any time but not later than 13 working days before an election. * Offer to help people fill in the form as it is not available in large print, tape or braille. People who are registered blind or in receipt of Mobility Allowance don't need the form countersigned, but people with other mobility problems need the form signed by a GP, Nurse, or Christian Science practitioner. If they are living in special accommodation, the form can be signed by the Head of a residential home or warden of sheltered housing. In addition RNIB is campaigning for simple adjustments which could help visually impaired people to vote independently - such as large print posters of the ballot paper, large print/braille templates and providing verbal descriptions about the candidates on the ballot paper. If you would like further advice on how you can help make the election process accessible to visually impaired people please contact Nana Yerassimou, See it Right campaign, RNIB, 224 Great Portland Street, London, W1N 6AA, Telephone 0171 388 1266. Accessible Information for All Blind and partially sighted people need the same kind of information as anyone else if they are to participate fully in society. They face barriers and obstacles on a daily basis but one of the most frustrating is not being able to access printed information. Imagine waking in the morning to the sound of the post dropping onto your doormat, and knowing that it could be days till you get to know its contents. Lack of access to personal letters, financial documents, confidential papers, bills and statements and council tax demands cause frustration and inconvenience on a daily basis. There are many different ways that visually impaired people can "read" information. Large print, braille, audio tape and diskette are all very popular forms of communication which can be produced quickly and without too much expense. During a general election visually impaired people can be excluded from the plethora of information that most voters will have at their disposal to make their final decision. Communication from candidates and political parties will have to be targeted to blind and partially sighted people who will probably miss out on standard publicity via newspapers, flyers and letters. Voting independently is not possible either since postal/proxy forms and the ballot paper are only available in print. Please refer to the section on Accessible Elections to find out what you can do to help. What are alternative formats? Clear Print ...making sure that print is legible is of benefit to all readers but for visually impaired readers it can make all the difference. Adhering to clear print guidelines is easily done and does not incur extra costs. In fact producing clear print ensures that your information is easy to read and more likely to be read. Very simple factors can affect print legibility: * ensure good colour/tone contrast between text and background * ensure reasonable size (12 point minimum) and boldness of print * use a clear typeface, nothing fancy or in italics * use a quality paper which is non-glossy and does not show through print on the reverse * do not print over a patterned background, photos, logos or illustrations * allow for generous spacing and give a clear contents list to aid orientation * text which is badly constructed using jargon and terminology can also deter readers (contact the Plain English Campaign for further information). Who uses clear print? Clear print is of benefit to all readers. It is especially important for visually impaired readers, 6 out of 10 of whom consider themselves to be print readers. Since many visually impaired readers have to employ low vision aids such as magnifying glasses or CCTVs to cope with badly designed text in small print it can be time consuming and laborious. Well designed text also benefits older people with failing sight who often struggle to read poorly designed text. The standard of print is important even to people who cannot read it themselves. Optical scanners can read and translate information onto computer, but only if the text is reasonably clear and well designed. Large print ...means a minimum of 14 point print - the size of the type used in this document. Large print can be produced using most word processors. It is best to use a laser printer since others such as dot matrix do not give a clear print resolution. Who uses large print? It comes as a surprise to many people that large print is used by blind and partially sighted people. In fact, 36% of blind people and 75% of partially sighted people are able to read large print "comfortably" and some have enough vision to read ordinary newspaper print. Producing large print means that documents may be slightly longer, and will incur higher paper costs, but using standard IT equipment it costs little more than producing standard print. Audio cassette ...the advent of cheap audio tapes and tape recorders has revolutionised the way in which many blind and partially sighted people can send and receive information. It can be a particularly forceful way for a candidate to put a message across by using your own words and voice. A do-it-yourself approach to producing information on tape is perfectly possible with reasonable audio equipment. The DIY approach has its limitations if you need to record complex information, or if you need many copies of a particular tape. A standard length DIY cassette will cost only a few pence, whilst a fully commercial production (with specially designed inlay card, sound effects and indexing) may cost from around z2.50 per tape for multiple copies, and more for single copies. Who uses audio cassette? Tape is an extremely important medium for many people, especially those unable to read print. But it is not suitable for everyone. Only a third of blind and partially sighted people actually own a tape recorder - although ownership is likely to rise as younger people have a greater familiarity with tape. Among older people, deafness affects about one person in three and this also limits more widespread use of tapes. Braille ...is a system of raised dots that can be read by touch, using patterns of up to six dots to represent each letter or number. Almost anything can be brailled - from bank statements to catalogues, from manuals to music and personal correspondence. Braille is produced using specialist software and a braille embosser, or a manually operated machine. Printing braille documents is usually a task for the specialist producer. Commercial transcription costs range from around z1.50 per page for straightforward text to over z10 per page for more complex publications involving foreign languages or technical terminology. Who uses braille? It is most likely to be used by people with little or no remaining sight, whose blindness occurred early in life. Although the numbers able to read braille fluently are quite small - only 19,000 - it is essential for those who can read it. Many visually impaired people also know enough braille to use it for labels. Information technology ...opens up the possibility of providing information on computer disks for those who have access to computers using speech synthesizers, braille keyboards, large print displays and other innovations. This will no doubt increase with greater familiarity and reduction in costs. It must be borne in mind however that technological advancements have the potential to exclude access for blind and partially sighted people if their needs are overlooked at the design stage. Information on the Internet is also becoming increasingly popular amongst visually impaired people and it is essential that information is well designed to ensure access for all. Who uses IT? Computers and other advances in micro-technology have had a tremendous impact on the lives of many blind children and people of working age and there is clearly a great future for IT. But the numbers of blind and partially sighted people with personal computer equipment is still extremely small, as the cost limits take-up. Another inhibiting factor is the fact that the majority of blind and partially sighted people are of retirement age and are unfamiliar with technology. Telephone services ...can be extremely helpful, and are more convenient for many sighted people too. Information or direct services can be provided over the telephone on a one-to-one basis or via recorded information. The advantage of telephones is that they are a very common piece of equipment, and can provide an immediate and relatively inexpensive means of communication, where other methods can be subject to delay. Who uses telephone services? 75% of blind and partially sighted people possess a phone. It is worth remembering that the majority of blind and partially sighted people are on low incomes, so may be deterred by phone charges. It is therefore good practice to offer telephone services on 0800 or 0345 (local rate) numbers. Further information can be obtained from Nana Yerassimou, See it Right campaign, RNIB, 224 Great Portland Street, London, W1N 6AA, Telephone 0171 388 1266. _________________________________________________________________ RNIB Icon Charity Number 226227. ---------- The Royal National Institute for the Blind logo Letter to Candidates __________________________________________ Dear Candidate With more than 1 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK, over 1,500 per constituency, how you put your message across could mean the difference between success and failure at the forthcoming General Election. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) is the largest organisation in the UK working with and on behalf of blind and partially sighted people. RNIB's task is to challenge blindness. We challenge the disabling effects of sight loss by providing information and over 60 different practical services to help people get on with their lives. Blind and partially sighted people can be excluded from the profusion of print information offered by candidates and political parties in preparation for a General Election. However there are many things you can do to get in touch with visually impaired people to make sure that they receive the information from you which they need. The enclosed pack includes: * detailed guidance on how to produce election materials in ways which will make them accessible to visually impaired voters; * information on the challenges of living with impaired vision; * Ten key policy issues that are of concern to visually impaired people. We hope that you will find this information of use and that you will pass on copies of relevant parts of the pack to members of your team who will be involved in producing literature or dealing with casework. Having read this pack, if you would like any further information please feel free to contact the Public Policy Department at RNIB. Yours sincerely, Professor Ian Bruce Director General _________________________________________________________________ RNIB Icon Charity Number 226227. ---------- Participants in a democracy expect to enjoy certain fundamental rights. One such right is the ability to read the texts of bills that may become law, so that we can make comments on how the proposed law will effect us as citizens of New Zealand. Sadly, blind people are either denied this right entirely, or have to pay considerably more than sighted people for the same material. People who can use the world-wide computer network known as the Internet can read any bill or act in the Australian Parliament and the United States Congress. This material is made available at no charge other than the cost of transferring the material from the host computer to New Zealand. This access is available to anyone, blind or sighted, because the Governments of Australia and the United States recognise that it is the right of every citizen to be able to read the laws that currently govern them, and the bills that might become law. We do not enjoy such access to the laws of New Zealand. For a few short months, my department was able to access bills and acts of Parliament via computer at no cost. This is no longer the case. the cost of accessing this material is now prohibitive. However, even when the material was available to my department at no charge, it was never an entirely satisfactory solution. Any New Zealander, blind or not, surely should be entitled to use their computer to retrieve a bill or an act of Parliament. However, this matter is more important for blind people, since we do not have the choice of reading the print versions of bills and acts. We must not forget that you and I help to pay the wages of members of Parliament. As their employers, we have the right and the duty to monitor their performance by having access to the laws they pass, or are thinking of passing. As citizens, we have the right to make comment on proposed laws. Not being able to do so means that we are not full participants in our own country's democracy. This issue is equally important for the majority of the Foundation's members who do not have access to the Internet. Once this issue has been resolved, it means that the Foundation will be able to make this material available in alternative formats, such as Braille, large print, and computer disk. There is something you as an individual can do. Visit your local MP, taking a print copy of this article with you. Tell your MP that blind people are entitled to the same class of citizenship as everyone else. That means that we must have access to the laws of our country. Remember, you are a powerful person. Under MMP, you have one voice, and two votes. One lobbyist working in Wellington will take much longer to achieve a goal than many individuals visiting their local members of Parliament. ---------- THE JURIES ACT 1981 - LEGISLATED BIGOTRY By Jonathan Mosen Section 8(j) of the Juries Act 1981 states that: "persons who are incapable of serving because of blindness, deafness, or any other permanent physical infirmity" shall not serve "on any jury in any court on any occasion". Recent events have proven that this clause leaves much unsaid, is open to interpretation, and is ambiguous. When the RNZFB began investigating this issue in late 1994, officials and the Minister were quite clear that blind people were not entitled to serve on a jury. The Minister was also very forthright in his view that this was the way it should stay. Blind people were also of the view that they were not considered good enough for jury duty. Until recently, the letter that all New Zealanders received which called them for jury duty made it perfectly clear that you were not entitled to serve if you were "blind, deaf, or have any other disability which renders you incapable of serving". Last year, the wording of the summons was changed so that it is an exact copy of the words in the Act. This has solved nothing, except perhaps to remove a little political heat from the issue. The fundamental ambiguity remains. After the original media statement issued by the RNZFB in November 1994, the issue was once again brought to the attention of the public in February 1995, when a blind woman received considerable publicity for serving on a jury at the Christchurch District Court. At this time, while reiterating that blind people in his view should not serve on juries, the Minister stated that blind people were not automatically disqualified, but that people who were incapable of serving because of blindness were. The problem with this dismissive approach to the issue, is that the Act does not make it clear who determines a blind person's capability to serve, nor does it define blindness. Capability is subjective, particularly when one is dealing with such a feared and misunderstood disability as blindness. If it is the intention of the Government to allow blind people to serve on juries, but give them the option to opt out if they consider themselves incapable of serving, then the Act needs to be amended to make this clear. If the intention is that the court should decide whether a blind person is incapable of serving, then Section 8(j) is superfluous, since a blind person could be challenged like any other juror even if this clause was repealed. The Minister of Justice, in a 17 February 1995 Morning Report interview on this topic, spoke about the need for jurors to see the body language of the defendant and witnesses in order that a correct verdict can be reached. This idea is frightening to say the least. It suggests that if someone is daunted by the idea of appearing in the court, if they have a nervous twitch due to their fear of the process, then the Minister thinks that they should be considered more likely to be guilty. We therefore suggest that the ability to absorb the facts, and not take any notice of body language, is in fact an advantage, not a disadvantage. Furthermore, those who know what they are doing can modify their body language in order to send the right signals. The Minister has also indicated that he opposes blind people serving on juries because they are unable to see evidence, or view the scene of the crime. This argument stems from the ablest view that to see is to understand, or conversely, that not seeing means that you don't or can't understand. It is easy to expose the flaws in this argument. For example, a blind person who became blind during adulthood may be an expert in fire arms. After having the details of the weapon described, that person will be in a much better position to assess its impact on the case than a person who can see the evidence, but has no idea of how it impacts on the case. For this reason, the defense and the prosecution often have "experts" whose job it is to convince the jury of the defendant's innocence or guilt respectively. Therefore, being able to see takes second place to being able to form an opinion as to whether the respective arguments are plausible. While sight is a useful attribute, a blind person may well bring other important skills to a jury. Blindness, in itself, does not preclude understanding the crucial facts of the case. A blind juror is less likely to be influenced by irrelevant factors such as the defendant's personal appearance, race, or standard of dress. Disallowing blind people from jury service makes a powerful statement about our status in society. If we are to be bound by the laws of our justice system, then we must be full participants in it. It is illogical that blind people can be lawyers, judges, or defendants, but not jurors! Being tried by one's peers is a fundamental component of the jury system. The bottom line is that blind people are citizens too. To summarise, a jury should be as representative of the community as possible. Notwithstanding the recent reinterpretation of Section 8(j), the legislators responsible for the Juries Act assumed that blind people are incapable of serving on a jury because they cannot see. The Act completely ignores the fact that blindness does not mean that someone is unable to reason or hear the evidence. Because those who have sight believe that they are dependant upon it, they can't imagine how it is possible to function independently without it. Blindness is very much a feared disability, and people's impressions of what we are capable of are effected by that fear. Juries should be diverse because of the variety of skills they bring to determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Sight is one skill that is undoubtedly useful, but it is not a skill that should be mandatory for jury service. -- Broken Trust is like a melted Chocolate,No matter how u tried to freeze it,it will never return to its original Shape..! Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 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
