Dear Friends,
First of all, let me thank all who have been constantly supporting the efforts of Sambhavana in striving for an inclusive and democratic society. I am sharing with you some of the meedia report that I could lay my hand to. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Disabled-teachers-students-move-HC-against-4-year-degree/articleshow/19875119.cms http://www.indianexpress.com/news/challenged-students-oppose-du-s-4yr-format/1111162/ http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/NGO-files-PIL-against-DU-s-four-year-programme/Article1-1054462.aspx Apart from that, it is also covered in Deckan Herald, Millenium Post and one or two Hindi news papers. Thanks. Nikhil On Fri, 03 May 2013 21:19:02 +0530 wrote >Nishant and others at Sambhavana! This is a very relevant issue as most plannings by the public bodies/ educational institutions/ government are continuously undertaken without considering the persons with disabilities and their specific needs. We have faced this problem in the past. When ever the CBSE/ SCERT/ NCERT etc change the courses or bring out revised editions, the diversity of students get left out. The authorities forget about the Braille and digital versions. Availability of accessible study material is a primary requirement to ensure equality of opportunities for persons with disabilities.If the course has not yet been decided before the launch of the 4 years hybrid course, one can well imagine the preparation of the university to launch this course in its true inclusive way. Good move and you have all the support from me. regards Subhash C. Vashishth Advocate On 3 May 2013 17:30, Nishant Kumar Jindal wrote: > PRESS RELEASE Ref.Sam/2013/127 > Dated: 03/05/2013 > > SAMBHAVANA ORGANIZATION FILES A PIL Demanding Stay on the PROPOSED > FOUR YEAR UNDER-GRADUATE PROGRAMME of DU > > Sambhavana, the leading organization of disabled teachers and students > in Delhi, has filed a writ petition in the honorable High Court > requesting a stay order against implementation of the discriminatory > four year under-graduation programme, FYUP. It claims that the present > design of FYUP is discriminatory as the programme does not take in to > consideration the aspirations and specific needs of the students with > blindness and other print-disabilities. Sambhavana organization > strongly believes that in case the four year under graduate programme > is introduced in its present form the student with Vision Impairment > will suffer irreparable loss and a large number of such students will > get excluded from the proposed benefits of this programme. Sambhavana > objects the implementation of the proposed FYUP mainly on the > following grounds: > > Problem Arising due to the Imposition of Compulsory > Interdisciplinarity on Students > > In the name of interdisciplinarity, this programme requires students > to study foundation courses from multiple streams. Two of the eleven > foundation courses (to be studied over first two semesters) would be > on Mathematics and Science. In most cases, blind or visually impaired > students are discouraged or practically barred/disallowed from taking > Science and Mathematics after 8th standard. Sambhavana Organization > argues that DU, just like most of schools in Delhi or in the country, > have not made adequate arrangements for teaching blind students > Mathematics and Science. In the present system at Delhi University, > not studying Maths and Science after 8th standard did not harm at > least the immediate academic prospects of a blind student. Yet, the > FYUP makes it compulsory for all the students to study courses that > require prior knowledge of Science and Mathematics. > The university has two options in this case. Either DU can exempt > vision impaired students from studying courses that require knowledge > of Science and Mathematics. Or it can tell those students to look for > some other university. In either case DU would be treating people with > visual disabilities as second class students in complete violation of > their fundamental and other legislative rights of equal participation. > > Unavailability of Accessible Reading Material > > It has been a constant problem for students with vision impairment to > get hold of reading material for their studies in accessible formats, > such as Braille, E-texts, large text or audio recording. As far as the > existing courses are concerned, at least some reading material in > accessible formats have been accumulated over the years as a result of > various individual and organizational initiatives, which is of course > merely a fraction of the total number of texts prescribed . Yet, when > it comes to the FYUP nobody is still sure what form the courses will > take. For many of the courses there is no syllabus approved by the > statutory bodies thus far. Even if the syllabi are ready in the month > of May, it will take some time to print the texts and other reading > materials for vision impaired students in accessible formats. By any > means, this task cannot be achieved overnight. At least a year of > systematic planning and efforts is needed. Sambhavana Organization > believes that in the light of DU’s tendency of having no dialogue > despite series of representations and protests by disabled students > and teachers over last many months against the blatant disregard of > various provisions as enshrined in the laws for disabled, it is very > less likely that without intervention of judiciary, University would > pay appropriate attention to protect legal rights of such students. > > Demands > > Sambhavana Organization demands from DU to have dialogue with Disabled > Students and Teachers which is enshrined in the PWD Act and the > UNCRPD, before introducing the new structure; To provide the Reading > Material in Accessible Form in advance which is also promised in DU’s > Draft Disability Policy; To introduce a bridge course for students > with Vision Impairment in the first year of four years under graduate > programme so that they can easily pursue the foundation course and > become part of mainstream education system; to introduce the > foundation course in the second year of the four years under graduate > programme; and to make provision for training of the teachers who will > teach the students with Vision Impairment Math’s and Science and Life > in the four years under graduate programme. Sambhavana has appealed > the Delhi High Court to stay the introduction of the four year under > graduate programme with multiple degree by Delhi University since > July, 2013 till the pending of the present Writ Petition. > > Sambhavana Team > Phones: +91-9818685889, +91-9818193875, +9013727325, +91-9818021880. > > > > -- > *Thanks & Regards,* > > Nishant Kumar Jindal > (Research Scholar) > Dept. of Social Work > University of Delhi > India: (+91) 9953173528 > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > 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 > > -- Warm regards, Subhash Chandra Vashishth Mobile: +91 (11) 9811125521 Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Consider environment! Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in 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 Dr. Nikhil Jain assistant Professor ( Pol. Sc.) Department of Political Science Dyal Singh College (University of Delhi) Elected AC member (DU) Mobile: 9818021880 Emails: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] President, Sambhavana Organization www.sambhavana.org Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in 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
