UGC can also issue similar direction to all universities and colleges. On 6/10/13, Dr Satendra Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > INDIA AMERICA TODAY NEWS > SERVICE<http://www.indiaamericatoday.com/author/india-america-today-news-service> > 8 > June 2013 > > *New Delhi - *In the developed countries, it is taken for granted that > there is universal access for the disabled and physically challenged > person, but not so in developing countries, so it was hailed as historic > when the Medical Council of India (MCI) recently asked all medical > institutions in India to be disabled-friendly and submit a compliance > report as soon as possible. > > Accessibility of health care facilities to persons with disabilities is > abysmally low in India because of architectural barriers, lack of ICT > facilities and attitudinal barriers. Even medical students, paramedics, > non-teaching employees and faculty with disabilities face numerous barriers > in medical institutions. This should change if there is early and proper > implementation of the MCI-issued directive to the deans and principals of > all the medical colleges and institutions in India to promptly submit a > compliance report on accessible institutions to the Ministry of Social > Justice and Empowerment. > > Welcoming the directive, disability activist Satendra Singh, a medical > specialist at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) in Delhi who is > himself disabled, said, “This is a significant move, as medical > institutions are made more accountable, which is in line with Sec 46 of PWD > Act 1995 and article 9 of the International law UNCRPD, which makes it > obligatory for India to implement reasonable accommodation. This is not > something only for disabled because a universally designed ramp or toilet > will help all, be it disabled, elderly person, or pregnant female." > > Singh had relentlessly advocated to the chief commissioner for persons with > disabilities (CCPD) to pass directions to MCI to make access audits > mandatory in all medical inspections; to include persons with disabilities > in all disability matters; and to de-recognize all such colleges which fail > accessibility standards. The CCPD, under the Ministry of Social Justice and > Empowerment, is the highest apex body in India, with the power of a civil > court and pan-India jurisdiction. > > "To me this should have been done long ago and without anybody fighting for > it. What Dr. Satendra Singh is doing is not only praiseworthy and > commendable but also a path-breaking move in the establishment of universal > design," said Abha Khetrapal, counselor for the students with disabilities > at the University College of Medical Sciences, (UCMS) and GTB Hospital in > Delhi. > > Singh is the coordinator of the Enabling Unit, which he created under the > UGC (University Grants Commission) guidelines for ensuring affirmative > actions concerning persons with disabilities. This is the only such body in > any medical school in India. Singh also formed an Equality and Diversity > Committee, which has student, non-teaching staff and faculty members and > all are persons with disabilities, in line with the mantra "Nothing for us, > without us." > > Khetrapal, who is a non-institutional expert on the committee, said, "The > formation of Equality and Diversity Committee needs to be used as a model > not only by the medical colleges, but by all the institutions providing > higher education, as separate counselors for students with disabilities may > not be found even in many renowned universities of the country. Moreover, > all the members of this committee are persons with disabilities and they > can represent themselves better than the non-disabled people." > > Khetrapal urged MCI to take urgent action for the speedy implementation of > the directive, saying, "I now hope that the new chairman of MCI, Dr. R.K. > Srivastava, brings the required and desired changes. Another move that has > to be done is to include disability studies as a subject in medical > education." > > Mincing no words, Khetrapal who is the founder and president of Cross the > Hurdles, an organization fighting on behalf of the disabled, said, "It is > an irony that those who are getting trained to be the health providers of > the community have to suffer due to such an inaccessibility. I wonder why > does MCI have to be directed by the CCPD office? Why couldn't Medical > Council of India issue such a directive itself? Why do we have to wake up > the authorities from such a deep slumber to at least give us what our > rights are?" > > -- > Dr Satendra Singh, MD, FSS > Assistant Professor of Physiology > University College of Medical Sciences > & GTB Hospital, Delhi, India-110095 > Coordinator, Enabling Unit, EOC > Founder, Infinite Ability > The Enablist (blog) <http://theenablist.blogspot.in/> > > Infinite Ability: exploring disAbility through > creativity<http://infiniteability.yolasite.com/> > Enabling Unit, EOC, UCMS <http://enablingunit.yolasite.com/> > 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 > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. >
-- Dr. M S Vaswani Assistant Professor, Department of English Shivaji University, Kolhapur Cell: 09404825544 Office: 0231-2609189 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 Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
