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: accessindia@accessindia.org.in 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: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> 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: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> >> 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. 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