date:20151027

[AI] Accessible India taking shape – A Conversation

2015-10-27 Thread M Sivakumar

Accessible India taking shape – A Conversation
On December 3, which is celebrated as the International Day of Persons
with Disabilities, PM Modi will unveil a new index as part of
‘Accessible India’ campaign, which will rate companies across public
and private sectors for disabled-friendly initiatives.
The proposed index will give credits to companies for
disabled-friendly office buildings, the number of disabled persons on
their rolls, investment in training and career development of the
disabled staff and the quality of facilities provided to them.
When Prime Minister Modi visited Silicon Valley last month, inviting
companies to help India solve its problems with new technologies, it
gave a boost to many who have been trying to help our specially-abled
people.
Pranav Desai, founder of group ‘Empowering the Specially-Abled’, has
been promoting the cause of empowering the specially-abled people in
India.
He has raised the issue in his write-ups stating that there are
hundreds of companies in the US including Microsoft who are operating
in assistive technology sector – developing new products, innovation
to help visually impaired or autistic children and address many types
of disabilities to enable them live independently and empowered them
to live with dignity.
In an interview to Niti Central, Pranav Desai talks about how Prime
Minister’s visit to Silicon valley has raised many possibilities for
India in Assistive Technology sector and how it can help our
specially-abled.
How do you think PM Modi’s Silicon Valley visit has or will have any
impact on equipping India better with assistive technologies?
First of all we have to understand what is assistive technology? It
basically enables people to read or to learn, to communicate. So,
there are various apps on the mobile devices as well as tools and
devices to work with the computer and communicate and do certain
things which are really otherwise impossible for children with Autism
or certain other disabilities. Definitely there are the huge
opportunities to empower and enable people with disabilities in India.
However the challenge is the price point, affordability because these
are extremely high cost products – if it’s software application or the
device – both the way.
That’s why we have to really inspire our Indian community in Silicon
Valley and that is where when Prime Minister of India had come to
Silicon Valley, talked a lot about on Digital India, especially in the
dinner with Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella. It has given a very good
signal to the Indian community entrepreneurs, venture capital
communities, social entrepreneurs etc. that you know there is a huge
opportunity and government commitment, resources etc. to promote the
vision of Digital India and Make in India.
Now, assistive technology is obviously subset of that in terms of
technology, so, that is something I give very specific example of
because I met the PM in the hotel before the Digital Dinner. And in
that I also could meet Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella briefly. PM
gave me time to understand the issue and solutions. Sundar also told
that yes we need to do a lot into this sector.
With-Modi-ji-in-Silicon-Valley…
So it certainly has created a very good awareness among the highest
people, the likes of Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai about India’s
readiness to invite investments and promote the innovation into this
sector.
You say that Indian society is yet to become fully inclusive,
accessible, and respectful of rights of 70 million people with
disabilities, to provide them with opportunities and accept them into
mainstream society. So to achieve this, what do you think should be
the way ahead for the government?
Major thing that the government can do is set up special economic
zones with specific benefits or incentives, to invite the investments
and promote the manufacturing of those equipments and become a global
hub.
Can PM Modi’s Digital India and Make in India programmes help in achieving this?
Yes, I do believe so, because these initiatives are obviously very
broad. With the vision and the specific programmes like SEZ and
incentives etc, it has to go along with the IITs and innovation and
it’s a 360 degree initiative but the intention is that under such
initiatives, things can be taken – the vision can be taken to reality
lot better.
source
http://www.niticentral.com/2015/10/26/accessible-india-taking-shape-a-conversation-335498.html

--
m. sivakumar. P.hd.
International Institute of Tamil Studies CIT Campus, 2nd Main Road,
Tharamani, Chennai, 600113

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what
others may consider a small one.

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[AI] Challenges Associated with Practicing Law as a Blind Person

2015-10-27 Thread Rahul Bajaj

Hi All,

I hope this message finds you well. As many of you might know, I am a
law student from Nagpur and am exploring the possibility of venturing
into law practice after completing my education. To that end, I would
like to set forth the key challenges that I have faced thus far in my
internships which have prevented me from contributing to the work of
the firm or lawyer that I was working for in the most optimal way. I
would be very grateful if you would be so kind as to share any
strategies that you may have adopted to confront these challenges or
that you think can be done for ushering in meaningful systemic reform.
1. The quality of the scanning of pleadings on the e-courts platform
is so poor that it is very difficult to meaningfully comprehend a
large portion of the content that is absolutely indispensable for
appreciating the full picture of the case. Some part of the
plaint/written statement/ lower court decision may be available in a
high court regular first appeal, but one can barely make out the
details in a sufficiently comprehensive manner or analyze the content
of the annexures. Has anyone faced any challenges while accessing the
e-courts platform, and what steps have you taken to confront these
challenges?
2. If you are working for a lawyer, a substantial portion of the
material (charge-sheets in criminal cases, for example) are in
hard-copy, so the only way to access this type of material would
involve getting it scanned or demanding that you be provided sighted
assistance for accessing this type of content. This problem is further
compounded by the fact that a fair bit of material is also handwritten
or shabbily written, so scanning doesn't help in such cases. How
efficient/feasible would it be to demand personalized sighted
assistance, and in which environment do you think is reasonable
accommodation more likely to be provided - in a large law firm, which
certainly has the financial resources and manpower to provide the same
but whose pressing client needs may prevent you from making a
meaningful contribution to the work or in a smaller setting under a
practicing lawyer who may have resource constraints but may be able to
give you more personalized attention and help you engage in more
fulfilling work?
3. How accessible do you find the high court websites (if you have had
any opportunities to visit any of the 24), and in what way do you
think they could be more accessible?
4. In terms of the physical and digital infrastructure, do you find
original courts or appellate courts more accessible? Are there any
particular examples of accessible courts or tribunals that are worth
emulating?
We are planning to submit representations of proposed changes to the
powers that be -- such as Chief Justices and puisne judges -- to seek
their assistance in addressing these challenges, so your inputs would
be invaluable.
Please feel free to reach me off-list if you would like to discuss
anything associated with the aforementioned themes.

Best,
Rahul



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[AI] (no subject)

2015-10-27 Thread M Sivakumar

Letters: Need for a new law
Business Standard | New Delhi
October 25, 2015 Last Updated at 21:37 IST
With reference to the editorial, "Keeping abreast" (October 23), the
national judicial education strategy should have included disability
and litigation. Given that India ratified the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities way back in 2007, inclusion of
disabled litigants in the strategy would help them, particularly in
divorce cases. Should a petitioner be granted divorce on the grounds
of cruelty, if the respondent is a disabled person? Courts should be
extra cautious in granting divorce when one of the two parties is a
disabled person.

The government has launched the Accessible India campaign as part of
which companies - both in the private and public sectors - will be
rated for disabled-friendly initiatives. There should not be any
discrimination against employees with disabilities. India needs a new
law for disabled people, along the lines of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Unfortunately, the Indian law, Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995, is weak in its enforcement.

One hopes that things change for the better given that a few companies
in the India have already initiated steps in this direction.
Deendayal M Lulla, Mumbai
source
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/letters-need-for-a-new-law-115102500692_1.html

--
m. sivakumar. P.hd.
International Institute of Tamil Studies CIT Campus, 2nd Main Road,
Tharamani, Chennai, 600113

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what
others may consider a small one.

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

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http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/

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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..

[AI] Letters: Need for a new law