[AI] Interesting read: Ahmedabad: Blind man behind bars for five vehicle thefts
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/ahmedabad-blind-man-behind-bars-for-five-vehicle-thefts/articleshow/74603023.cms -- सादर/ Regards अविनाश शाही/ Avinash Shahi सहायक/ Assistant मानव संसाधन प्रबंध विभाग/ Human Resource Management Department भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक/ Reserve Bank of India लखनऊ क्षेत्रीय कार्यालय/Lucknow RO विस्तार/ Extension: 2232 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
[AI] Interesting Read:
Source: http://www.dogood.co.in/yoga-for-the-world-of-blinds-211 The stage was lit by lamps placed on the heads and foreheads of the small children. The sight mesmerised all those who were present to witness history in the making. It was December, 2012. The audience were in shock and pleasantly surprised to see the Blind children performing state of the art Jaldeep yoga. The credit for this performance goes not only to the blind kids but also to the person who took efforts to train these children for the flawless act. Nisha Thakkar, their instructor. Nisha Thakker is a bubbly, charming girl blessed with good mannerisms. Her respect towards her teachers and her yoga guru Padmashree Shri Sadashiv Nimbalkar is evident when she speaks about them. After completing her graduation in commerce, she took up teachers training course from Yoga Vidya Niketan followed by a Yoga therapy course. Later in 2006 she did her Advance Diploma in Yoga from Mumbai University. Also she is MSc (Psychology), MA (Philosophy). Once while practising yoga, the lights went off and she was able to perform her yogabhyas in complete darkness, this experience gave a new dimension to her teachings and life… she then decided to apply her yoga for teaching blind children giving them a new confidence in life. Her first class was held in Kamala Mehta School for the Blind at Dadar. It was not easy in the first attempt to teach these blind students, but with the help of PT professor Shalini and using counting patterns she succeeded in teaching them. Seeing the growing confidence in the students and their excitement to learn more gave her satisfaction in her efforts… she has also taught for 5-6 years in Ruia College, Centre for Blind. Nisha’s first letter of appreciation came from Former Petroleum Minister H’ble Ram Naikji at the age of 25 when she along with the blind students performed at Yoga Vidya Niketan on a song Saraswati Vandana for the first time. In 2002, Nisha got an opportunity to see jaldeep yoga presented by Neeta Kharare at Ghantali Mitra Mandal, this inspired her to take up the challenge and teach this form of art to her blind students. Even the kids were eager to learn it… First it was Nisha who took months to get her hands on this art. Nisha jokingly says, she has broken dozens of glasses during her practise sessions… Later she taught Jaldeep yoga form to her students and now there is no looking back. The team comprising of her students has performed more than 80 shows in Mumbai and outside. Sometimes these students are given token prizes as appreciation. Nisha Thakkar has been awarded by Andha Mahila Purshkar and Jedal Nari Ratna Puraskar for her dedication and hard work in teaching the blind students the impossible… Currently she is working with them on new forms and techniques in yoga… she says this work gives her immense satisfaction and happiness to see the new ray of hope and confidence in them. As her work is not registered under any organisation, Nisha Thakker never accepts financial help but looks forward to perform shows with her students. Nisha Thakker has a strong backing and support from her parents… Because of a lack of space for rehearsals, they often let her to carry on with the practice at their residence. She says, her parents are extremely proud of her achievements. In 2012, Nisha Thakkar had an opportunity to perform in Kankaria Festival at Ahmedabad in front of the Gujarat’s past Chief Minister & present Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi... At present, Nisha Thakkar is doing her PhD in ‘Application of Yoga in visually impaired students’ at Mumbai University. We wish Nisha Thakker a great success and to achieve many more awards for her sincere dedication and selfless efforts… 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
Re: [AI] Interesting Read:
Worth a read it was. Any member on the list has the contact? I would have not opened this e-mail out of so many just because of the subject line, but knowing Vidhya's past e-mails, I decided to open thinking that either it will be something good to read, or something which is not easy to go in my head! Any member has had a chance to look at the Yoga manual in Braille? Is that something which can enable someone to learn Yoga without any instructions from a coach? Thanks! -- Amar Jain. Website: www.amarjain.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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
[AI] Interesting read: Advertising and the differently abled
In her book Are They Selling Her Lips?, Carol Moog writes, “Back in 1974, Foote, Cone & Belding’s advertising, developed for Levi Strauss & Company’s 501 jeans, included a man in a wheelchair in one of its genuinely engaging, musically excellent, shamelessly imitated, sales-soaring ‘501 Blues’ commercials. In the spot, young people are dancing, jogging, playing double-dutch and here’s this guy happily popping a wheelie in his chair...” http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/vY7NR2nL948fOtSAgcdHuJ/Advertising-and-the-differently-abled.html Probably for the first time in advertising history, a disabled man was featured in an ad, not as an oddity or in an apologetic manner, but as a person like any of us, having the time of his life, on his wheelchair. Interestingly, reports tell us that the term “differently abled” was coined by the US Democratic National Committee around the mid-1980s, and The Los Angeles Times reported in 1985, “In a valiant effort to find a kinder term than handicapped, the Democratic National Committee has coined differently abled. The committee itself shows signs of being differently abled in the use of English.” In the US, the term in use till then was handicapped and across the Atlantic the term was disabled. The new term differently abled has gained momentum and today we are seeing a growing sensitization of normal people to the issues facing the differently abled. Coming to India, here too, a man in a wheelchair had a stellar role in the Raymond ad done during the early 1990s. A dapper young man, in a suit, probably foreign returned, goes looking for his long-lost friend, only to find him on a wheelchair. After a moment of disappointment, the ad filmmaker lets the human emotion of togetherness take over—the two friends are then shown laughing and enjoying themselves on Mumbai’s Marine Drive, with our hero being pushed along at top speed on his wheelchair by his recently returned friend. The Hero brand of motorcycles used Pankaj Kapoor in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a blind father who guides his son towards buying a Hero Splendor motorbike; the blind father being used as a metaphor for the blind faith that millions of motorbike users have in the brand. Then there was a Tata corporate film in which we see a group of young boys playing football in the rain, with one of the teams having a polio-afflicted boy, in crutches, as the goalkeeper. The ad ends with the differently enabled goalie diving to save a sure goal, and the match, for his team. In the last few years, Indian ads have started celebrating differently abled consumers with full gusto. Several of the ads one has seen over the last few years are not apologetic about disability. One of the biggest efforts was probably the deaf national anthem done for Big Cinemas. Crafted to perfection, the national anthem, performed by the deaf and dumb children, brought alive the fact that you can be differently abled yet have the same pride and joy for one’s country. In the past 18 months alone, numerous ads have used differently abled characters to deliver their sales message. The Nescafe ad featuring a stammering stand-up comic was one such stellar effort. Lux used a blind photographer to showcase film star Katrina Kaif’s beauty. Vatika hair oil used the issue of hair loss associated with chemotherapy to create empathy with its core consumers: even if you lose all your beautiful hair, you still don’t lose your inner beauty, especially if you have friends who stand beside you. The use of differently abled characters by regular brands has had a strong effect on health insurance brands. While they have traditionally stayed with happy days kind of advertising, of late they have also started to present the real challenges of debilitating illnesses. HDFC Life ran an ad early this year where a loving father is helping his daughter, who wears an artificial limb on one leg, to realize her dream to become a dancer. It was a throwback to the real-life case of dancer-turned-actress Sudha Chandran (see her play her real-life role in the Telugu film Mayuri, remade in Hindi as Nache Mayuri). In its latest campaign, HDFC Life has used real world cancer survivor Lisa Ray to say, “Fighting cancer isn’t easy. Financially preparing for it is.” While our advertising has made some small moves, as a society we have a long way to go in sensitizing the general populace about the differently abled. Recently, the Xavier’s Resource Center for the Visually Handicapped conducted the Antarchakshu Workshop, a sensitization and awareness workshop aimed at creating a preview for the sighted into the world of the visually challenged. Those of us who were in the workshop came out of it with a somewhat different view of the visually challenged. The term differently abled was coined to take the stigma associated with the terms employed earlier. The differently abled tell us that they don’t need our charity, sympathy or pity; they ask for our understanding. That is
[AI] Interesting read: Where are you comfortable being touched – and by whom?
I'd love to hear what blind people for whom touch is one of the preferred method for communication think about their views. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
Re: [AI] Interesting read: Where are you comfortable being touched – and by whom?
I think as a rule blind people are not more tactile than sighted, although I fail to understand why it is so. Non-blind too do not recognize this tactile need of blind. Even handshake is not the norm in today's India, particularly not with opposite gender. Though I know of friends who seek tactile exploration of others sometimes to know their facial features, it is an exception I think. One of my distinguished professors calls this situation "Cultural diabetes". One of the reasons for this me thinks is non-assertion by blind themselves and another is we in India do not distinguish between loving touch and s exual touch, let alone touch as a means of communication for blind. Disclaimer: My views may sound BABA AADMISH. सादर / With thanks & Regards राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India नागपुर Nagpur 0712 2806846 President VIBEWA Co-Moderator VIB-India A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and laughter. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of avinash shahi Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 1:45 AM To: accessindia; jnuvision Subject: [AI] Interesting read: Where are you comfortable being touched – and by whom? I'd love to hear what blind people for whom touch is one of the preferred method for communication think about their views. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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.. Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information such as your bank account details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official or attractive they may look. 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. 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
Re: [AI] Interesting read: Where are you comfortable bein g touched and by whom?
here in Europe it is also not common to do that, though some people ask this question time and again, whether we blind people tuch the fase. At 10:37 AM 10/28/2015 +0530, you wrote: I think as a rule blind people are not more tactile than sighted, although I fail to understand why it is so. Non-blind too do not recognize this tactile need of blind. Even handshake is not the norm in today's India, particularly not with opposite gender. Though I know of friends who seek tactile exploration of others sometimes to know their facial features, it is an exception I think. One of my distinguished professors calls this situation "Cultural diabetes". One of the reasons for this me thinks is non-assertion by blind themselves and another is we in India do not distinguish between loving touch and s exual touch, let alone touch as a means of communication for blind. Disclaimer: My views may sound BABA AADMISH. सादर / With thanks & Regards राà¤à¥à¤¶ à¤à¤¸à¥à¤¦à¤¾à¤¨à¥ Rajesh Asudani सहायठमहापà¥à¤°à¤¬à¤¨à¥à¤§à¤ AGM बाà¤à¤¾à¤° à¤à¤¸à¥à¤à¤¨à¤¾ à¤à¤à¤¾à¤ MIU à¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤à¥à¤¯ रिà¤à¤°à¥à¤µ बà¥à¤à¤ Reserve Bank of India नाà¤à¤ªà¥à¤° Nagpur 0712 2806846 President VIBEWA Co-Moderator VIB-India A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and laughter. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of avinash shahi Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 1:45 AM To: accessindia; jnuvision Subject: [AI] Interesting read: Where are you comfortable being touched and by whom? I''d love to hear what blind people for whom touch is one of the preferred method for communication think about their views. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/27/where-are-you-comfortable-touched-by-whom -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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.. Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information such as your bank account details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official or attractive they may look. 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. 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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.. with warm regards Mahendra Galani Whatsapp/Viber/Skype/Fasetime +43 699 174 555 95 Addresse, Herbststrasse 101/16/1 1160 Vienna, Austria, Europe Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing
Re: [AI] Interesting read: Is it wrong to imply disabled people are not "normal"?
Sometimes, our commentators and scholars make too much of nothing. In the present case, the word "normal" means "average" "common" or "adhering to a set standard". When a doctor checks the fever of his patient, and says that the temperature is normal, should the patient protest and say that his temperature is not abnormal. Exciting Offers to Grab Vedprakash Sharma -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of avinash shahi Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2015 6:27 PM To: jnuvision <jnuvis...@yahoogroups.com>; accessindia <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> Subject: [AI] Interesting read: Is it wrong to imply disabled people are not "normal"? Iain Duncan Smith has been criticised for calling non-disabled people "normal". Why does the word make people angry? http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-34197074 The Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said in the House of Commons while defending the government's record on getting disabled people back into employment that "we are looking to get [the employment rates of disabled people] up to the level of normal, non-disabled people who are back in work." Disabled and non-disabled people were quick to react to the implication that people with disabilities are not "normal". On Twitter such comments as "none of us are normal" and "diversity is normal" have opened up a conversation about what normality is and whether or not it should ever be used to describe those with disabilities. The word itself is derived from the Latin "normalis" meaning a right-angle corresponding to a set square or carpenter's tool. George Walkden, a historical linguist from Manchester University says that later it became more linked to conforming to a set of standards and in the 16th Century it evolved further to mean ordinary. A tweet saying Image caption People on Twitter have questioned whether "normal" even exists "The use of the word implicitly divides people into two groups - with abnormal, the currently used antonym, carrying negative connotations," Walkden says. "The problem is that those who have been classified as not normal have a problem with it, it creates a sense of 'them' and 'us'. "It's very context-dependent and doesn't mean the same things to everyone, it's all about who and when. If I say a normal chair has four legs then that's OK." Another connotation of normal is that it should be something we strive towards which, Walkden says, in the case of many disabilities, is cruel because it is referring to things that can not be changed. While many wouldn't bat an eyelid at using the word "normal" to describe non-disabled people, wheelchair user Mik Scarlet says he has encountered it his entire life. "Normal just shouldn't exist anymore because I don't think anybody can really define what it is," he says. "If we can get past this idea of normal then we can be truly equal and nobody would need to be described as such. "I meet so many young disabled people who say they just want to be normal, that's all they want, and actually I think anybody who strives for that has missed the point of life, really. For me it is much better to see yourself as not normal and different because that is just more interesting." But Pipa Riggs, a blind woman from Scotland has a different opinion, maintaining that Duncan Smith was technically correct in his use of "normal" to describe non-disabled people. "Based on the fact we are seen as 'disabled' infers we are not as able as the majority," she says, "and another way of describing a majority is as 'normal' so I think he was justified in his usage," she says. Mik Scarlet in his music studio Image caption Mik says he doesn't want to be "normal" Dr John Hughes, a GP in Manchester says that the medical definition will vary greatly from a social usage of the word and it is important that doctors have a standardised view of what "normal" means. "In medicine there are normal ranges for most things, blood tests, heart rate etc and anything outside of what is the normal range is considered abnormal," he says. At its most basic level, Hughes says, "normal" is defined by doctors as having two arms, two legs and a healthy set of organs and mind. But, he adds, nuances do still exist and doctors will have their own, individual view of what "normal" is. "Take autism and Aspergers which are on a very wide spectrum and you will find that psychiatrists often have a much lower threshold than GPs of what may constitute those conditions. And then look at the terminology often used around autism, that somebody can have 'high functioning autism' placing them closer to what we believe is the 'normal' way a brain should be
[AI] Interesting read: Is it wrong to imply disabled people are not "normal"?
Iain Duncan Smith has been criticised for calling non-disabled people "normal". Why does the word make people angry? http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-34197074 The Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said in the House of Commons while defending the government's record on getting disabled people back into employment that "we are looking to get [the employment rates of disabled people] up to the level of normal, non-disabled people who are back in work." Disabled and non-disabled people were quick to react to the implication that people with disabilities are not "normal". On Twitter such comments as "none of us are normal" and "diversity is normal" have opened up a conversation about what normality is and whether or not it should ever be used to describe those with disabilities. The word itself is derived from the Latin "normalis" meaning a right-angle corresponding to a set square or carpenter's tool. George Walkden, a historical linguist from Manchester University says that later it became more linked to conforming to a set of standards and in the 16th Century it evolved further to mean ordinary. A tweet saying Image caption People on Twitter have questioned whether "normal" even exists "The use of the word implicitly divides people into two groups - with abnormal, the currently used antonym, carrying negative connotations," Walkden says. "The problem is that those who have been classified as not normal have a problem with it, it creates a sense of 'them' and 'us'. "It's very context-dependent and doesn't mean the same things to everyone, it's all about who and when. If I say a normal chair has four legs then that's OK." Another connotation of normal is that it should be something we strive towards which, Walkden says, in the case of many disabilities, is cruel because it is referring to things that can not be changed. While many wouldn't bat an eyelid at using the word "normal" to describe non-disabled people, wheelchair user Mik Scarlet says he has encountered it his entire life. "Normal just shouldn't exist anymore because I don't think anybody can really define what it is," he says. "If we can get past this idea of normal then we can be truly equal and nobody would need to be described as such. "I meet so many young disabled people who say they just want to be normal, that's all they want, and actually I think anybody who strives for that has missed the point of life, really. For me it is much better to see yourself as not normal and different because that is just more interesting." But Pipa Riggs, a blind woman from Scotland has a different opinion, maintaining that Duncan Smith was technically correct in his use of "normal" to describe non-disabled people. "Based on the fact we are seen as 'disabled' infers we are not as able as the majority," she says, "and another way of describing a majority is as 'normal' so I think he was justified in his usage," she says. Mik Scarlet in his music studio Image caption Mik says he doesn't want to be "normal" Dr John Hughes, a GP in Manchester says that the medical definition will vary greatly from a social usage of the word and it is important that doctors have a standardised view of what "normal" means. "In medicine there are normal ranges for most things, blood tests, heart rate etc and anything outside of what is the normal range is considered abnormal," he says. At its most basic level, Hughes says, "normal" is defined by doctors as having two arms, two legs and a healthy set of organs and mind. But, he adds, nuances do still exist and doctors will have their own, individual view of what "normal" is. "Take autism and Aspergers which are on a very wide spectrum and you will find that psychiatrists often have a much lower threshold than GPs of what may constitute those conditions. And then look at the terminology often used around autism, that somebody can have 'high functioning autism' placing them closer to what we believe is the 'normal' way a brain should be." Hughes says that doctors ultimately tend to use themselves as a benchmark for what is "normal", so the word is certainly up for interpretation in the medical profession too. Ian Macrae from the website Disability Now (who is blind) says Duncan Smith was using a subjective term in an objective way. "I view everything about me as normal. The technology I use for example, is to me not at all out-of-the-ordinary, but it would be to somebody else". He goes on: "I used to attend the Royal Normal College for the Blind. Normal was used in its name the way it was used in America to identify a training college. The irony was not lost on us blind kids because we were well aware that we, and the institution, were definitely not considered as the norm." Follow @BBCOuch on Twitter and on Facebook or email o...@bbc.co.uk -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility
[AI] Interesting read: Through the eyes of a blind person
You don't look blind, people tell the Auckland mother of two, who lost her sight seven years ago as a side-effect of an autoimmune disease. You don't look stupid, but you are, she wants to retort, in her rich Scots lilt. My question to the world is: 'What is a blind person supposed to look like?' http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/inspire-me/69403275/through-the-eyes-of-a-blind-person -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
[AI] Interesting read: (Micro)mobility, disability and resilience: exploring well-being among youth with physical disabilities
Disability and Society Volume 29(6): 2014 Abstract This paper explores the daily (micro)mobilities that youth with a visual or auditory impairment use to sustain well-being. Geographical research suggests that mobility is a universal phenomenon referred to the capacity to navigate one's way through different spaces and places. Using a qualitative cross-cultural, visual methods approach to research with vulnerable youth, including four participants with visual or auditory impairments, we demonstrate that everyday patterns of (micro)mobilities through the youth's home, school and community help disabled youth create pathways to resilience. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to services that promote resilience against ableist beliefs. Full piece can be accessed at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2014.902360 -- Avinash Shahi M.Phil Research Scholar Centre for The Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India 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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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..
Re: [AI] Interesting Read - Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Cos
On 11/26/11, Anirban Mukherjee sparsha.anir...@gmail.com wrote: nice posting. thanks. with greetings, Anirban Mukherjee On 11/26/11, Mujtaba Merchant mujta...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Members, Although this article is not related to the group or anything to do with blindness or it's support, I felt it worth sharing with you all to build awareness of what is happening with our country and giant pharma companies in Europe and around the world. Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Companies Bangalore: In what could be seen as a new form of colonialism, India becomes the new testing ground for drugs for American, British and European pharmaceutical firms and according to a report on the 'Independent', between 2007 and 2010, at least 1,730 people died in India while, or after, participating in such trials. In an apparent show of the Western mode of exploitation, these multinational companies have been making the most of India's huge population and loose regulations in this regard over the last five years by which they manage to drastically cut short their expenses on research for these lucrative products which are to be sold in the West. Ever since the restrictions on drug trials were relaxed in India, the industry has grown to a point where more than 150,000 people are involved in at least 1,600 clinical trials for the Western firms like Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck. Although no official data is available on the size of this exploitative industry, it is estimated to be worth as much as 189 million pounds. While the many on whom the trials were done, may have been only eligible for the studies as they were ill, the following complications, even resulting in death, are often not properly investigated. While it is said that the crucial trials were carried out following appropriate guidelines, the report says the lack of oversight have resulted in a situation where poor and often illiterate individuals, picked from the tribal areas or city slums are used for the critical trials without obtaining proper informed consent which means they have apparently agreed to the trials without fully understanding what they are signing up for. At the shadow of this inhuman practice of drug trials on humans, a new industry has been spawned making significant profits by providing participants for these studies. An investigation by 'The Independent' in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Delhi and in London shows that hundreds of Indian tribal girls were recruited without proper parental consent for an immunization study sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shockingly just on the node of the government hostel's warden. Several girls have reportedly killed and the controversial study was stopped by the federal authorities. The investigation also found the use by drug companies of survivors of the Bhopal tragedy, world's worst poisonous gas disaster, as 'guinea pigs' in at least 11 trials without proper informed consent. In another shocking finding, many cases of drug trials were reported at a government hospital in Indore of which 81 cases of adverse effects were reported. India is just one of those many developing countries being exploited for its large, ignorant and illiterate tribals by the Western pharmaceutical giants who spent over 40 billion pounds last year on research and development. It's said that over 120,000 trials are taking place in 178 countries and the companies can reportedly reduce up to 60 percent of their spending on research through outsourcing the works to these third world countries. The article also reveals that a quarter of all clinical data submitted to European drug regulators for approval are obtained from trials in low- and middle-income countries. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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 Dear Friend, this matter is not related to any problem, Suggestion or enquiry regarding Disabled comunity, or any technical suggestions for this kind of news we have another group of disabled persons like (sayeverything.org) here you can express everything according to the rules and norms of sayeverything.org Search for old postings at:
Re: [AI] Interesting Read - Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Cos
nice posting. thanks. with greetings, Anirban Mukherjee On 11/26/11, Mujtaba Merchant mujta...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Members, Although this article is not related to the group or anything to do with blindness or it's support, I felt it worth sharing with you all to build awareness of what is happening with our country and giant pharma companies in Europe and around the world. Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Companies Bangalore: In what could be seen as a new form of colonialism, India becomes the new testing ground for drugs for American, British and European pharmaceutical firms and according to a report on the 'Independent', between 2007 and 2010, at least 1,730 people died in India while, or after, participating in such trials. In an apparent show of the Western mode of exploitation, these multinational companies have been making the most of India's huge population and loose regulations in this regard over the last five years by which they manage to drastically cut short their expenses on research for these lucrative products which are to be sold in the West. Ever since the restrictions on drug trials were relaxed in India, the industry has grown to a point where more than 150,000 people are involved in at least 1,600 clinical trials for the Western firms like Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck. Although no official data is available on the size of this exploitative industry, it is estimated to be worth as much as 189 million pounds. While the many on whom the trials were done, may have been only eligible for the studies as they were ill, the following complications, even resulting in death, are often not properly investigated. While it is said that the crucial trials were carried out following appropriate guidelines, the report says the lack of oversight have resulted in a situation where poor and often illiterate individuals, picked from the tribal areas or city slums are used for the critical trials without obtaining proper informed consent which means they have apparently agreed to the trials without fully understanding what they are signing up for. At the shadow of this inhuman practice of drug trials on humans, a new industry has been spawned making significant profits by providing participants for these studies. An investigation by 'The Independent' in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Delhi and in London shows that hundreds of Indian tribal girls were recruited without proper parental consent for an immunization study sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shockingly just on the node of the government hostel's warden. Several girls have reportedly killed and the controversial study was stopped by the federal authorities. The investigation also found the use by drug companies of survivors of the Bhopal tragedy, world's worst poisonous gas disaster, as 'guinea pigs' in at least 11 trials without proper informed consent. In another shocking finding, many cases of drug trials were reported at a government hospital in Indore of which 81 cases of adverse effects were reported. India is just one of those many developing countries being exploited for its large, ignorant and illiterate tribals by the Western pharmaceutical giants who spent over 40 billion pounds last year on research and development. It's said that over 120,000 trials are taking place in 178 countries and the companies can reportedly reduce up to 60 percent of their spending on research through outsourcing the works to these third world countries. The article also reveals that a quarter of all clinical data submitted to European drug regulators for approval are obtained from trials in low- and middle-income countries. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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 Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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
[AI] Interesting Read - Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Cos
Hello Members, Although this article is not related to the group or anything to do with blindness or it's support, I felt it worth sharing with you all to build awareness of what is happening with our country and giant pharma companies in Europe and around the world. Indian Girls Become the Guinea Pigs for Western Companies Bangalore: In what could be seen as a new form of colonialism, India becomes the new testing ground for drugs for American, British and European pharmaceutical firms and according to a report on the 'Independent', between 2007 and 2010, at least 1,730 people died in India while, or after, participating in such trials. In an apparent show of the Western mode of exploitation, these multinational companies have been making the most of India's huge population and loose regulations in this regard over the last five years by which they manage to drastically cut short their expenses on research for these lucrative products which are to be sold in the West. Ever since the restrictions on drug trials were relaxed in India, the industry has grown to a point where more than 150,000 people are involved in at least 1,600 clinical trials for the Western firms like Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck. Although no official data is available on the size of this exploitative industry, it is estimated to be worth as much as 189 million pounds. While the many on whom the trials were done, may have been only eligible for the studies as they were ill, the following complications, even resulting in death, are often not properly investigated. While it is said that the crucial trials were carried out following appropriate guidelines, the report says the lack of oversight have resulted in a situation where poor and often illiterate individuals, picked from the tribal areas or city slums are used for the critical trials without obtaining proper informed consent which means they have apparently agreed to the trials without fully understanding what they are signing up for. At the shadow of this inhuman practice of drug trials on humans, a new industry has been spawned making significant profits by providing participants for these studies. An investigation by 'The Independent' in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Delhi and in London shows that hundreds of Indian tribal girls were recruited without proper parental consent for an immunization study sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shockingly just on the node of the government hostel's warden. Several girls have reportedly killed and the controversial study was stopped by the federal authorities. The investigation also found the use by drug companies of survivors of the Bhopal tragedy, world's worst poisonous gas disaster, as 'guinea pigs' in at least 11 trials without proper informed consent. In another shocking finding, many cases of drug trials were reported at a government hospital in Indore of which 81 cases of adverse effects were reported. India is just one of those many developing countries being exploited for its large, ignorant and illiterate tribals by the Western pharmaceutical giants who spent over 40 billion pounds last year on research and development. It's said that over 120,000 trials are taking place in 178 countries and the companies can reportedly reduce up to 60 percent of their spending on research through outsourcing the works to these third world countries. The article also reveals that a quarter of all clinical data submitted to European drug regulators for approval are obtained from trials in low- and middle-income countries. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in 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
