THE DEAF INDIAN
"The Fight for Justice Begins"!
As the National Association of the Deaf approaches its one year anniversary it can already begin to look back and assess its achievements of the past year. The membership base of NAD has steadily increased throughout the year and its aims and ambitions have become more and more focused. Recent events have seen NAD pushing its advocacy work to the forefront of its activities, and NAD members have come out in full force in support of NAD and to seek justice for all hearing impaired persons.
India's 11th Five-Year Plan — What about the Disabled?
Over the past few months there have been stirrings and disgruntlement amongst key figures in the Disability sector. The reason due to the Government Planning Commission wholly disregarding the disability sector whilst making plans for the 11th Five Year Plan in India (2007 – 2012). Under the aegis of Disability Rights Group, the disability sector came together to make a stand against the Planning Commission and to ensure that the voice of the Disability Sector is heard. In what seemed like a rushed and haphazard consultation process, DRG wanted the correct people present in key decision-making positions to ensure that issues concerning Persons with Disabilities are not neglected for the next five years in India.
As early as July this year, A. S. Narayanan, NAD's General Secretary, was included as an extra member on the Steering Committee for the Planning Commission along with 3 other D.R.G members. However this seemed to be simply a token effort taken by the Planning Commission in order to appease what was the start to DRG's questioning of the entire planning process. After several months of little or no response, members of DRG took it upon themselves to hold a Dharna outside the office of the Planning Commission at Yojana Bhawan, Parliament Street on 19th September 2006. DRG blocked the entrance of the Planning Commission and a huge number of disabled persons from several different organisations participated, blocking off Parliament Street for all oncoming traffic. Parliament Street Police officials attempted to clear the area, forcibly trying to move the protestors from the street, but to no avail.
The Dharna continued throughout the morning until delegates from DRG were given an appointment for the next day with Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission process is still underway, and should be concluded in the early months of 2007. The Disability sector has thus far been successful in ensuring that issues concerning Persons with Disabilities have been pushed into the minds of all those concerned in the Planning Commission, and have successfully added prominent people from the disability sector into relevant working groups and sub-groups. The entire process however will continue to be monitored closely until it comes to its conclusion early next year.
Deaf IAS toppers — now fallen on deaf ears!?
Members of National Association of the Deaf held a second Dharna, this time targeting the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities' Office, in an effort to secure justice for three hearing impaired individuals who have failed to be given an allotment in the Civil Services, despite clearing the All-India civil service examination and interview. On 8th November 100-odd deaf people stormed his office at Sarojini House with banners and placards refusing to leave until their demands were met.
Despite the fact that both the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities, as well as the Deputy Chief Commissioner, were not present but holding a mobile court in Chandigarh, the deaf members would not be reconciled and demanded that they both come back to Delhi to help correct this injustice. They even went so far as to lock the office staff out of their own office, stating that if they are not able to do justice for the disabled they may as well close the office.
What also did not help diffuse the situation was the fact that there was no Sign Language Interpreter available in the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities' Office. Without the aid of an Interpreter, how are the hearing impaired sector supposed to raise their grievances and be given the help that the office is there to provide? The Chief Commissioner for Disabilities, who had spent the previous week being bombarded with text messages from deaf people all over the country, is now attempting to resolve the matter with the Department of Personnel and Training.
This matter has since been brought to the attention of the Minister of the Department of Personnel and Training and has even reached the desks of both the Prime Minister and the President of India. N.A.D is still awaiting a satisfactory conclusion to the entire affair.
Interpreters, interpreters, interpreters!!!
How many times does this have to be said?; "Interpreters, interpreters, interpreters"! The entire recent business with the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities has highlighted a very serious problem of a lack of Sign Language Interpreters. Can an office, which is there to support, promote and protect the rights of Persons with Disabilities, be justified in not being able to provide a Sign Language Interpreter? Especially when hearing impaired persons constitute such a large portion of the entire disability sector!
This is in fact a recurrent problem throughout all Government offices. Even when a hearing impaired person is a member of a Steering Committee for the Planning Process of India's 11th Five Year Plan, no one in the Planning Commission even thinks to provide a Sign Language interpreter for a meeting of the Steering Committee!! This is ludicrous to say the least and only serves to highlight a lack of understanding and a lack of forethought on the part of the Government.
This is an issue that N.A.D will continue to pursue, raise and highlight both here in Delhi and in other states across India. "Sign Language interpreters build our links to the speaking world". It is now the time that the speaking world woke up to this realisation!
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