News and issues on the disabled 26 Oct 2024
Azmi Anuar
Contents
1. Customs News Pakistan - OICCI Hosts “Dining in the Dark” to Unite Foreign Investors for Disability Inclusion
2. E-Pao India - Harassment of visually impaired candidate condemned
3. Taiwan News - Tainan art festival focuses on inclusive arts to promote diversity and accessibility
4. Hospitality & Catering News UK - Billesley Manor celebrates a year of accessible hospitality
5. Millennium Post India - Now, facilities for persons with disabilities at Alipore Museum
6. The Witness South Africa - Department of Education rejects curatorship for special needs school
7. Businessday Nigeria - The amazing story of senator Crystal Azige
8. AT Today UK - Detailed accessibility guide to help passengers confidently navigate London Gatwick airport
9. Secret Berlin Germany - BVG soon to introduce talking buses and streetcars
10. OHCHR - A tragedy within a tragedy: UN experts alarmed by harrowing conditions for Palestinians with disabilities trapped in Gaza
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1. Customs News Pakistan - OICCI Hosts “Dining in the Dark” to Unite Foreign Investors for Disability Inclusion24 Oct 2024
Karachi: The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) organized a unique event, the “Dining in the Dark Experience,” in collaboration with Khaas Foodz Kitchen (KFK) on Thursday. This initiative brought together OICCI’s member companies and foreign investors to emphasize the importance of disability inclusion and address the challenges persons with disabilities (PWDs) face in corporate environments.
The highlight of the event was a sensory dining experience, where attendees were blindfolded and led through the meal cooked by visually impaired chefs from KFK, a social enterprise committed to training and employing individuals with disabilities. This unique setting allowed participants to experience first-hand the difficulties PWDs face, fostering empathy and sparking discussions on inclusion.
Ahmed Bozai, Chairperson of OICCI’s Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, emphasized the need for corporate Pakistan to drive change. “Inclusive environments are more than just a moral responsibility- they are a business necessity. People with disabilities bring immense talent, and it’s time we create pathways for them to fully contribute and thrive,” said Ahmed during his keynote speech.
Following the dining experience, the event featured a panel discussion with industry leaders, including Ali Tareen, founder of Khaas Foodz Kitchen, Fizza Hussain, co-founder, KFK, Saadia Fahad, general manager DEI, K-Electric, and Fatima Arshad, head of communications and sustainability, Unilever Pakistan. The discussion explored the challenges and opportunities that businesses face in creating inclusive workplaces and the importance of adopting disability-friendly policies.
OICCI’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) surveys reveal that while about half of respondents prioritize D&I, representation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) remains low, with less than 0.5% of permanent employees being PWDs. Commenting on this, OICCI Secretary General M Abdul Aleem said, “Our goal is to improve these numbers. It’s crucial for our member companies to move beyond policies and actively foster work environments where persons with disabilities can thrive.”
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2. E-Pao India - Harassment of visually impaired candidate condemned25 Oct 2024
Imphal, October 24 2024: Disabled-People's Rights Organisation (DPRO), Manipur has strongly condemned alleged harassment of one Khwairakpam Joykumar, a visually impaired candidate, by staffers of Mark Academy, Changangei on October 21 during conduct of the multi-tasking staff and havildar (CBIC&CBN) examination by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) North Eastern Region.
Addressing the media at Manipur Press Club here on Thursday, DPRO information secretary Roben contended that Joykumar's case is not an isolated incident, as the same Academy had also mistreated differently-abled candidates during examinations.
According to Roben, staff of the academy had previously insisted that candidates furnish additional documents not prescribed by the examination conducting agencies.
Taking serious note of continued discrimination against the differently-abled candidates, he urged authorities concerned to blacklist the institution from handling future examinations.
During the press meet, Khwairakpam Joy-kumar recounted that he reached the exam centre with a scribe, who is a class IX student, carrying all the prescribed documents, including Aadhaar and school ID cards.
As per the guidelines, the scribe's educational qualification should be lower than that of the differently-abled candidate.
However, an official at the centre demanded the scribe's class VIII certificate, he disclosed.
Joykumar maintained that as he explained about the guidelines to the official, another staff member verbally abused and intimidated him, and forced him out of the centre.
State Platform for Disabled People's Organisation (SP-DPO) also condemned the incident, as it tantamount to intentional undermining about plight and challenges faced by differently-abled individuals.
The organisation called for suitable action against those responsible for the misconduct.
The media briefing was held a day after the Academy clarified that there were no instances of harassment or ill-treatment of candidates with disability during the examination.
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3. Taiwan News - Tainan art festival focuses on inclusive arts to promote diversity and accessibility25 Oct 2024
TAIPEI — The Island Inclusive Arts Festival, organized by the Resident Island Dance Theatre (RIDT), is being held in Tainan from Oct. 15-27 to raise awareness for diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility issues.
Now in its second year, the event is themed “Boundaries of Freedom.” Inclusive dance performances, workshops, lectures, and visual exhibitions are being showcased during the festival.
The festival aims to challenge stereotypes, break down social barriers, and turn boundaries into opportunities for creativity and positive change. By creating a platform for equal exchange and creative expression, the festival hopes to foster a deeper understanding of inclusivity within society.
Inclusive arts is a creative process that ensures everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, has equal access to the arts. This includes the disabled and the mentally ill, according to Art Access Victoria.
Over 1.2 million people, or more than 5% of Taiwan's population, are registered as disabled. This number has been steadily increasing, with a year-over-year growth rate of 1% and a 2.4% increase since 2016.
Of this population, nearly 45% are aged 65 and over. As Taiwan becomes an increasingly aged society, it is becoming more crucial to address the specific needs and challenges faced by this growing demographic of disabled elderly individuals.
A highlight of this year's festival is the participation of American-Asian disabled musician Carina Ho. In addition to conducting workshops and lectures, Ho will collaborate with the RIDT to create a major program, “Eternal City.”
The RIDT was founded by Pingtung's visually impaired choreographer Chang Chung-an (張忠安). Since its establishment in 2010, the group has been committed to integrating social and cultural issues into its works.
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4. Hospitality & Catering News UK - Billesley Manor celebrates a year of accessible hospitality24 Oct 2024
Over the past 12 months, Billesley Manor Hotel and Spa, near Stratford-upon-Avon, has woven accessibility and inclusivity into its core offering, implementing services that aim to offer luxury, meaningful experiences to those with special requirements. Including guests with dementia, guests with visual impairment, and guests living with cancer.
Looking at ways to ensure every visitor felt valued at the 71-bedroom, grade II listed venue, the team at Billesley mapped out three major phases of initiatives to put it at the forefront of inclusive hospitality in Warwickshire, starting with the launch of specialist cancer massage training for its spa therapists.
The hotel teamed up with Amethyst Trust in November 2023 to deliver the training, which was approved by the Industry Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care and the Federation of Holistic Therapies. It enabled guests undergoing cancer treatment to receive safe, adapted massages without the need for a GP referral.
Then in January 2024, the Shakespeare-connected hotel introduced a braille wedding guide to support visually impaired guests. The guide provides detailed information about room layouts, amenities, and the hotel’s historical grounds, empowering guests with sight problems to confidently navigate the estate during their wedding day.
Plans are also underway to expand the braille provisions to encompass menus and room information packs.
Finally, in September, phase three of Billesley’s inclusivity project saw the launch of a comprehensive staff training program to support guests with dementia. This included a partnership with Midlands-based home care provider, New Age Care, to equip its team with the knowledge needed to assist guests with dementia and their caregivers, ensuring a safe and compassionate environment.
The program was designed to address the increasing demand for dementia-friendly travel experiences, a trend set to grow as global dementia rates rise.
Laura Cherrington, Director of Sales and Marketing at Billesley Manor, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the steps we’ve taken over the past year to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all our guests. Our vision has always been to ensure that everyone who visits us – whether they are living with dementia, blindness, or cancer – feels valued, respected, and able to enjoy the luxury experience they deserve.
“From our specialist cancer massage training to our braille wedding guide and dementia-friendly initiatives, we are committed to setting a new standard for accessibility in the hospitality industry. This past year is just the beginning, and we are excited to continue building an environment where everyone can feel truly at home when staying with us.”
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5. Millennium Post India - Now, facilities for persons with disabilities at Alipore Museum24 Oct 2024
Kolkata: To promote inclusivity and accessibility so everyone can experience the rich history associated with the country’s freedom struggle, the Alipore Jail Museum on Wednesday saw the introduction of facilities for persons with disabilities.
The formal inauguration was made by Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim who is also the chairman of West Bengal Housing & Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO).
“We want inclusiveness in society. Hence, we heartily welcome the braille facilities. The visually impaired persons will also be able to gain knowledge about the rich collection associated with Bengal’s freedom struggle that this museum boasts of, with the help of the braille system,” Hakim said.
The museum, developed by HIDCO, was inaugurated on September 21, 2022 by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to portray a history of Indian freedom struggle with emphasis on the Bengal chapter.
Yi Kolkata, an integral part of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) developed the facilities in the museum. “This project is a testament to Yi Kolkata’s commitment to creating inclusive spaces for all. By making the Alipore Jail Museum accessible for the visually impaired and persons with disabilities, we are not just opening doors, but breaking barriers. It’s an honour to have been a part of this meaningful initiative,” said Baibhav Agarwal, Yi Kolkata Chair 2024.
The facilities include 44 indicators, 53 general signs, one braille map of the museum, 4 ramps and 1 wheelchair.
In 2022, the Yi Accessibility Kolkata Team visited the Calcutta Blind School and received insightful feedback from the principal who suggested that the Alipore Jail Museum should be made accessible for the visually-impaired and persons with disabilities. Following this, the team organised a trip to the museum and proposed the same to its director Dr Jayanta Sengupta. The latter sought approval from the HIDCO authorities and secured the necessary approvals for the project.
“The inclusive facilities in the museum have created a template where corporates came forward to help public institutions. We hope that more corporates will follow suit for making museums inclusive and accessible,” said Sengupta.
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6. The Witness South Africa - Department of Education rejects curatorship for special needs school24 Oct 2024
The KZN Department of Education (DoE) has rejected an attempt to place a Pietermaritzburg special needs school under curatorship, calling it unnecessary and claiming it “crosses the line”.
This comes after Blind SA took the DoE and the school’s governing body (SGB) to court, seeking the appointment of Ronalda Lerato Ozah, an attorney from the Centre for Child Law, as curator to oversee pupil affairs.
Blind SA, an NGO that promotes the dignity and independence of blind and visually impaired South Africans, says its application stems from 2018 allegations of overcrowding, neglect and abuse at the school’s boarding facility.
The organisation reported at least three instances of alleged sexual abuse over the past six years, including one where a parent claimed her son was raped by another boy at the school.
KZN DoE head Nkosinathi Ngcobo, representing the school and SGB, said in an affidavit that these issues had been resolved through a departmental investigation in 2022.
Ngcobo argued that Blind SA’s court application was a duplication of processes and would disrupt the school’s operations.
The applicant [Blind SA] wants to revisit incidents of sexual abuse that were investigated and resolved years ago.
“The victims received counselling, and reports were compiled on how future incidents would be managed,” he said.
In one case, the perpetrator was suspended from the hostel but remained a day scholar until their parent removed them from the school.
Blind SA also raised concerns about a pupil being denied hostel accommodation after turning 18.
CEO Jayaseelan Gopal Nair said a parent contacted Blind SA in January 2022, worried her daughter, who is blind, would struggle living on her own after being told she could no longer stay at the hostel.
The DoE explained that a 2018 decision, supported by a Blind SA representative, excluded pupils over 18 to make room for younger learners.
This policy has since been revised, and all pupils over 18 are now allowed to stay at the hostel. A postponement date for the case is yet to be set.
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7. Businessday Nigeria - The amazing story of senator Crystal Azige25 Oct 2024
‘If all you see is all you see, then you don’t see all there is to be seen.’
As an opening line, that rather convoluted sentence challenges the listener to pay attention.
Senator Crystal Asige is a compelling speaker, and her recorded speeches are a collector’s treasure.
Being vulnerable and tugging at heartstrings to wring out compassion is not all she can be. She can also be a fighter, shooting from the hip. There is, for example, her speech before the Kenyan Senate on the 28th of June in the heat of the controversy and street riots over President Ruto’s Finance Bill. She does not mince words in her condemnation of the heavy-handed efforts by the police to put down the protests by the youths, which led to numerous deaths and injuries. The youths of Kenya, she avers, are hungry, angry, and justifiably disaffected.
The speech that goes closest to revealing the complex essence of this blind young lady is her address before the One Young World 23 Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2023, which leaves her audience both sombre and exuberant.
‘For anyone who is visually impaired in the audience,’ at which point she raises her hand to be counted, ‘…I am a black African woman of five foot seven and some change… I’ve got on… Masai earrings and a black dress, which I call my power dress…
Her humour is self-deprecating, and every so often she returns, without affectation, to the issue of her blindness, as if it’s just another fact, like the colour of her dress.
‘I had my first major eye surgery in 2010…General Anaesthetic. Two hours instead of the quick forty minutes they had anticipated, and it didn’t work. … I came out of theatre having lost more of my already declining eyesight…Since High School, I had been losing my sight, very slowly, very gradually. At the time I had no idea why, Glaucoma wasn’t a word I had ever heard before…The ophthalmologist told me it wasn’t just Glaucoma but Glaucoma the Remix…worse in black Africans because of the colour of our eyes…and that I would probably be blind before I was twenty-five…Between then and now, I’ve had over twenty different procedures…I was a teenager then…I was thrust into a world of darkness and inpairment…It’s one thing to go blind, it’s another to go blind in a world steeped with discrimination and prejudices… ‘
She is not looking for sympathy but making a pitch from a position of power, temporal and moral.
‘My name is Senator Crystal Asige, a human that is crazy about amplifying the voices of…the underdogs, like I have always been…making people seen and heard, no matter their ability or disability.’
And then she unleashes her now famous nugget.
‘…The most crucial lesson I’ve learnt is – If all you see is what you see, then you have not seen all that there is to be seen…Let those words resonate, because they encapsulate my journey…’
Crystal was born in Mombasa, Kenya in 1990. She was the youngest of four children. From childhood, she had a bouncy spirit that inspired and stimulated others, along with a creative spirit expressed in a love of music and drama. She was growing up into an active, popular teenager. Then at the age of 16, she began to observe a deterioration in her eyesight. She had to get to class early so she could get to sit in a front row to stare at the board. She found it increasingly difficult to read.
At 17, she travelled to the University of the West of England, in Bristol, to study Film and Theatre.
In her second year, she eventually went to see an optometrist, who made a diagnosis of glaucoma and referred her to the hospital.
It was the beginning of a long journey of endless surgical procedures, each attended by further deterioration of her eyesight.
She returned home to Kenya and was depressed and withdrawn for some time. After what felt like a spiritual encounter with God, she regained her positivity and returned to the UK to complete her studies.
She has not looked back since. She is singer and songwriter to a musical band in Nairobi. She has become universally one of the most recognisable advocates for young people living with different forms of disability. She is active in good causes, such as serving on the Board of Amnesty International, Kenya. Inevitably she has been thrust into the cauldron of Kenyan politics with her membership of the Orange Party. In 2022, while attending an international conference of young people in Europe, she was informed that, under an arrangement peculiar to Kenyan legislature, she had become a member of the Kenyan Senate as a representative of people living with disabilities.
She has gone from strength to strength, using her expanded platform to the fullest advantage. During the recent political troubles in Kenya over the now-shelved Finance Bill, she was very vocal in support of the demands of the young protesters who fought police on the streets.
Her personal life is as inspirational as her vocalisations. Having claimed for herself a right to demand a normal life full of love and great expectations, she is not pigeon-holed as a voice for people with disability, but as a leader of young people in Africa who are seeking to break cultural boundaries and limitations and take African society to the next level.
A few weeks ago, Crystal, at 34 years old, was nominated by TIME Magazine on its 2024 Time 100 Next List. This is a list of influential leaders worldwide who are shaping the future in their fields, defining the next generation of leadership. A VIP as a Visually Impaired Person, and as a Very Important Person, Crystal is a worthy ambassador of the African Generation Z, embodying their resilience in adversity, their quest for self-actualisation, and their boundless potential for achievement.
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8. AT Today UK - Detailed accessibility guide to help passengers confidently navigate London Gatwick airport25 Oct 2024
London Gatwick airport has partnered with AccessAble to launch a series of bespoke Detailed Access Guides, helping passengers navigate more easily, safely, and confidently through the airport.
The free guides cover 30 different areas of London Gatwick, including departures and arrivals, car parks, and the train station. They provide passengers with information such as flooring types, signage, light and noise levels, step-free access, walking distances, seating, and accessible toilets, alongside a host of other details.
London Gatwick’s Accessibility Guide can be viewed here. It features digital accessibility tools and an easy-read option.
Anna-Ruth Cockerham, Accessibility Manager at London Gatwick, said: “September and October are typically our busiest months for welcoming passengers who require some extra assistance, so we are delighted to launch our new Detailed Access Guides to help make those journeys through the airport easier.
“We know everyone’s accessibility needs are different, which is why having detailed, accurate information is so important. These guides will help London Gatwick achieve its vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”
Including facts, figures, and photographs, the guides have been checked on site by trained surveyors from AccessAble, a leader in the provision of accessibility information.
Dr Gregory Burke, Founder and Executive Chair at AccessAble, said: “We are delighted to work in partnership with London Gatwick to launch Detailed Access Guides at the airport. This crucial information will enhance the experience of the hundreds of thousands of passengers requiring assistance who travel through Gatwick each year.
“The AccessAble website offers the opportunity to create real change in the way that disabled people travel, and we hope this exciting programme with London Gatwick, one of the most important transport hubs in the UK, represents a significant moment on this journey.”
Thameslink recently released an audio guide that describes its vast fleet of 115 trains, written with the help of a blind passenger from Redhill in Surrey.
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9. Secret Berlin Germany - BVG soon to introduce talking buses and streetcars25 Oct 2024
Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG ) is taking a further step towards inclusion and accessibility: in future, talking buses and streetcars will provide both audible and visual destination and route information via a new mobility system called INTROS. An acoustic passenger information system, developed in collaboration with the Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV) and implemented by the company Trapeze, will soon make it much easier for passengers with visual impairments to find their way around local public transport.
“Talking” buses and streetcars
At the heart of the innovation is the combination of “talking vehicles” and a “talking app”. In future, the system will announce the route number and destination of the arriving bus or streetcar via an external loudspeaker at bus stops. This will enable blind and visually impaired people to quickly and easily identify the right vehicle, especially at busy stops where several lines stop. The app will also make boarding easier and provide safe, user-friendly orientation.
A project by those affected for those affected
A key feature of the INTROS system is the collaboration with the SBV. This ensured that the specific requirements of blind and visually impaired people were directly incorporated into the development. With the approach of optimizing the system for “two-senses orientation”, the SNB also emphasizes that it is a solution “by those affected for those affected”.
Pilot project will bring talking buses next year
Implementation of the measure is planned for the coming months. After an intensive development and installation phase, the first buses and streetcars are to be equipped with the new technology next year in order to test its functionality in a trial phase. If this is successful, BVG plans to convert its entire fleet to talking buses and streetcars.
BVG is thus sending out a strong signal for greater accessibility and comfort in local public transport. This development underlines the goal of making public space accessible to all people, regardless of their individual abilities.
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10. OHCHR - A tragedy within a tragedy: UN experts alarmed by harrowing conditions for Palestinians with disabilities trapped in Gaza25 Oct 2024
GENEVA – One year into the ruthless military assault by Israel in Gaza, UN experts warned today that Palestinians with disabilities face unbearable protection risks, including inescapable death and injuries, amid indiscriminate attacks by Israeli occupation forces which have destroyed critical infrastructure, and annihilated the possibility of humanitarian assistance.
“A tragedy within a tragedy is taking place in Gaza, where Israel’s genocidal campaign has left persons with disabilities completely unprotected. Persons with disabilities are being killed and injured by indiscriminate attacks despite posing no security threat, epitomising the deliberate assault on civilians by Israel,” the experts said.
The experts noted that multiple evacuation orders totally disregarded persons with disabilities who often face extreme difficulties to follow or understand instructions. “They were in the impossible situation of either leaving their houses and the assistive devices they require to survive or staying behind without their families and caregivers and being exposed to a heightened risk of being killed,” they said. “During evacuation attempts, women and girls with disabilities are particularly exposed to increased dangers and further trauma.”
According to the experts, there are no safe places for the over 1.9 million civilians forcibly displaced in Gaza, but overcrowded shelters which are routinely subject to indiscriminate attacks, are particularly unsafe and inaccessible to displaced Palestinians with disabilities. They lack adequate hygiene and sanitary facilities, drinking water, food, and other objects essential for their life. Physical, informational, and communicational barriers make it next to impossible for persons with disabilities to access the extremely scarce humanitarian assistance available, with women and girls with disabilities facing compounded challenges that further isolate them, the experts warned.
“With the health system in Gaza decimated and medical supplies unavailable, Israeli authorities have refused to establish a system for medical evacuations nor allowed life-saving support, so that thousands of persons with disabilities, especially children, can obtain the assistance they desperately need. People with disabilities require specialised medical supplies,” the experts said.
They warned that Palestinians with disabilities, including children, women, girls and older persons are facing extreme psychological harm and trauma, and that persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are also in immensely vulnerable situations.
“Many of the almost 100,000 injured Palestinians in Gaza will acquire long-lasting impairments requiring rehabilitation, assistive devices, psychosocial support and other services that are severely lacking,” they said. “The impact extends beyond physical injuries, with grave emotional and psychological traumas and wider effects on the social fabric and needs of families and communities, especially impacting women who often bear the brunt of caregiving.”
Referring to the situation of escalating violence by illegal Israeli settlers and Israeli forces, mass destruction of homes and roads, and movement restrictions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the experts warned that Palestinians with disabilities in those occupied territories cannot access health, rehabilitation, and other essential services.
“Over the past year, Israel has been in breach of its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including armed conflict,” the experts said.
Parties to the conflict must immediately accept a ceasefire, they said. The experts also recalled the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of July 2024, which declared Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful, amounting to racial segregation and apartheid.
“Israel must comply with its international obligations and the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ regarding its conduct in Gaza that aim at preventing further acts of genocide,” the experts said. “Israel must also fully and effectively cooperate with international investigations and preserve evidence, particularly in relation to violations of the rights of persons with disabilities.”
The experts have previously raised these concerns with the Government of Israel.
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This Google Group news service has been made possible by courtesy of the Society of the Blind in Malaysia