Disability rights On Monday 17th February, we attended a mediation session on behalf of Shri Deepak Rai against Iit Bombay concerning his case that they denied him certain reasonable accommodations that he needed as a visually disabled student pursuing a course in biotechnology at the masters level. After some discussion, Iit Bombay agreed to all […]
Weekly Newsletter for the week of 17th of Feb Read More »
As a cricket fan, I was eager to “watch” the film 83. I am blind since birth. When the movie became available on a streaming platform, I was disappointed to learn that it did not have audio description, thus making the movie inaccessible to me. As a blind Indian citizen, I have often been shut out from many life activities, including consuming entertainment content. Going to the movies helps us de-stress. But what happens when entertainment content is not designed with the needs of the disabled in mind?
Improving access to entertainment content Read More »
On Monday, 10th March, we had one matter listed in the Delhi High Court. This was on behalf of Harshdeep Singh, a student with cerebral palsy who alleged that he had failed in 8 of his law exams as the examiners could not understand his disability-induced poor handwriting. The judge was on leave and the
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On Tuesday 29th April, we had 5 hearings. First, Kabir Paharia’s matter was listed in the Supreme Court. On this date, we informed the Court that the latest medical assessment was in Kabir’s favour and therefore prayed that he may be accommodated in the next academic year at AIIMS Delhi by blocking a seat for
Weekly Newsletter for the Week of 28th of April Read More »
The recent controversy involving Puja Khedkar, who allegedly faked her disability and caste to obtain benefits, has ignited a debate on the reservations granted to persons with disabilities (PwDs). The issue gained further traction when a former chief executive officer of NITI Aayog tweeted that reservations for PwDs need to be reviewed. Although he later clarified that he was referring only to mental disabilities (thereby drawing an unnecessary and baseless wedge between physical and mental disabilities), his statement, along with similar comments from other civil servants, raises troubling questions about societal attitudes towards disabilities and reservation policies.
Defending disability reservations Read More »
Structured negotiation is a collaborative and solution-driven dispute resolution technique which is increasingly being used as an alternative to litigation. It typically involves inviting the defaulting service provider to the negotiation table and impressing upon them the benefits of complying with social welfare legislations. While its utility pervades sectors, structured negotiation has been most effective in settling disability rights cases in the United States, a development that one of us, Ms. Feingold, has played no small part in ensuring.
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The government of India has recently proposed amendments to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Rules, ostensibly to tighten the norms related to disability certification. The timing of this move is difficult to miss. We are still embroiled in the Puja Khedkar controversy as it has reignited the debate over the potential misuse of disability to gain untoward advantages. While an allegedly fake disability certificate is not the only reason Khedkar has found herself in the middle of scrutiny, the disabled community are having to face the brunt of the backlash that has followed this incident.
Since the declaration of the revised National Eligibility cum Entrance Test -Under Graduate (NEET-UG) result on July 26, courts across the country have witnessed a spurt of litigation by persons with disabilities. The stories of these persons typically have a common script. They appeared for the NEET-UG examinations based on their disability certificate in the persons with disabilities (PwD) category. They cleared the exam and got allotted a college. Thereafter, they were made to undergo a medical assessment by the National Medical Council (NMC), in line with its information bulletin for the NEET-UG examination. This assessment found them ineligible. The finding of disqualification often lacks any reason and is merely based on the person’s disability being above a particular percentage.
Judging disability: New SC script in medical admissions Read More »
India’s 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, retired on November 10, 2024. His elevation to this role in 2022 had sparked widespread expectations, including in the realm of disability rights, given his prior work. While many reviews of Justice Chandrachud’s legacy have focused on his contributions to constitutional law and judicial reform, his work on disability rights has often been relegated to a footnote.
A formidable legacy in securing disability rights Read More »
