Difference between Italian blood & Indian blood!

Saudi companies hiring people with disabilities

JEDDAH, Oct 12: Saudi companies are hiring Saudis with disabilities in large numbers to achieve a high Saudization target under the Nitaqat system. The system requires companies to increase the rate of Saudi employees and warns of punitive measures if they fail to do so. The Saudi government encourages the recruitment of disabled employees by equaling the recruitment of one disabled Saudi to hiring three able-bodied Saudis. As a result, most companies find hiring Saudis with disabilities a good way to achieve Saudization targets in a short span. Dr. Aisha Natto, CEO of the Eye-to-Eye optical company and member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) board, confirmed that companies’ desire to hire Saudis with disabilities had increased substantially. “Since the launch of the Nitaqat program, we are receiving large numbers of requests from companies that are looking to hire disabled people. We arranged several meetings with these companies to make sure that the offers were suitable for disabled employees,” she said. The Ministry of Labor assigned the JCCI to hold several workshops with companies to ensure the best work environment for disabled employees, said Natto. The JCCI teaches companies how to deal with handicapped employees. “There are many skills that are unknown to employers as well as employees,” said Natto. According to Natto, office work that doesn’t require movement is mostly available for disabled people. They include such positions as graphic designer, accountant, secretary and data entry operator. “Such job opportunities are considered the most suitable for disabled people, except for visually impaired. We try to ensure that disabled people receive a salary of between SR4,000 and SR5,000,” she said. Natto added, “The Ministry of Labor will soon issue a decision to bring contracts between disabled employees and companies under the JCCI umbrella. This step will ensure disabled employees’ rights, as we will make sure that all requirements are applied.” Dr. Abdullah Al-Dukhail, assistant secretary-general of the Disabled Children's Association, said his association also receive many calls from companies looking to hire disabled Saudis. “Some companies ask for 20 employees, while others ask for three or five employees,” he said. “Most companies are looking to hire male staff, as handicapped women generally prefer to work in a secluded environment.” According to Al-Dukhail, the association arranged several forums between disability and private companies. “We will have a forum next week, which more than 100 companies will attend. Such forums facilitate contact between disabled people and employers,” said Al-Dukhail. Al-Dukhail confirmed that after the Nitaqat program was launched, large numbers of companies were looking to hire disabled Saudis and were offering good salaries. He said most companies offered salaries ranging from SR5,000 to SR8,000 to disabled employees. Al-Dukhail is of the view that the companies were offering jobs to disabled PEOPLE not just to take advantage of the Saudization incentives, but also to help society as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives. Majed Asiri, a Saudi who cannot walk, studied business administration at King Abdulaziz University but was unable to find any job opportunity because of his disability. “In the past, I was looking for a job, but with no result. I found only a job opportunity in a fast food company with a salary of SR2,000, which I refused,” he said. Asiri said after the launch of the Nitaqat, the situation has changed. “I heard that a construction firm was looking for a Saudi accountant. I immediately applied and was accepted two weeks later.” Source: http://arabnews.com/

First deaf MP leads the way for others with disabilities

The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) is delighted to congratulate Mojo Mathers on her new role as a Member of Parliament, and hopes that she will open the political doors for others with a disability. "As the country's first profoundly deaf MP, Ms Mathers is a fantastic example of what someone can achieve regardless of the challenges they face," says RNZFB Chief Executive Sandra Budd. "We believe it is only a matter of time before New Zealand has a blind or partially sighted person as a Parliamentary representative." Ms Budd says that, like people with hearing disabilities, blind and partially sighted people are adept at using technology to their advantage, particularly in the workplace. "From computer screen reading software to braille note-takers, there is a huge range of equipment to assist blind people in all kinds of employment." "Equally the RNZFB helps to produce a vast number of documents for individuals and organisations in accessible formats, such as braille, audio, large print, e-text and accessible websites." According to RNZFB Executive Director of Access, Innovation and Enterprise, Neil Jarvis - who himself is blind - more needs to be done to facilitate access for blind and partially sighted population. "We are absolutely supportive of Ms Mathers in her goal to build cross party support around ensuring everyone can participate equally in the political process." Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz

BankMuscat supports people with disabilities

MUSCAT, Dec 30: BankMuscat, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, donated 200 mobility aid equipment, including wheelchairs, to people with disabilities through Oman Association for the Disabled (OAD). The gesture benefiting citizens with special needs is aimed at helping them overcome challenges and integrate themselves with the mainstream society. Essam al Sharji, Manager, Corporate Communications, said: “BankMuscat is happy to support OAD and help people with disabilities to lead normal lives and thereby contribute to society. BankMuscat is very sensitive to the needs of people with special needs and is keen on building a strong relation with OAD to enrich their lives. The donation of mobility aid equipment is one step in empowering them for their daily tasks. BankMuscat is committed to be a true partner in supporting people with special needs.” OAD is a reputed non-governmental organisation (NGO) established to provide support, education and recreational facilities for physically disabled people. The association works towards achieving a better understanding of the needs of people with disabilities in the wider community. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of BankMuscat is a commitment to contribute towards sustainable development by working closely with local communities with the aim of improving living standards in a manner that serves the national economy and development process at the same time. Equal consideration is accorded to environmental, social and economic issues when pursuing efforts aimed at achieving development and improving living standards. Source: http://main.omanobserver.om

Government to launch project for children with hearing disabilities

KOTTAYAM, INDIA, Dec 23: The state government was planning to launch a project for children with hearing disabilities, social welfare minister M K Muneer said on Thursday. Two hundred children would be covered under the scheme every year, he said while inaugurating the Disability, Rehabilitation, Early Assessment and Management Services (DREAMS) centre at Mahatma Gandhi University. Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Blind people can soon access ATMs in India

MUMBAI, INDIA, Jan 6: Under a colourful canopy on the grounds of the Ali Yaver Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, dozens of students from the Happy Home School, milled around hearing about fantastic technologies that would ostensibly make their lives better. The occasion was World Braille Day and the students of Xavier’s Research Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) had put on an exhibition of gadgets and technologies that would help blind people in their education. The main attraction of the exhibition was the ATM machine that had been designed by the NRC Corporation, to suit the needs of blind people Nagesh Nayak, personal services manager at NCR was mobbed by blind students who took great pleasure in working the device. The ATM machine on display was equipped with a text-to-speech engine that provides detailed instructions for blind user. Besides, all the functions of the ATM were mapped onto the keypad so that blind person can feel and type in his/her response. But are we likely to see such ATM machines across branches in the city? Nayak believes so. “It’s just a question of customising the software for various banks. With a little bit of guidance as we had when ATMs first came to India, there is no reason for a bank not to have one. You should be seeing them within the calendar year of 2012,” he said. Most of the technology in the exhibition though, was geared towards facilitating the education of the visually impaired. Rakesh Paswan, 20, has been blind since he was three years old. Today he’s a first year student at XRCVC doing a Bachelor’s in Arts (BA) in economics, commerce and history. Paswan was giving a demonstration of the NVDA technology where a push of a button could result in an audible reading of the text on screen. The reader was available in English, Hindi and Marathi. A couple of tables away, an improved version of the same technology, the Zoom Ex device, was on display. Fitted with a camera, it would scan a document on to screen and then use the digital audio information system (DAISY) to provide an audio output of the text. However, not everything on display was for serious use. Braille-imprinted playing cards and a special chess set designed for the visually impaired proved to be a great draw. And as the visually impaired students from Happy Home walked around, from table to table, holding on to each other’s elbows, their faces lit up with excitement at the thought of the bright future that lay before them. Source: http://www.dnaindia.com

Institute makes national anthem accessible to deaf people

MUMBAI, INDIA Dec 28: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the national anthem, first sung on December 27, 1911, the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai, has brought out a universal design version of the anthem making it disabled friendly. This version of the anthem has features like audio description for blind people and Indian sign language and captions for hearing impaired people. Captions are available in English and 14 Indian languages, a release said. The certification from the Central Board of Film Certification has been obtained for universal and educational viewing of this version of the anthem which is available in the DVD format at the Indian Sign Language Cell of the Institute. Source: http://ibnlive.in.com