BEYOND THE I

Scribes, computers or oral examinations? This question is perplexing visually challenged students all over India as they prepare for their upcoming college exams. Vaijayanti Savant Tonpe seeks the right answers.

The needs of India's disabled people have so far not been properly addressed by the Government who has failed to provide for them adequately. Our planners need to discuss the disability issue in its entirety. Malvika Kaul takes a look at the proposals and promises of the 11th Five Year Plan.

Why does Indian media largely ignore sports events of disabled athletes? Krishna Gupta seeks answers by speaking to sports administrators, journalists and organisers. Also meet Sanjay Dang , who is blind and successfully runs a travel agency.

Radio programming is witnessing a resurgence, and there are many radio programmes now targetted to blind people. In this issue, Anand Vivek Taneja and Koyel Lahiri tune in to this not-so-silent revolution. Also read about Ravi Kumar Arora, spotlighted in the profile section and a special feature on the recent trend amongst advertisers to use blind characters in advertisements.

Are Indian mainstream schools equipped to accommodate blind or visually impaired students in their classrooms. In our cover story, Teaching the Teachers, Koyel Lahiri looks at training of teachers from this perspective. Pranay Gadodia recounts a positive experience at a bank in the 'Perspectives' column. Dr. Dinkar Sharma, a visually impaired musical prodigy is profiled in this issue.

Positive parenting ensures that your visually impaired child grows up with self-confidence and enjoys a good life. A well adjusted, confident visually impaired child at home will, in all likelihood, do well as an adult also, find out Naintara Jain and Anjali Sen Gupta. Pranay Gadodia takes a trip on the Delhi Metro and recounts his experience in the 'Perspectives' column. This issue, we profile Nafisa Buhariwala, a visually impaired banker who specialises in foreign exchange.

What will it take to make our cities accessible to persons with visual impairments? Salil Chaturvedi speaks to visually impaired persons, town planners, architects and other specialists to understand the issue. Anand Sharma recounts his bitter-sweet experience of education in our regular column 'Perspectives'. Meet Rahmat Fazalbhoy, widely regarded as the 'mother of integrated education' in India, and all the regular news and happenings.

To start the new year with something for our readers to look forward to, beyond the I spoke to a number of people to make a resolution that could be instrumental in bring about change, however small, during 2006. The responses from those responsible for shaping public policy and capable of directing mass behaviour are disappointing in their vagueness and open-endedness. Offset against these are the resolutions of people in the non-governmental and non-commercial arenas – here, there is no hesitation in making a concrete commitment, and in taking the steps necessary to see it through.

The B.P.O. sector in India has seen tremendous growth, and is poised to grow even further. The doors of a new job opportunity have begun to open for persons with visual impairment and blindness. So why aren't more of them walking through them? Anjali Sen Gupta investigates.

Ajitha G.S. tries to uncover what India means to different generations of visually impaired citizens.

It’s a tricky issue. Do job reservations compensate for the discrimination that people with visual impairments face in the working world? Or do they simply lead to complacence and non-performance? Are incentives the way to go, or do they just promote a ‘charity culture’? Are visually impaired people not capable of succeeding on their own merits? Anu Bhambhani explores the many facets of this complex issue.

Media, especially the visual form of it, has failed to make itself accessible to persons with visual impairments. It continues to have a blinkerred view of disability; Anand Vivek Taneja reports on the Indo-Pak Petro Cup series; Heeru Chandanani recounts her harrowing experience with Air Sahara, a reputed Indian airline; Satish Amarnath speaks about his method of dealing with sudden blindness after an inexplicable acid attack left him sightless; and more of Indian and world news related to visual impairments.

We look at inclusive education, and how it's the primary requirement to start a process of mainstreaming for persons with disabilities; Anand Sharma continues his personal odyssey in an Indian train; Atul Sahay talks about the qualities that have allowed him to get ahead in the corporate world; and more of Indian and world news related to visual impairments.

Marvel at the amazing achievements of Marla Runyan, a visually-impaired athlete who has performed creditably at the highest levels of sport, including the Athens Olympics; take a bumpy train ride with Anand Sharma; peek into the world of public relations with Siddharth Sharma; and get the latest in Indian and international news.