EMERGING POLICY CHALLENGES IN HEALTH AND DISABILITY :
VALUE ORIENTATION IN REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES
DISCUSSION LED BY:
Ravi Narayan, Community Health Cell,
Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action,
367 Srinivasa Nilaya, Jakkasandra 1st Main,
Koramangala 1st Block, Bangalore - 560 034, India.
Ph: 5531518
In the last few years, there have been dialogues on the emerging issues and concerns in health, with a view to evolving a framework and perspective for global health policy in the 21st century. One of the significant developments in this evolving policy process has been the emergence of 'values' that are expected to form the core of the new thinking. These include, among others,
- Health as central to development
- Equity as a key concern
- Ethics in health care
- Gender sensitivity
- Health as a human right
- Sustainable health systems
- The recognition of poverty as the most significant health problem
- The role of civic society in health and health and the exploration of new partnership
- Health as everyone's responsibility
- Health as a movement of people.
Neo-liberal economics and the forces of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation have brought in new values in the case of poor and marginalised people, based on market forces.
The discussion affirmed the need to have value systems as a central tenet in all development work, including disability rehabilitation. This needs to be part of the policy framework and requires to be stated as such. The group felt that value systems are contextual, and that the universal value systems can at best be only a guideline. The value systems need to be explicitly stated right from the beginning of any programme, and they need to be evolved in consultation with all the stake holders. Lack of stated value systems can lead to counter productive activities in a programme.
NEW TECHNOLOGY AIDS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONSGalileo Text Reading Machine: This is a combination of a text reader and a computer, capable of reading in an English accent, printed text, books, magazines, and text or document files. It can store up to 20,000 pages of scanned text, and can transfer the data into floppy disks or audio cassettes. Aria Braille operated portable talking computer: About the size of a video cassette, this has features like word processing, note taking, clock, calendar, diary, telephone directory and so on. It uses a PCMCIA memory card and has serial and parallel ports for a modem and a printer. Mountbatten Electronic Brailler: This would be of use to visually impaired children studying in integrated education settings. This is useful in teaching Braille, learning maps, charts and diagrams. It converts Braille into print when attached to a standard printer, and printed matter into Braille when attached to a PC. Index 4*4 PRO: This is a high speed automatic printing and binding machine to produce books in Braille. Braille 'n' Print Slimline: This device, developed by Quantum Technology Pty Ltd. Australia, when attached to a manual Braille, can convert English Braille to English text. One can take a print out, if it is connected to a printer, and it has a memory with a battery back up, of 20 pages of text. This device is of low cost and is now available in India through Quantum distributors. Further information from: Indian Association for Visually Handicapped, 132, SVP Road, Dongri, Mumbai - 400 009. |
SELF HELP AND MOBILITY AIDSAli Standing Aid, for people with polio, cerebral palsy, infantile hemiplegia and so on. Ali Meter, an electronic audio-visual device for assessing and improvements in eye hand co-ordination. Ali Shoulder Exerciser, an electric device for exercising and for the measurement of progress. Self help devices - holders for pen, key, spoon and comb, and a device to manage toilet activities. More details from: Syed Shakir Ali, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Unit, TISCO Central Hospital, Ghatotand W.B.C., Hazaribagh - 825 314, Bihar. |
PUBLICATIONS OF ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF SPEECH AND HEARING
Available from: Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Manasagangotri, Mysore - 570 006. Ph: (0821)514449, Fax: (0821)510515, Email: root@aiish.ernet.in |
Friday Meeting Transactions
Associate Publication of Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal
Vol.1 No.2 1999
Editor:
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