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Success Story of Sminu Jindal, MD, Jindal Saw Ltd. as covered in Magnamags : 2011

December 24, 2011

You might be excused if you gape at Sminu Jindal. She is quite used to it. Busy shuffling around in her wheelchair as she goes about her office work, it takes a while to realise that she is paralyzed waist downwards. She makes multitasking on a wheelchair look so simple. As the managing director of Jindal Saw, one of the flagship companies of USD 12 million of OP Jindal Group, Sminu has been instrumental in the diversification for pipe manufacturer to one with interest in infrastructure, transportation, logistics and fabrication.. .Sminu Jindal is the first lady entrant in the country to do her gender proud by breaking the glass ceiling in the steel, oil and gas sector in India. She is a woman of steely resolve. Sminu Jindal broke the stereotypical Marwari family mould and stormed the corporate boardroom that too in a wheelchair.

In spite of being confined to the wheelchair due to an accident at the age of 11, she has not allowed her spirit to be chained. On the contrary, it has added wheels to her determination to take life head on.

After completing her elementary schooling in Delhi, Sminu had joined the boarding at the prestigious Maharani Gayatri Devi School in Jaipur with a view to acquire holistic quality education. It was on one of those drives back home from Jaipur to Delhi that she met with a near fatal accident.

It was while she was returning to Delhi from her school, Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School in Jaipur, that her car met with a terrible accident in which she lost movement of her lower body. “It took me a long time to realise what had happened to me, but my parents stood rock solid in helping me cope with the repercussions of the accident.

She was fortunate to survive but sustained a severe spinal cord injury and brain hemorrhage. The spinal injury left the lower half of her body paralysed. The next few years were very difficult and traumatic for her. She was just a young child of eleven in class six. As she woke up to the reality facing her, she shuddered at the thought that it would no longer remain the playful carefree life she had known. What hurt her most was the realization that she would no longer be able to dance. She was a talented Kathak dancer and a distinction holder at Bhartiya Kala Kendra at the age of nine.

Sminu does not flinch a bit while talking to me about this agonizing phase of her life and recalls with serene equanimity that it was indeed a period of complete personal mess. It was her family that became a deep source of emotional and psychological support for her in those moments. Her parents, especially her mother Arti, instilled the confidence in her that she would be able to go to a normal school and continue the day-to-day activities. They would encourage her to do the small routine things on her own without seeking anyone’s sympathy or support. She would carry her bag to school, go for tuitions outside home like her sisters did and later joined a regular co-ed college after studying in a convent. Thus she ‘was cared for but was not pampered’. This significant training at home toughened her mind and made her self-reliant so that she could face the life ahead with courage.

View her inspiring video by clicking this link.
watch?v=A2uxRVLHhio&feature=related

They never treated me differently from my sisters. My two younger sisters were also very sweet. When we would fight, I would call out to them to come and get thrashed by me and they would come! So it was a very normal upbringing for me where I was never given any special consideration, be it organizing my cupboard or getting stuff from the kitchen. What is great is that once my parents accepted my condition, they educated themselves about it and found out the best possible treatments that would help me grow up the normal way.

They got me a machine that would make me stand up for a few hours everyday, so that I would be able to grow proportionately. I was at a growing age when the accident happened, and being confined to a wheelchair could have hampered the normal growth of my legs.”

And all this does not come out of quivering lips. Sminu is jovial and jests all along. She talks about her condition in the most matter-of-fact way. There is no hesitation or reluctance. She has no problem in accepting her condition, and neither has her husband, Indresh Batra, found it an issue.

They met at a friend’s party where the two got along over “nonsensical banter”. After which one thing led to another and they got married. They have two sons aged six and three. Incidentally, Sminu had a natural conception, after which she went to the US where experts tracked her pregnancy.

“We have a normal family life. Just like my parents, my husband too doesn’t give me any special treatment. We fight like every other husband and wife and indulge our children like other parents.”

Her message is simple: “What makes a person special is her work, her compassion and not her condition.”. It is easy to get impressed by her, since Sminu Jindal is an exceptional and exemplary woman of substance who does not shy away from challenges in all walks of life.

Her organisation ‘Svayam’ (an initiative of S J Charitable Trust) has been working closely with NDMC, ASI, DTC and the Education Ministry of Delhi to make public conveniences units, historical monuments like the Qutub Minar and Jalianwala Bagh, bus queue shelters and government schools accessible to all those with reduced mobility. Next on her agenda is to sensitize tourism in India – to help people with reduced mobility enjoy the splendour of our country.

Source: Magnamags 

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Swimming Pool wins Barrier Free Design Award 2011

City wins accessibility award

 Source: Mississauga.com

Design winner. Malton Community Centre Pool has won the 2011 Barrier-Free Design Award of Merit from the March of Dimes. File photo

The recently renovated Malton Community Centre Pool has earned the City of Mississauga an award for going “above and beyond” when it comes to accessibility.

The pool, which includes more accessible parking spots, new ramps, accessible washrooms and change rooms with lifts and a ramp and lift to allow access to the lap pool and the leisure/therapy pool, received the 2011 Barrier-Free Design Award of Merit from the March of Dimes.

The award is presented annually for buildings designed or renovated that promote and consider accessibility for people with disabilities.
“We were very pleased to present the City of Mississauga with our (award) for the recent renovations made to the Malton Community Centre Pool,” said March of Dimes Canada president and chief executive officer Andria Spindel. “What really impressed the awards committee when reviewing this nomination was that this project didn’t just meet the basic requirements of the building code, it went above and beyond. All accessibility features within the pool area encourage and welcome people with disabilities to explore the wonderful and relaxing amenities that the pool has to offer.”

The pool was one of many renovated by the City using funds made available through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

“The City of Mississauga has long been committed to improving accessibility in our city,” said corporate services commissioner Brenda Breault. “Incorporating accessible design, above and beyond building code requirements, was an obvious choice for all our community pool and facility projects.”
cclay@mississauga.net

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UN report highlights need to make television more accessible to persons with disabilities

Source: The United Nations

UN report highlights need to make television more accessible to persons with disabilities.

ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Touré

5 December 2011 –

Television should be made more accessible to persons with disabilities, argues a new United Nations report released today, which identifies different accessibility options that would enable users to fully access audiovisual content.According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, more than 1.4 billion households worldwide have a TV, representing 98 per cent of homes in developed countries and almost 73 per cent in the developing world. But people with audiovisual impairments are not able to make use of this channel for information, education and entertainment purposes.

As a response, ITU, in partnership with the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict), identified various accessibility options and explained how access services are produced and delivered so that regulators and service providers can better understand the issues and costs.

Closed captioning and signing for the deaf, audio description and audio captions for the visually impaired, and accessible remote control devices for the elderly and those with reduced dexterity are some of the accessibility options highlighted in the report.

“Accessible TV should be a fundamental tool in building inclusive societies,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré.

“The emphasis of this report is on making digital media accessible. The transition to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting represents an ideal opportunity for ITU members to take the necessary steps to ensure TV is more accessible to everyone, everywhere.”

The report argues the implementing the identified measures would also support social inclusion for immigrants, ageing populations, and non-educated and marginalized groups.

“TV programmes are a principal source of news and information for such segments of the population, and are a key element in reinforcing social participation and community identity. Television also plays an especially crucial role in times of emergency, and can serve important educational purposes by transmitting courses and other instructional material,” the report reads.

New access services will need adequate radio frequency spectrum allocations, and the ITU is actively encouraging its 193 Member States to ensure that sufficient spectrum is given to support services promoting accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Source: The United Nations

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Metro needs to be more user-friendly

Metro needs to be more user-friendly 

Differently abled Take Ride.Parking Causes Trouble

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Bangalore: It was a rare occasion.For 12-differently abled persons,it was a Saturday date with Namma Metro.Some of them communicated their excitement in sign language as the Metro chugged into the MG Road station.
Of the group,Ajith,Nilesh,Deepa and Sunil, all physically challenged, arrived at the station with Satish Subramanian, a friend who had worked with them in the past. The others, speech-and-hearing-impaired, had come of their own for a ride.
They had a hassle-free ride but it was not so for the wheelchair bound. The trouble began outside the station itself. There is no parking space on MG Road.The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) should make space at least the physically challenged. I wanted to take a ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. But due to lack of space, I had to park my vehicle at Baiyappanahalli and then take my car back to MG Road, said Ajith KS, who works in a private firm.
Sunil Jain, a chartered accountant, said: There should be parking space for the vehicles of at least physically challenged people. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to travel in the Metro independently.

But they did not let it spoil the thrill. Deepa Narasimhan, a marketing and communication professional, exclaimed: It is my first ride in the Metro.

Once inside the station,Shivakumar,an employee of IBM who was from the other group helped the four enter the platform.

NOT VERY FRIENDLY

Trouble arose when it was time for the group to board the train with the wheelchairs. Getting into the train was the difficult part because of the gap between the platform and the train. People on wheelchairs cannot board trains without any support. When everyone is talking about inclusive, why is there no inclusive growth in this asked Deepa.
Nilesh Raikar, who runs a tutorial in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said: We want to be self-reliant. I cant travel in the Metro without anyones support. There is only one lift and it can accommodate only one physically challenged person .This is a railway station. People will come in thousands. This infrastructure wont suffice. While coming from Baiyappanahalli,we cannot get down and wait till the Metro changes track. There is a lift only on one side of the station. What will happen if the Metro rail is extended and cannot change tracks.
Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. We all enjoyed the Metro ride, he said. It was a smooth ride. The travel experience in Namma Metro is superb, gestured Sandeep KR.

….To read more click: Time of India, Bangalore

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Differently-abled pour out transport woes

Click here to read from source: The IBN Live

CUTTACK: The Government proclaims that it is sensitive to the problems of access faced by the physically challenged. It also claims spending huge sums in installing infrastructure. But the disabled are still to feel any discernible change in the scene across the State.

Travelling by the public transport system has posed a major challenge to the physically challenged as the vehicles do not have the facilities for easy boarding and alighting. They are also subjected to serious harassment while commuting.

The Government has spent Rs 1.60 crore on equipping the public transportation systems with facilities for people with disabilities. In spite of the claims, the people have not benefited.

Instances of harassment were galore at the public hearing organised by the National Trust of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in association with the Committee for Legal Aid to Poor under the Badhte Kadam initiative here.

Submitting before the hearing panel, one Bijay Kumar Sahoo, a student of BJB College, Bhubaneswar, alleged that seats were not offered to persons with disabilities. Though there was provision of free travel for persons with disabilities, he was charged by the conductor even in the State-run City Bus Service in the State capital. Another participant Dolly Sahoo of Arabinda Nagar in Ganjam district also stated that she was harassed and misbehaved by the bus conductor while travelling regularly. Though there were provisions for reserving seats for physically challenged, they were not offered to the beneficiaries.

The panel comprising Dr V Pruthviraj, former Justice of the Orissa High Court PK Mishra, People with Disabilities Commissioner Kasturi Mohapatra, Registrar of State Commission for Persons with Disabilities SK Mishra, Cuttack Collector Girish SN took note of the problems.

The issues would be put up before the Government for immediate action, the panel promised.

(Watch CNN-IBN live on your iPad. IBN7 and IBN Lokmat too. Download the IBNLive for iPad app. It’s free. Click here to download now)

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Special drive to enrol people with disabilities for Aadhaar

The Hindu, NEW DELHI, November 22, 2011

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
In a major initiative to enrol people with disabilities for the Unique Identification (UID) number Aadhaar, the Delhi Government, UIDAI and non-government organisation Svayam have joined hands to reach out to such people across the Capital.
At a formal launch of the initiative at Jindal Centre auditorium, it was stated that the move was aimed at facilitating enrolment of people with disabilities and was in line with the broader national vision of including all marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities, with Aadhaar.
Identity proof

Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.
Speaking at the occasion, Svayam founder Sminu Jindal said: “We hope this association with UIDAI along with the support of the Delhi Government would help disabled people to get enrolled in a friendly and accessible centre being organised in their areas.”
As part of the initiative, Svayam, UIDAI and the Delhi Government would organise special enrolment camps across Delhi. Through this initiative, Svayam will to reach out to the disabled residents, NGOs, DPOs, CSOs across the city and UIDAI would be organising the camps with support of the Delhi Government.

In the initial phase, the camps will be conducted at 15 locations within the city including places like Vasant Kunj, Rohini, Vikas Puri, Narela, Hauz Khas and Bhajanpura.
Effective monitoring

Speaking of Aadhaar’s special drives a UIDAI official said: “The UIDAI started enrolling residents in Delhi on October 2, 2010, and to date has enrolled almost 80 lakh residents for Aadhaar. For the UIDAI, the priority has always been enrolling those residents for Aadhaar who are vulnerable or do not have any form of identification.”

The unique identification project was initially conceived by the Planning Commission as an initiative that would provide identification for each resident across the country and would be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services. It would also act as a tool for effective monitoring of various programmes and schemes of the Government.

In the initial phase, the camps will be conducted at 15 locations

 

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India approves Metro rail for small cities | iGovernment.in

India approves Metro rail for small cities | iGovernment.in.

New Delhi: The environment- and commuter-friendly metro rail will soon run in Indian cities having a population of more than 2 million with the government approving the ambitious project.

“We will be looking at the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for metro rails in the cities which have a population of more than 2 million,” Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath said at a press conference here.

The DPRs are prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and submitted to the other states.

“While respective DPRs have been prepared for Pune, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, the preparation of reports for Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh is in process,” Kamal Nath told reporters.

The minister also said that the ministry is in talks with the Maharashtra government for getting a DPR for metro in Nagpur, reports IANS.

The Minister informed that projects for the Kochi and line three of the Mumbai metro will be sent for cabinet approval within the next two weeks.

Kamal Nath said the government will support preparation of DPRs for such a system in the cities across the country, by meeting 50 per cent of the cost.

The minister also said that to promote indigenisation in the field of transport, the government will set up a research and design cell as well as focussing on indigenous procurement.

“We have directed Delhi Metro to procure equipment for its Phase-III project through manufacturing facilities based in the country,” he said.

Kamal Nath also said that a National Urban Rail Transit Authority will also be set up to lay donor technical standards and advise government on various metro rail-related issues.

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Aadhaar centres to get disabled-friendly

News coverage in Hindustan Times, 16 November 2011

HT Correspondent

To facilitate people with disabilities in enrolling for Aadhaar – the Unique Identification Number (UID) – the Delhi government has set up special enrollment camps with the help of Unique Identification Authority of India. The government has also roped in Svayam, a non-government organisation that works for people with disabilities to identify such people and help them in getting registered for Aadhaar.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.

“Some of the Aadhar venues are inaccessible for people with disabilities and at certain places basic facilities such as toilets are not available.  People with speaking and hearing disabilities also face problem while communicating with the staff at the camp. We will help such people,” said Subhash Chandra Vashishtha, programme co-ordinator for Swayam.

The organisation has also tied up with local NGOs to identify and bring such people to Aadhar centres. Senior Delhi government officials said that these enrollment camps are being set up at 15 locations in the Capital.

Vasant Kunj, Rohini, Vikas Puri, Narela, Hauz Khas Bhajanpura and Seemapuri are some localities where these camps are being organised.

Click here for link to HT-

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2011/11/16/ArticleHtmls/Aadhaar-centres-to-get-disabled-friendly-16112011006005.shtml?Mode=1