Above-ground storm shelters are easy to make accessible to those who are physically challenged, "and I would say that accessibility is a very important element, " Kiesling said.

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Phillips advocated "equal rights for women, minorities, people with mental illness and those who are physically challenged, " and her column "promoted AIDS awareness and education, hospice care, the living will, organ donation and also raised awareness about gender apartheid suffered by women in Afghanistan, " the syndicate said.

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Under this umbrella organization, Mehta, a graduate of the Sloan School of Management at MIT in the United States, heads the Jaipur Foot team, which provides world-class artificial limbs, rehabilitation aids and other appliances to physically-challenged individuals below the poverty line, and at no cost to the beneficiary.

FORBES: Jaipur Foot: One of the Most Technologically-Advanced Social Enterprises in the World

Add to this the typical Third World complexities for petitioners who might have trouble learning that their signatures have been challenged or have problems physically reaching the official locations for appeal.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Hemispheric security watch