Heads of regional NGOs working with problems of persons with disabilities and representatives of local authorities were invited to the discussion in the frames of informational campaign “Accessibility”. – We all have to discuss and right down our proposals. We have to think and speak out. The program of address aid is especially important and maybe we should start with it – says the head of Vitebsk Oblast organization “Beltiz” Konstantin Lamchanovsky.
But we have to proceed from the real problems existing in the region. They can be very common, such as disability discrimination and can be very specific – inaccessible environment. There are some problems with public transport, service in public places and so on.
The authorities should understand what discrimination is and they shouldn’t be afraid of this word. But very often they don’t realize that the absence of barrier-free environment is already discrimination. If a blind person can’t see the bus’s number and it is not announced out loud – it is the discrimination. All these infringe on human dignity. We have to take it into our own hands, to start meeting actively and discuss our problems. When we do something by ourselves it is done much better.
People with disabilities are worried that barrier-free environment that has already been created has to be all the time renewed and maintained in proper condition. NGOs solving problems of persons with disabilities pay attention to the fact that in modern society it is important to promote informational technologies to different spheres. To adapt transport, banks, stores and other public places for persons having special needs.
