News

The research on some aspects of attitude to persons with disabilities in the Republic of Belarus was held in the period from September 2011 till March 2012 at the initiative of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities. It was done by Independent institute of socio-economic and political studies (IISEPS) and by Center for European transformation (CET). Research methods – national survey by IISEPS and focus groups by CET.

The book by writer and journalist Alexander Tomkovich “Overcoming” was published in April. The author told 12 stories about persons with disabilities, who in spite of their diseases, managed to overcome their illnesses and to realize themselves in different spheres of life – sport, carrier, family and children.

Khaletskiy Anatoliy Petrovich, 3rd group disabled, applied to the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities in February. He was illegally fired because of his disability. His story is usual for the country but it shows the real situation in relations between employers and employees with disabilities.

Anatoliy Khaletskiy employed to grocery store “Avtozavodskoi” as a sales floor inspector, he submitted all the necessary documents including IPR (individual program of rehabilitation) in which the speciality “inspector” was approved by the medical commission.

Vitebsk joint organization of NGO “Republican association of wheelchair-bound disabled” and the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities held round table “Labour overcomes barriers”. The event was held in the frames of the informational campaign “Accessibility” and was devoted to the problems of employment of persons with disabilities in Vitebsk oblast.

There are more than 500 000 disabled in the Republic of Belarus. May be you don’t have such a person in your family, but look around – it can be your friend, co-worker, neighbor or your child’s classmate, person standing near you in a line in a grocery store. It is every 20th person in the country. How should you behave with them? How not to offend them with heightened attention and helpfulness or vice versa by ostentatious indifference to the problem?

During the meeting “Business opportunities for persons with disabilities in Grodno” the results of the project “Small business – big opportunities” were summarized.

When you leave your apartments look around: Are there many persons with disability in the streets, at work, swimming pools, theatres, cafés? No! And at the same time every 20th citizen of Belarus is a disabled. Where are they all? Why are they not present in our life? Is it because their state of health differs from the “norm”? No! Barriers is the main reason, they prevent them from being among us.

Office for the rights of persons with disabilities invites to the meeting “Business possibilities for persons with disabilities in Grodno”. The event will take place on February 29 in Grodno. Pyshki woodland park, Kronon Park Hotel. Beginning at 12.00, registration beginning at 11.30.

The results of the project “Small business – big opportunities” will be summarized, the participants of the project will present their ideas. The guests will hear the speeches of experts in the sphere of business, representatives of state bodies and NGOs working with persons with disabilities.

Provision of accessibility and elimination of all kinds of barriers for persons with disabilities. How are these problems solved in Belarus? What foreign experience can we use? The discussion of these and other questions was held on February 28 at press-conference held by the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities. The event was held in the frames of informational campaign Accessibility.

Office for the rights of persons with disabilities is presenting at the web-site www.disright.org a new project “Photo of the week”. The project is being realized in the frames of the informational campaign “Accessibility”. The main goal of the project is to visualize with the help of a photo the most important and significant aspects of the topics “Accessibility, the rights of persons with disabilities, UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.