Opening ceremony of the “Accessibility Symbol” exhibition took place in the art room “ЦЭХ” on October 22^nd. The exhibition will be working for 10 days and you can visit it in Minsk, Nezavisimosti av. 58, building 6.

The ceremony was held in an intimate circle of persons holding the same views and everybody was impressed by the show by Patricia Kurganova, a laureate of international contests of singers, a participant of the Russian project “Voice” and the main thing – the person who inspired a lot of talented persons with disabilities, who are dreaming to realize their potential. Guests from the Republican association of wheelchair-bound disabled held master-class on secure accompanying and overcoming barriers.

Minsk, October 7 2013. Educational human rights defense organization “The Office for the rights of persons with disabilities” starts the new stage of informational campaign “Accessibility” aimed at the formation of state program on implementation of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Belarus 2016-2021. Events are scheduled for 24 months.

The aim of this stage of the campaign is to influence the content and format of state programs for persons with disabilities in order to focus them on the norms of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Organizers are planning to get rid of all the architectural barriers in places where the events will take place. Adapted and accessible environment is what Belarusian business lacks.

Deputy Director of BEL.BIZ Anastasia Khomenkova says – When we speak about GEW we pay attention to the fact that we offer equal opportunities to companies and natural persons in promoting and realizing their ideas. We understand that everyone has his own possibilities which can be realized in different ways. By joining GEW you can become a partner, a sponsor, can visit events as a spectator or organize your own event.

How to “read” and protect your rights? What is discrimination and what is not? Is there a principal difference between the notions “equality” and “discrimination”? The participants of the second stage of the educational program “Lifetime education: employment and social activation of persons with disabilities” are looking for the answers to these and many other questions.

The group of Belarusian specialists – representatives of state organizations, state social support services, educational spheres and mass-media – learn how persons with disabilities study and work in Poland.

Global week of entrepreneurship will take place in Belarus on November 18-24. Our country for the third time will become a part of global entrepreneur’s movement, the week of entrepreneurship is held at the same time in 140 countries. Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.

Citizen P. appealed to the free legal office of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities. She was incapacitated and lost all her civil rights and now she can’t apply to any bodies and institutions by herself – only with the help of her guardian. Her daughter, who is her guardian doesn’t want to change the situation and refuses to take part in the procedure of restoration of legal capacity. Citizen P. wants to know if she has the possibility to restore legal capacity by herself.

Different mental disorders can become a serious limitation of civil rights. According to art 29 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, a citizen who because of mental disorder (mental illness or dementia) can’t understand the meaning of his activities, can be found incapacitated by the court. The loss of legal capacity is a serious limitation, depriving a person of the right to decide practically everything in his life.

According to the statistics of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities about 30 percent of appeals to the Office are connected with the problems of employment of persons having some health limitations. Is it possible to fire an employee who raises a disabled child? Does a person with disability have a priority right to keep the job? On what grounds can employer refuse a person with disability in employment?

“Individual program” labour

According to the art. 283 of the Labour Code of the Republic of Belarus from July 26, 199 №296-3 disabled persons are guaranteed the right, taking into account the individual programs of rehabilitation, to work at employers with common working conditions and also in specialized organizations.

The Ministry of extraordinary situations of the Republic of Belarus supports the initiative of the Office for the rights of persons of disabilities on introducing insurance benefits to employers who suffered in accidents in cases of mutual guilt.

According to the existing legislation, today the cases of health damage to an insured person which happened in the result of violation by him of the safety rules and in case of mutual guilt of employer and employee are not considered to be insured events. That is why there are no any insurance benefits to the injured person.

The Labour Code of the Republic of Belarus from July 26, 1999 №296-3 regulates issues connected with leaves without pay. So, according to art 189, employer has to give an unpaid leave lasting up to 14 days to some categories of employees, including disabled people, working at production, in shops and special working places for disabled. The wish of an employee to get an unpaid leave is made in the form of written application for leave.

If the employer doesn’t grant the unpaid leave notwithstanding numerous applications for leave provided by the art 189 then an employee has the right:

Educational HR defence organization “Office for the rights of persons with disabilities” sent a letter to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus with a request to amend the Resolution by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus from February 29, 2008 №308 “On some issues of obligatory state insurance of militia officers, prosecutors’ offices employees, employees of the Ministry of Extraordinary Situations and of the State Control Committee”. The letter was sent because the office got numerous appeals from citizens who became disabled as the result of employment injury and the proved fact of mutual fault by employer and employee.

According to the existing document today the cases when infliction of bodily harm to the health of the insured person happened as the result of his violation of safety regulations are not considered to be an insured event; in cases of mutual fault insurance benefit is not paid.