Office for the rights of persons with disabilities continues the series of regional meetings on the participation of public in the process of the preparation of state programs. The last meeting took place in Mogilev and before it in Viciebsk, Minsk and Brest.
The coordinator of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities Sergey Drozdovskiy emphasizes that state programs are worked out and adopted at the level of ministries, realized - at local. The quality of these documents depends on how the existing situation is reflected in them. NGOs working on the topic know what to include to state programs and how to improve them, that is why their potential shouldn’t be underestimated. Besides, the participation in creation of state programs is a chance to introduce to the legislation the norms making it closer to international which is oriented to the principles of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Ideally, state programs in the sphere of disability influence the quality of life of every person with disability and don’t use some average norms which are “good for all”. Specialists pay attention to the fact that a term “quality of life” is not defined in Belarus at legislative level that is why the evaluation of the quality of life is of a subjective character.
– The level of social protection of persons with disabilities in Europe is much higher and it is the merit of all the people. Europeans created the rating of criteria which gives the possibility to evaluate the quality of life of every person. Among the criteria: the possibility of a disabled to take part in cultural life, access to information and communication, possibility to study and work, to use public transport and so on, - says the specialist. – All these become the basis for creation of European program in the sphere of disability which would take into account personalized interests.
There are definite barriers NGO members who try to work with state bodies are facing.
– For example, psychological problems of disabled, who are ashamed of their disability, and of officials to whom you have to go with your problems – says the chairperson of Mogilev organization of rehabilitation and sport of wheelchair-bound disabled Oleg Yurkov. – Very often there is no feedback with officials you are trying to talk to.
He also states that there is a need to organize public monitoring and control over the realization of state programs. Only in this case they will be prepared and realized properly. Russian NGOs already have such experience they are helping officials in their work.
Besides, NGOs are very often ready to consult state bodies on issues such as accessibility of environment free of charge. They face the problems in real life but not on paper.
– We are always ready to accept proposals made by public and, in cases when it is possible, to use them in new state programs – says the head of the department of stationary service for elderly and disabled of the Committee on labour, employment and social protection of Mogilev Oblast executive committee Svetlana Stepanova. – You can make constructive proposals to new state programs now, because in order to prepare all the documents we need lots of time.