December 3 is marked as International Day of Disabled Persons

Baku/03.12.21/Turan: According to official data, this year up to 51 thousand people received disabilities. All in all, there are over 600 thousand disabled people in Azerbaijan. To what extent does care for persons with disabilities in Azerbaijan meet international standards? What problems do they face in Azerbaijan? Are the quotas allocated to persons belonging to this group being fulfilled in the workplace?

Mehriban Mammadova (surname conditional) told Radio Azadlig that she had repeatedly applied to the employment department at her place of residence to get a job. “I have a disability of the second group. When I contacted the department, I was told that there was no suitable job for you, no vacancies. The pension is not enough. I am currently looking for a suitable job."

The State Employment Agency reported that about 400 thousand disabled people in the country receive a monthly retirement pension, depending on the length of service, the rest, as well as children with disabilities, monthly benefits. “In addition, able-bodied persons with disabilities are provided with work. The number of able-bodied people with disabilities in 2019 was 2800, in 2020 - 2900 people. The number of able-bodied people with disabilities for 9 months of this year is 2646 ".

It was emphasized that in the implementation of the self-employment program, as well as the paid public works program, preference is given to persons with disabilities, some of those involved in this program are also disabled. “This year, under the self-employment program, family farms have been created for 1242 disabled people, and this number continues to grow. More than 2,000 people with disabilities are among those who are involved in the paid public works program."

The ministry noted that under the project "Creation of inclusive and decent jobs for socially vulnerable groups of the population", implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in conjunction with the UN Development Program, work is underway to create a small business for 500 people with disabilities.

The agency stressed that if the quota allocated for persons with disabilities is filled, then for jobs in excess of the quota, the State Employment Agency at the expense of the Labor Insurance Fund provides 100% financing of this job.

Member of the Human Rights Committee Zhala Akhmedova noted that Azerbaijan joined the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006. "Azerbaijan is taking all necessary measures to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, their rehabilitation, improve social well-being, in a word, integration into society as full members."

He noted that improving the well-being of people with disabilities in Azerbaijan, solving their problems are among the main issues that are constantly in the focus of attention of President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva. "A striking example is the purposeful steps taken in the field of solving the social problems of this category of people, improving housing conditions, increasing pension benefits."

However, in his opinion, this is not only a problem of the state, but also our duty, as citizens, to support such people. "Whether materially or spiritually, they need our support and care."

Economist Rashad Hasanov said that Azerbaijan has formed various legal instruments in this area. “Also, the Labor Code establishes a quota for the employment of persons with disabilities up to 3 percent. At the same time, in the past 5 years, within the framework of self-employment programs, work has been carried out to expand the opportunities for persons with disabilities to engage in individual business. But along with this, problems remain. "

According to him, the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the quota is weak. “The main problem here is that persons with disabilities, sent by the employment authorities, as well as involved in practice on their own application, are subsequently suspended in some form from work. In this case, the government does not have any sanctions. And this is abused by our entrepreneurs".

The expert noted that, despite this, there are positive trends. “Especially in large companies, we see the involvement of people with disabilities in work. Especially after the Second Karabakh War, this tendency is strengthening both in the private sector and in large state enterprises."

The economist says that there are about 600,000 disabled people in the country, and about 45 percent of them are engaged in work in one form or another. "But many of these activities are illegal activities without any labor rights, social security. About 50-55 percent of people with disabilities do not participate in the labor market."

He noted that 30 percent of people with disabilities have very limited working capacity, of which 2 percent are engaged in manual work at home or in the field of information technology. “There are people who, despite the fact that they have applied to employment agencies 20 times, are not provided with jobs. This is usually due to the lack of familiarity in the labor market, which other groups of the population face, or the inability to give bribes.” –0—