Disabled people should have every opportunity in the community

National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP) is implementing the project: "Protecting the rights of disabled persons and persons with disabilities and their integration into society."

    The project also involves work with structures designed to ensure their rights and solve social problems: local executive authorities, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, civil society and media.

    The project is designed for six months, and will cover 11 districts of Baku, Absheron district, Sumgait and Mingechevir.

   On July 16, under the project, a meeting with representatives of various governance structures and social services took place in the Executive Power of Assail District.

   According to the head of the NGO Forum Rauf Zeyni, the goal of the project is not only promoting the protection of human rights and the problems people with disabled, but also educational measures to change attitudes towards persons with disabilities in society.

We must overcome the stereotype of persons with disabilities as defective humans. It is necessary to create maximum conditions for them: to provide access to education, information and communication technologies," said Zeyni.

    Head of MLSP sector, Iskender Mustafayev, reported  about  transition from medical to social model, which implies an active integration of  disabled people into society.  Thus, people with disabilities should have opportunity to get an education, profession, job, their needs must be considered in the transport and other infrastructure.

    In particular, according to a new town-planning Code, during the construction of all facilities, the opportunities to travel, entry and exit of wheelchairs will be provided. In addition, the state is developing a program of rehabilitation of each individual disabled person.

    In addition, measures to expand the network of prenatal centers, in order to study and predict possible defects in the health of the fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy, are planned. This would allow  preventing measures to  solve  these problems.

     Representative of MLSP stressed that the law establishes only two cases prohibiting signing labor contracts with disabled persons, if their health does not allow performing this particular job, and if their work can be a threat to their own life, and other people.

     During the meeting the participants  noted the care  over disabled persons in Sabail district, where the total number of such people is 3550. There is a special school N 219 in the home, where 742 children with disabilities receive an 11-year education.

    In addition, the district authorities held entertainment, film screenings in the cinema "Cinema Park", boating in the Baku bay,  and provide material  assistance for such children.—06С—