The right is sometimes the only thing left for the disable people.
The right is sometimes the only thing left for the disable people. Belief in power of your rights given by the state can change a complex situation for the better and the only thing that can help a person to advance further is the knowledge of these rights.
The freedom of movement is an unqualified right given to all inhabitants of our planet. Modern technologies of the 21st century give us the opportunity to observe the changes on the remote planets and to get to the other continent in several hours. But for many our countrymen the right to freedom of movement prevails within their flat because different architectural barriers and the absence of specialized transport create conditions of isolation and nonparticipation in social life - said Aleksey Soroka, coordinator of Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids and legal adviser of LRYSO (Lugansk regional youth social organization) "AMI-Shid". It was a presentation of the juridical collection published within the project "Creation of the committee of the availability to the social objects for the disable people in Lugansk region" that is carried out by Lugansk regional youth civil organization "East Donbas Association of Young Invalids Shid" and within the program "Development of civil society in Ukraine" carried out by Coordinator of the projects OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and CCK (Creative center "Kaunterpart") with the financial support of Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The invalids of Lugansk NGO (non-governmental organization) state that the problem of architectural and transport inaccessibility hinders not only in free movement but in education, job-placement, participation in social and cultural life.
Two years ago in Lugansk there was already held a number of practical seminars and round tables under the patronage of Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids. It was aimed at presentment of the problems of free access to the social infrastructure for the disable people in Lugansk region. That time the program was supported by the executive committee of Lugansk city council. This fact gives grounds to stirring up of the work with state building committee, projecting companies and establishments that are socially important for the disable people.
So, the ramp in Lugansk is already a common thing. But
Lugansk region numbers 120 thousand disable people nowadays. Traumatism in mines and ecology make up the index of increasing number of diseases (industrial region). The members of LRYSO "AMI-Shidâ"(14 NGO of the region) patronize mainly young people for whom social adaptation is the main factor of full life in spite of a wheelchair. This includes participation in social life, job-placement and education but all recommendations remain on paper because regional social infrastructure is architecture-inaccessible for the disable people. The most difficult situation is in the region where people in wheelchairs just can't freely move because of bad roads and absence of ramps.
As a result of this a young person in the wheelchair can't lead any kind of social life. He does not have an opportunity to study (educational establishments are inaccessible for him), to work (work places are not equipped for him), to have a rest (all cultural establishments as well as hospitals, pharmacies, shops, schools, hairdressing saloons have many stairs and no lifts). Life of such person is restricted within his flat that he can't leave taking into account all listed aspects.
Civil organizations of Lugansk region draw attention to the fact that the problem is complicated by the absence of the transport acceptable for the disable people: "Civil code lays emphasis on the human right to free movement within the bounds of his city, state but in fact this right doesn't exist for the disable people"
That's why on the 12-13th of July there was held a number of seminars, a press conference and an audit within the project "Creation of social committee of the availability to the social objects for the disable people in Lugansk region". These events took on special significance for many dwellers of Lugansk region.
This project runs with the direct assistance of seven civil organizations of invalids from different towns of Lugansk region: Stahanov, Starobelsk, Alchevsk, Slavyanoserbsk, Petrovskoe, Aleksandrovsk, Lugansk. Later civil organizations of invalids from Rovenki, Sverdlovsk, Papasnoe, v.Frunze, Rubezhnoe, Krasnodon also joined the project. Some regional civil organizations of invalids also take part in the project. These are: Lugansk regional association of invalids and diabetics and Lugansk regional Slavis fund "Nadezhda". Unfortunately the problem of architectural inaccessibility is a chronic ailment of our country so the project is supported by the leaders of civil organizations of invalids from Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Svetlovodsk, Simferopol. The latter took part in seminars and conferences held in Lugansk on the 12-13th of July.
The press conference held in the conference hall of the executive committee of Lugansk city council was opened by Antonina Kuzmenko secretary of the executive committee and Yaroslav Gribalskiy coordinator of Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids, ideologist of the program of accessibility for the disable people. The conference attracted attention of the following organizations: executive committee of Lugansk city council, municipal government of community health and social protection, press-cutting services, TV, Lugansk institute of work and social technologies, regional and municipal road control centers, road services, regional and municipal transport government, Interregional center of professional, medical and social rehabilitation of invalids, Lugansk women city council, Fund "Podrostok". Representatives of these organizations were present at seminars and audit during two days. Unfortunately the representatives of the regional committee of accessibility attached to Lugansk regional public administration were not interested in this press conference.
One of the most important items of the conference were the results of July monitoring aimed at the exposure of the establishments requiring reequipment in 7 towns of Lugansk region. These are medical, administrative establishments, educational institutions and certainly the transport problem. Nevertheless housing and communing services have received the biggest quantity of appeals as the problem of lifts and stairs in porches is the first obstacle in the way to free movement.
The dwellers revealed two objects for reequipment in Lugansk. These are Lugansk city circus and Lugansk regional palace of culture as social life is closely connected with participation in cultural life. Lugansk regional palace of culture received the participants of the audit on the 13th of July and this event became the first step to the equipping of the social object with the ramps.
Yaroslav Gribalskiy and Aleksey Soroka coordinator of youth programmes of Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids, coordinator of the programme of accessibility for the disable people, have combined the exhaustive information concerning "accessibility" and its mechanisms with legal aspects that give not only social protection but Ukraine civil code, Constitution, international statutes.
All participants of the conference received informational literature from Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids and civil organizations of invalids got telephone-faxes. This is also one of the tasks of the project and namely this is improvement of communication means and equipping of NGO. Unfortunately these organizations that have been working for 10 years have neither computer and Internet nor common vehicles for communication.
The revolution of the project became the appeal to the regional governing body, heads of executive committees and district councils with the request to solve the problems with transport for the disable people, to assist in bringing of disable people - representatives of CSO (civil society organization) to cooperation with architecture and transport departments, to participation in the audit for reequipping of the chosen objects and then their accommodation for the usage. The program of the practical seminar was held within the project "Creation of the committee of the availability to the social objects for the disable people in Lugansk region" that is carried out by Lugansk regional youth civil organization "East Donbass Association of Young Invalids Shid" and within the program “Development of civil society in Ukraine" carried out by Coordinator of the projects OBSE and TCK with the financial support of Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Organizer of the activities: Lugansk regional youth civil organization "East Donbass Association of Young Invalids Shid".
All- round informational support: Ukraine civil social-political association "Ukraine National Assembly of Invalids", Lvov regional department of Ukraine fund "Rehabilitation of invalids".
Local support of the project: Executive committee of Lugansk city council.
Regional support of the project: Youth and Sport Department of Lugansk regional public administration; Lugansk regional department of Fund of social protection of invalids; Interregional center of professional, medical and social rehabilitation of invalids; Lugansk regional center of social research and youth initiative; Lugansk women city council; Fund "Podrostok".
