Authorities Accused of Ignoring Persons with Disabilities

As Belarusian authorities prepare to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disabled persons raise concern about discrimination.

Marjana Shchotkina, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, affirmed that the department had drafted a law paving the way for Belarus’ ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The draft law is being examined by agencies concerned, she added.

Siarhej Drazdouski, the leader of the Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities, says the government is deliberately dragging its feet on the matter because it is reluctant to take commitments in guaranteeing the rights of Belarus’ 504,500 disabled people, including up to 22,000 wheelchair users.

“The government strongly opposes the introduction of an anti-discrimination mechanism into Belarus’ legislation,” he told. “Signing the convention would bring the issue… to a head, the issue of discrimination in general, not only against the disabled. The authorities do not seem to be ready for it.”

He adds that the question is not about money. “The country will spend on addressing disability issues as much as it can, there must be no illusions.” But the convention may prompt the government to shift spending priorities, says Mr. Drazdouski, noting that public money allocated for the purpose “is often wasted.”

He stresses that the government needs to change its attitude to people with disabilities.

The top concerns for the disabled include the lack of barrier-free environment and employment opportunities. Some 100 wheelchair users held a rally in a remote park in Minsk on May 5 to highlight the issues. They adopted an appeal urging Aliaksandr Lukashenka to ensure that the constitutional rights of wheelchair users and bedridden people are respected.

In addition, the participants demanded that the government increase social benefits for the disabled and allow people with first-degree disabilities who have the status of sole entrepreneur to hire workers not only from among immediate family members, provide vehicles with hand controls and allow people with serious disabilities to cross the border without waiting in lines.

Jauhien Sheuko, the Chairman of the National Association of Wheelchair Users, told the Viewer that officials responded that they were examining issues raised at the rally, but no specific action has followed so far, except that a border official called to inform that a regulation requiring border officers to give top priority to people with serious disabilities had been submitted to the Council of Ministers for consideration.

However, the Labour and Social Security Ministry stressed that it would take money and time to create a handicap-accessible environment.

The government has been making an effort, Ms. Shchotkina said. It supplied handicap-access public transport vehicles, built barrier-free facilities at major social institutions, build tactile strips for people with impaired vision at the entrances to underpasses and subway stations, and has conducted awareness campaigns.

She also said that much has yet to be done, including building wheelchair access ramps, elevators and facilities for services to physically disabled persons. She added that a handicap-access environment was a priority for her agency.

Yet, wheelchair community argues that many wheelchair users have not left their apartments for several years because of high curbs, thresholds and the lack of access ramps. Belarus does not have personal assistant programs and they fully depend on relatives and friends.

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