The official statistics of availability of residential buildings and objects of social infrastructure for physically challenged people doesn’t correspond to the facts, said the chairman of the main board of public association “Republican Association of Wheelchair Users” (PA RAWU) Evgeny Shevko at the presentation of the barrier-free environment monitoring instrument in Minsk on February 6, BelaPAN reports.
He reports, according to the official statistics, 64% of facilities of the social infrastructure for physically challenged people were available in Minsk in 2012. For reference, in the previous year even larger number was mentioned – 73%. “Percentage fluctuates, and it is evident that availability of facilities of the social infrastructure doesn’t correspond to the facts” — said Shevko.
He supposed that the official statistics is estimated subjectively, by eye: there is no information in the current instruction of monitoring of the barrier-free environment about which objects should be considered available . “So the figures of 70 — 60% are subjective figures depending on how the person understands the barrier-free environment himself. Probably, if he sees a mother with a baby carriage who manages to reach the top of the ramp, he considers it to be barrier-free environment. If a beefy wheelchair user can rise on a wheelchair ramp, someone considers that it is the barrier-free environment. Actually the barrier-free environment includes such facilities which are accessible for the most weakened people, and not for arm-wrestling or track-and-field athletics champions” — declared Shevko.
At the same time the expert of a human rights institution “Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities” Galina Krot declared that in Belarus there are no buildings which 100% conform to the approved standards. The staff of Public company “Inkotekh” which is engaged in monitoring of the barrier-free environment reported about it to her in private conversation. They have to provide recommendations to each object that “it needs improving on several positions”.
The coordinator of “Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities ” Sergey Drozdovsky noted that the physically challenged can protect his right for accessibility to objects of social infrastructure in court. There were two court sessions last year during which disabled people insisted on violation of their right for access to objects of social infrastructure. Judgments were pronounced in their favour. “It’s very positive indicator for us that the judicial system of Belarus is more adequate to assurance of disabled people rights for accessibility, than governmental authorities” — said Drozdovsky.
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