Having special needs, but not having the rights and opportunities. Part 2

People with special needs residing in the Donetsk region are in need of protection and assistance from the state. Every day, those people face a number of obstacles before to get out of the yard of their houses. How a person in a wheelchair could go down the riser of a high-rise apartment building where special elevator is not operational? How to get out the exit from the house where there is no a ramp? How to get to the doctor's office which is located above the first floor in the building where there are no specially equipped stairs also?  And there are a lot of such outstanding issues in cities of the region.

Please follow the link to read the 1st  part of the story

Not long ago, a fixed-route taxi equipped to transport people in wheelchairs began to run in the town. However, while such a taxi is single for the whole town and its exact route remains a mystery.

But it is worth to note that to reach its stops is also a problem.

"It is unreal to go out any yard ...Our chairs are adapted to ride everywhere, but not on our roads. It all depends on our authorities. This sore subject exists throughout Ukraine ", - complains Lyudmila Kozhushko.

Chairman of the Donetsk regional organization of disabled people Nadezhda Palamarchuk also confirms that the region has so many unresolved problems associated with the life of people with disabilities.

"It turns out that they develop train stations, stores, and people cannot get out of their houses", - says Palamarchuk.

According to her, during the evacuation of people from the "hot spots" of the Donetsk region it was impossible to find any health resort or building where they could settle people in wheelchairs. Nevertheless, she said, today there are 9 facilities in Kramatorsk and 5 facilities in Slavyansk that are being built and reconstructed at the expense of foreign grants. 

The specialist has also noted that now the issue is urgent to create learning opportunities for children with disabilities in grammar schools. According to her, many children are taught at home because toilets for them in schools are not adequately equipped. A lack of communication with other children can greatly affect the younger generation with special needs, - considers Palamarchuk. At the same time the directors of educational institutions are not ready to build available schools for the money from international donors. The management of schools says that it is not provided by the reconstruction plan. But, according to Palamarchuk, designers could make these changes if a school will submit a corresponding application. 

Palamarchuk also has mentioned the topic of crossing the delimitation line by the handicapped people in Donbas. She noted that the commissioner for the President for the rights of Persons with Disabilities Valeriy Sushkevich prepares a proposal to the President that the people with special needs may quickly cross the delimitation line, as this procedure is much more difficult for them than for most other people. 

Nadezhda Palamarchuk also said that the situation with the protection of the rights of disabled persons in the occupied territory of Donetsk region is much worse. According to her, the head of "DPR" Alexander Zakharchenko said to social activists that "republic" is so young that cannot lend aid. And he advised to contact with the corresponding Ukrainian structures.

"I requested the chairman of the association in Makeyevka, since it has already happened in the political situation, to visit the head of the "republic". She "caught" him and already has caught. Then she came to him and said: as if you have already occupied us, you must do something for us according to the law on social protection. He sat down and thought about it. Then he said: "And what is the law? Can you print out and give it to me? We're not ready. We have a young republic. Disabled people and pensioners have to use all the services of the Ukrainian government yet. Because we are building a young republic, and it is still difficult for us to assist pensioners and the disabled people. "Such was the answer, "- said Palamarchuk.

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