Inaccessible transport, streets and buildings are an expression of discriminatory attitude towards people with disabilities. Especially, the rights of people with disabilities are more violated in the regions: the council and local government, while adopting decisions related to community residents, do not take into account the opinion of any person with disability and, generally, do not include them in their decision-making process. Today, during the presentation of «IDEAS inclusive decisions for equal and accountable society” held in “Congress” hotel, the director of “Unison” NGO for disable people Armen Alaverdyan expressed such opinion. The aim of the three-year regional project is to support LGUs and civil society to jointly carry out the decision-making process, taking into account the problems and needs of persons with disabilities. The program is implemented by the British Council in collaboration with the Ministries of Territorial Administration and Labor and Social Affairs.
The Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan said, – “We are going to do everything to make the inclusive program implemented in our communities”. To the question what guarantees are there that the local authorities will implement the program successfully, the director of Armenian Branch of the British Council Ms. Arevik Saribekyan assured that all the parties: the officials, journalists, representatives of non-governmental organizations will be involved in the implementation of the project, and the inclusive approach will ensure the successful completion of the program. According to Armen Alaverdyan, the program is aimed at promoting awareness of the rights to disabled people, and although the Constitution of Armenia prohibits discrimination, but disabled people in our country encounter discrimination at every step, according to him there are inaccessible streets, entertainment centers, and transport everywhere. Aravot.am inquired from the Head of Transportation Department of Yerevan Municipality Henrik Navasardyan whether ultimately the promises of urban authorities on having affordable transport would become true.
Mr. Navasardyan said that they are cooperating with several companies who should technically adapt the city transport for people with disabilities. His comments in details are shown in the video. To the question of Aravot.am whether the requirement of international organizations, the conventions of which we had ratified, to build buildings accessible to people with disabilities are largely ignored in the urban development. The deputy head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Development of Yerevan Municipality Mesrop Harutyunyan, who also participated in the presentation of the program, assured that sloping platforms are already mandatory for the builders in all architectural tasks. “During the operation of the project, we are going to take all those things into account, those that have already been built will be gradually adapted, simply they are related to a little bit of financial problems. The municipality in terms of newly constructed objects controls whether everything is implemented, or not.”
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
