Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Inclusion International - ILSMH

Republic of Belarus

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Rehabilitation Centre of Disabled Children Having Cerebral Palsy and Spinal Cord Pathologies, Republic of Belarus
No reply was received from the Government of Belarus
Compare with the following Country Report(s): ILSMH (Association of Parents of Children with Handicap), WFD

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in law. The emphasis in this policy is on rehabilitation.

In order to convey the message of full participation a national rehabilitation programme is being worked out, in accordance with the Standard Rules.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special legislation and general legislation. The judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is due process (legal remedy though courts). Administrative and other non-judicial bodies are not available.

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, employment, participation in decisions affecting themselves.

The Law of Prevention of Disability and of Rehabilitation of the Disabled was enacted in 1994.

Accessibility

There are no rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment. Special transport includes transport free of charge within the town, but is available only for emergency cases. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, technical factors, lack of planning and design-capacity, lack of knowledge, research and information, lack of user participation, lack of co-operation from other organisations/institutions and lack of enforcement mechanism. There is no disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language for deaf people is recognized as the official language of deaf people, used as the first language in education of deaf people and recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: sign language interpretation available for major events and easy readers for persons with mental disabilties.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization. There are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and to work with governmental institutions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are sometimes consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at the national, regional and local level. The government gives organizational/logistic support to existing or new organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in government and judicial authorities, to some extent in legislatures and political parties and to a great extent in NGOS. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and programmes, contribute to public awareness and promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

There is no national co-ordinating committee or any similar body.

The adoption of the Rules has led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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Contents of the ILSMH Report | Compare with the following Country Report(s): ILSMH (Association of Parents of Children with Handicap), WFD