Armenia Signs U.N. Convention to Protect Disabled People's Rights

Yet another small step in the right direction for Armenia.

Armenia has become the 81st nation to sign this Convention and the third former Soviet nation, after Moldova and Lithuania, to do so.

The purpose of this Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Signing it is one thing, but completely changing the perspectives of a few million people is something else entirely.

Source: ArmenPress

Armenia to Integrate Disabled into Employment Market

We covered a story about the physically challenged in Armenia and the difficulties for them there, whether living, working, or otherwise. Now, the future looks brighter!

Employment rehabilitation center for disabled will be established in Armenia too, Sona Harutunyan, head of Employment State Service Agency...

The center will engage in monitoring and assessment of opportunities for employment of disabled. The results of the studies will be given to employers. Harutunyan is sure the center will promote integration of the disabled into the work market. Employment centers and employers also organize classes of sewing and computer for the disabled.

Armenia is slowly but surely turning into a country which values Western ideals.

Source: Panorama

To Be Physically Challenged in Armenia

It must be unimaginably difficult to be physically challenged, but even more so in Armenia. Here's another interesting piece of journalism from Hetq which contains the experiences of physically challenged people and Armenian society:

One of the most important issues is the technical barriers that are the chief obstacle in the integration of the disabled into society. Buildings, streets and other public places have not been adapted for disabled access.

“There are interesting stereotypes about the disabled in our society,” said David Babayan, a Paros choir member, “For example, people use phrases like ‘healthy people and the disabled' or ‘normal people and the disabled.' That makes it sound like the disabled are unhealthy and abnormal people. They think that if your feet don't work, then your head doesn't work either.”

“But the disabled are people too, just like the rest,” added Shushanik, “The disabled wake up in the morning, like everyone else, want to go to the movies after seeing the latest trailer on television, and then sit with friends at a cafe. But how?”

“There definitely have been, I repeat, changes, but I will speak of real achievements when the disabled are able to work, study, use public transport and freely move about in public places,” said Armen Alaverdyan.

Find time to read the article, especially if this issue is of importance to you. It is a very thought-provoking article about the current state of the physically challenged in Armenia.

Source: Hetq