PROGRAM THAT FOSTERS INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE

Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
27 April 2006

Since November 1, 2005 the Association of Disabled People of Armenia
“Pyunik” has implemented a program of social tolerance and integration
of disabled young people in the society, supported by the Ministry of
Social Security of Armenia. The latter is aimed at public awareness of
the problems of disabled people, establishment of tolerance towards
disabled people, especially young people, which would greatly foster
the integration of disabled people in the society. In the framework of
the program Pyunik has organized round-table meetings in the regions
of Armenia. On April 21 a round-table meeting was held in Stepanakert.

At the meeting were present representatives of NGOs dealing with the
problems of disabled people, officials of the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sport, Minister Kamo Atanessian. Hakob Abrahamian, the
president of the Pyunik Association, presented the activity, goals and
problems of the association. In particular, he said the association
was established in 1989 for relief of children who became disabled
during the earthquake of Spitak in 1988. The association’s donors are
the Armenian President’s Fund and the government, the Diaspora
communities, various charity organizations, as well as Aznavour to
Armenia, the International Red Cross, the Norwegian Council of
Refugees, US and UK Embassies to Armenia, USAID, the International
Rehabilitation Foundation, and other organizations. The goal of the
association is physical, social and psychological rehabilitation of
disabled people. The association uses sports to achieve these. Since
1989 2000 disabled people have participated in 20 summer and winter
camping, organized by the association. The organization makes efforts
to develop swimming, windsurfing, weightlifting, archery, basketball,
tennis, mountain skiing, etc. among the disabled. Armenian disabled
people participated in the windsurfing contest in England and Spain in
1994 and 1995. Besides, the association deals with the rights,
education, prosthetic services, employment of the disabled. Since 2004
the organization has been implementing the program of workshop of
repair of wheelchairs. Since 2002 the association has been carrying
out a program of leisure of children under 12. For future plans, the
president of the association pointed out assistance to disabled people
to get higher and vocational education, creation of jobs for them,
expanding the scope and improving the level of services. It is planned
to reconstruct the centre of sport, culture and recreation, which will
have specially equipped gyms, classrooms and labs. Hakob Abrahamian
expressed willingness to cooperate with similar organizations in
Nagorno Karabakh and encouraged to extend their proposals, speak about
their problems and obstacles.

Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Kamo Atayan thanked Pyunik
for their activity in NKR, and said that hopefully their cooperation
will facilitate the integration of disabled people in Artsakh. The
director of the Rehabilitation Centre Vardan Tadevossian said several
people from Artsakh wish to participate in the wheelchair marathon
Yerevan-Echmiadzin on May 28 and the Armenian festival of disabled
people in late May. He also assured that the cooperation will produce
positive results and will facilitate the integration of disabled
people in Karabakh.

LAURA GRIGORIAN.
27-04-2006