Armenpress
EXTENDING MOBILITY AND HOPE TO ARMENIA’S DISABLED
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS: US Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
participated today in a wheelchair distribution event held in one of
Yerevan’s amusement parks. The US Embassy said the event was organized by
Counterpart International, one of the major U.S. Government-funded
humanitarian assistance program implementers in Armenia and is the first in
a series of similar distributions to be conducted throughout Armenia’s
marzes, as a result of which as many as 500 disabled persons will receive
much needed wheelchairs which are unaffordable for most of them.
The wheelchairs are a donation from the Latter-Days Charities in
cooperation with the Wheelchair Foundation of America and have presented as
a gift to Armenia’s disabled whose access has been complicated due to a
general shortage of wheelchairs available to them. Today 50 of Yerevan’s
disabled citizens received brand new, state-of-the-art wheelchairs. In the
course of its activity aimed at providing assistance to the disabled in
Armenia, Counterpart International closely cooperated with local NGOs who
helped compiling and verifying the lists of eligible persons most of whom
have a first-category physical disability. The NGOs have also been providing
significant logistical support in organizing this event. The activities of
Latter-Day Saints Charities in Armenia, which began in January 1988, have
been focused on three main areas of social sector: education, promotion of
good health practices, as well as strengthening of family values and
emotional well being of individuals, families, communities and institutions
in Armenia.