Equal opportunities for all

From November 18 to December 13 in the Documents of international organizations reading room (No 207g). The thematic exhibition "Equal Opportunities for all" was opened, dedicated to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The exhibition reflects all aspects of the situation of people with disabilities in modern society. The exhibition introduces the reader to the social, economic and cultural barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from becoming full members of society, as well as to the activities of the United Nations and other organizations aimed at developing and applying international norms and standards for persons with disabilities and their equal participation in public life.

The exhibition includes about 70 documents in Russian and English: books, periodical publications, mimeographed documents, booklets.

Among the documents presented at the exhibition are reports of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, reports on the situation of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Belarus, collections of international legal documents and national legislative acts, monographs, materials of scientific and practical conferences, reference manuals, training manuals, etc.

Most of the exhibition is made up of documents of international organizations (UN, UNESCO, European Union, Council of Europe, etc.).

The exhibition includes the following thematic sections:

• Disabled people and society (general issues)
• International norms and standards on persons with disabilities, rights of persons with disabilities
• Social protection and education of disabled people
• Problems of child disability
• Medical and psychological rehabilitation of disabled people
• Legal guarantees of social protection of disabled people in Belarus

The exhibition will be of interest to specialists in the field of social policy and social work, medical workers and employees of social protection services, sociologists, disabled people themselves, students and teachers of social disciplines.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated worldwide annually on December 3 in accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 47/3 of October 14, 1992. Its goal is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in all spheres of public life, as well as to draw the attention of the general public to the problems of persons with disabilities.

Today, the world's population is more than 7 billion. More than 1 billion people have some form of disability – this is every seventh inhabitant of our planet. More than 100 million disabled people are children.

Understanding the importance of the problem, the UN and other international organizations direct their efforts to combat negative attitudes towards people with disabilities. Acceptance Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The year 2006 was a logical continuation of many years of United Nations work in this area. In June 2019, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the launch of the UN Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities.

The State policy of the Republic of Belarus in the field of social protection of disabled people is aimed at ensuring full participation of disabled people in society.

Belarus ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 18 October 2016. The National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Belarus for 2017-2025 and the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Social Integration" are fundamental documents designed to create the necessary conditions and mechanisms for implementing the provisions of the Convention in our country.

The priority areas of these documents are the development of inclusive education, addressing the issue of employment and employment of people with disabilities, creating conditions that allow people with disabilities to integrate into all spheres of society.

Useful links

Documents:

The opening hours of the exhibition corresponds to the library’s opening hours.
Entrance to the exhibition is available by the library ticket or ticket of the library's social and cultural center.

For more info: (+375 17) 293 27 34.

The article is provided by the Official Documents Service Department.