From December 1st, 2009, to January 4th, 2010, in documents of international organizations reading room (room 207g) is open a book exhibition “Equal possibilities for disabled people: the national and international experience”.
The exhibition is dedicated to the International Day of Persons with Disability which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1992 (resolution 47/3) during the UN Decade of Disabled Persons (1983–1992) and is observed annually on December 3rd.
Today there are about 650 million disabled people in the world that makes about 10 percent of the population. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), there are 80 percent of disabled people in developing countries, and according to the last estimations of the World Bank, the disabled in these countries make 20 percent of the world population. Many disabled people still face the problems prohibiting their participation in social life and practically excluding them from society. Quite often they become victims of discrimination and have no opportunity to exercise such fundamental human rights, as the right to feed, education, employment, protection of reproductive health and access to medical services.
The annual observation of the International Day of Persons with Disability helps attract the world community’s attention to their problems, protect their dignity, rights and well-being, and also it makes society comprehend which advantages it will receive from participation of disabled people in its political, social, economic and cultural life.
This Day gives an impulse to activity of the international, governmental and nongovernmental organizations on the further development and application of the international norms and standards concerning disabled people. This activity should be directed on maintenance of the complete exercise of human rights by disabled people on the basis of their participation in social life and equity, as it is stipulated by the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons and The Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Disabled Persons.
The state policy of the Republic of Belarus concerning disabled people is directed on realization of effectual measures on their social protection, maintenance of equality and participation in social life. In our country live about 510 000 disabled persons, including about 30 000 disabled children under 18 years of age (5,2 % of an aggregate number of the population).
In the Republic of Belarus disabled people exercise all political, social, economic and personal rights and freedoms fixed in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and in the laws “On social protection of disabled persons in the Republic of Belarus” and “On the prevention of physical disablement and rehabilitation of disabled persons”. Observation of the laws provides the full integration of this category of citizens into the sphere of employment and granting to them equal opportunities in society, first of all on the labor market.
The Government and local authorities stipulate a number of measures of social protection of disabled persons such as, privileges under taxes and payments, public health services, work, as well as in the field of education and professional training.
The exhibition totals about 60 documents in Russian, French and English languages: books, periodicals, mimeographed materials of the UNO and brochures. Most of the exhibited materials are documents of international organizations (UN, UNESCO, European Union, Council of Europe etc.).
The exhibition includes the following subject sections:
- disabled persons and society: general issues;
- the international norms and standards concerning disabled persons, rights of disabled persons;
- social protection and education of disabled persons;
- the issues of disabled children;
- medical and psychological rehabilitation of disabled persons;
- legal guarantees of social protection of disabled persons in the Republic of Belarus.
The exhibition is designed for disabled persons, specialists in social policy and social work, workers of services of social protection, sociologists, students and professors.
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