In Tajikistan, most hospitals, schools and government buildings including those where people apply for social security assistance are inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Very few modifications have been made for persons with visual impairments such as speaking traffic signals, pavements with raised edges, or signs in Braille. Although some public transport, buildings and other infrastructure have been adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users and other people with physical disabilities, these remain rare exceptions.
Physical barriers restrict persons with disabilities’ movement and prevent them from fully participating in society. Lack of access to means of transportation and social infrastructure severely restricts their access to education, health care, work, social security support and other essential services.
The Law on Social Protectionand the Town Planning Code of Tajikistanstipulate that means of transportation and social infrastructure have to be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities. But all too often these commitments are not implemented in practice and the government committee responsible for ensuring planning applications address accessibility for persons with disabilities does not function reliably.
Swift action must be taken to remedy these problems to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in society and enjoy their rights to education, health care and the labour market like everyone else.
Please check out the report “Persons with Disabilities in Tajikistan: Pushed to the Margins“, jointly prepared by IPHR, Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (BHR), League of Women with Disabilities Ishtirok and NotaBene: https://iphronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Tj-disabilities-report-updated-compressed.pdf
Call for action: Helping children with disabilities to participate in society
In some 40 early intervention centres across Tajikistan, physiotherapists treat children with disabilities for several months and teach their parents how to enhance the child’s motor development. The facilities are run by NGOs and partly funded by the government. IPHR researchers visited such facilities in 2018 and found that they desperately lack basic equipment, in particular walkers and crutches for children.
If you wish to help, you could send a small donation to IPHR and we will ask insurance companies and providers of rehabilitation equipment in Europe to donate equipment and use your donation to deliver it to early intervention centres in Tajikistan. After the equipment is delivered to Tajikistan we will post photos and feedback on this action on the IPHR website.
IPHR account details:
IBAN: BE19 3630 3183 2612
SWIFT/BIC Code: BBRUBEBB
For reference, please insert: “Donation walkers and crutches“