December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities

3 December 2024

On December 3, the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Its goal is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in all spheres of public life, as well as to attract the attention of the general public to their problems.

The proportion of persons with disabilities in Belarus is 6% of the total population.

In order to ensure opportunities for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the life of society, the country has approved and is implementing the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of Belarus for 2017–2025. A legislative framework has been built. The fundamental one is the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the Rights of Disabled Persons and their Social Integration”, which integrates the norms of the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons. Persons with disabilities are provided with social support from the state in the form of cash payments (pensions, benefits, state targeted social assistance), provision of state social benefits and guarantees, as well as provision of social services, provision of technical means of social rehabilitation.

In order to expand opportunities for persons with disabilities to find employment and participate in public life, and to ensure accessibility of facilities, services and information, a number of innovations have been approved in Belarus. In particular:

• An information system for social support and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities has been created. From January 1, 2025, the automated information system for recording the accessibility of social infrastructure facilities “Accessible Environment” will begin operating.
• Rules for the accessibility of social, transport and industrial infrastructure facilities, vehicles and services provided have been approved.
• Opportunities for social rehabilitation and habilitation are expanding.
• Measures of social support for persons with disabilities in the areas of labor, social services and social protection of families raising children are being improved – amendments were made to the Labor Code, the Laws of the Republic of Belarus “On Social Services” and “On State Benefits for Families Raising Children”, and separate decisions of the Head of State were adopted.

Creating opportunities for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society makes an important contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 10 and the other SDGs by the Republic of Belarus.

More information about the social policy of Belarus regarding the protection of the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities can be found at the link.

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