YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARTSAKHPRESS. Bulgaria marks the International Day of People with Disabilities on Thursday, December 3. In a congratulatory address published on the website of the Agency for People with Disabilities (APD), Executive Director Georgi Yordanov states that the institution will continue to responsibly and compassionately address the problems of people with disabilities. He assures that the agency will provide support with every step towards ensuring people with disabilities’ full inclusion in the social and public life of the country.
A resolution of the United Nations (UN) on December 3, 1992, decided to celebrate this day every year, with the aim of raising awareness of the problems of this group of society and to strengthen support, to improve their well-being. The UN theme for this occasion in 2022 is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.”
Employment opportunities
Тhe Ministry of Labour and Social Policy told BTA that for the period January – November 2022, 7,006 persons with disabilities have entered employment through employment offices in the country. The ministry said that the APD funded seven projects to stimulate the employment of people with permanent disabilities in specialized work environments.
The total value of the approved projects with economic orientation amounts to BGN 470,561 and the maximum subsidy for each approved proposal is BGN 80,000, the Ministry said. The subsidy is granted for the creation and equipment of new jobs, as well as for financing activities to increase the competitiveness of employers through the construction of new production lines.
More accessible infrastructure
In 2022, the Ministry has funded 58 buildings for the construction of 54 stair lifts, 6 vertical lifts, 7 ramps and 4 elevators. The funds for the implementation of the projects come from the National Programme for Accessible Housing and Personal Mobility for 2022, with the approved projects totalling BGN 2.45 million.
Under the same programme, funding amounting to nearly BGN 50,000 has been allocated for the implementation of 8 project proposals to improve the personal mobility of people with disabilities. Part of the projects are for the purchase of an adapted car and the acquisition of the right to drive it. Other projects will enable changes to the car’s construction to enable it to be used by a disabled person. A project to install a wheelchair boarding and alighting aid has also been approved, the Ministry noted.
(This information is published based on the cooperation agreement between ARMENPRESS and BTA).
