Government approve 2010 Plan for state support of the disabled

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an Action Plan aimed at solving certain problems of social protection of disabled persons. The relevant government order dated December 3, 2009 was signed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Under the Plan, revisions to the draft State Budget for 2010 should include: 3 million UAH to enhance facilities at the Donetsk oblast rehabilitation hospital and provide treatment there for people with spinal cord injuries from other oblasts; funds for purchasing special wheelchair accessible trails cars and supplying all branded trains with them.

The order calls for providing disabled children with sight problems Ukrainian-language textbooks in Braille or enlarged print (for the visually impaired), as well as studying the possibility of creating a special unit at a boarding school for persons with visual disabilities.

Also, the document identifies the need to examine the issue of allowing certain groups of persons with disabilities the right to operate a vehicle, in particular, disabled people with hearing problems, as well as address the issue parking rules that meets the needs of persons with disabilities, equipping pedestrian traffic lights with sound, etc.

The Plan provides for funding for the preparation and participation of the national team of disabled athletes in the X Paralympic Winter Games.

In addition, the value of one job in all sectors of the economy is to be set to determine the amount of financial assistance for these enterprises to create jobs for the disabled through the Fund of social protection of disabled persons.

The plan provides for the establishing of a special procedure for allowing persons with disabilities to obtain certain categories of land for the construction of garages near their place of residence.

The plan is designed for 2010.