Civil Forum - a step to social integration of disabled people – Director of Namys K. Imanaliyev

At present there are about 20 non-governmental organizations in Almaty dealing with the issues of disabled people. Director of Namys Public Association Kairat Imanaliyev tells about the activity of one of the organizations for disabled people in an interview to our correspondent on the threshold of IV Civil Forum.

In your opinion what is the role of the third sector in addressing objectives affecting the State as a whole? How the conception of the Kazakhstan civil society concerning disabled people approved for 2006-2011 is being implemented?

The role of the third sector has increased for the last time which is connected not only with the need of NGOs to be in demand and in a constant dialogue with state bodies but also with the need of state bodies themselves to know better exigency of different target groups, whether programs are effective or not that is almost impossible without the help of NGOs. Concerning people with disabilities I can say that state bodies define those things useful for disabled people on the basis of their understanding whereas actual needs are not taken into consideration. For example, each group of wheelchair users has its own diseases and if someone needs a wheelchair for backbone the other one needs that for cut off limbs. Such things are not taken into account while developing state programs, and in this case - the Rehabilitation Program for People with Disabilities is not exception.

In comparison with the world experience of NGOs development how Kazakhstan follows the "Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities" and the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities signed in December, 2008? How do the system of social support for disabled people and their integration to the society work?

 It should be noted that due to the fact that for the last time NGOs for disabled people have become too active they could encourage the Government to sign the Convention. We held a lot of round tables and addressed to the Head of the State motivating by the fact that Turkmenistan has already signed the Convention whereas our country is the leader in Central Asia. The world experience on NGOs development tells that the issues of disabled people must not only considered from the point of view of medical rehabilitation but also include rights of disabled people as rights of any person. The West respects these rights to the full extent. In our country these rights (22 in total) sometimes are respected partly and sometimes they are not respected at all. But the sorest point is an information access for disabled people. The modern society is an information society and people with disabilities should know neatly all necessary information concerning their rights, guarantees of legislation and etc. Another bright example: we have implemented (due to active work of  NGOs) the service of individual assistance for disabled people of the first group which work, study or are engaged in social activity but those living in villages do not even know about this just as their rights on housing.

The system of social maintenance of disabled people also requires principal modernization. If we take social disability relief we can see that it is pegged to the minimum consumption basket and nonfood components were not included into it, such as medicaments and other measures for rehabilitation (special exercises with trainers, massage and etc.)

What mechanisms are needed to create and preserve jobs for disabled people in time of crisis, for example, quotation or creation of subsidized jobs? What measures are taken to solve the employment problem of disabled people?

 As I have already told the principal problems of disabled people are the formation of life sustaining activity environment, education including the inclusive one, access to information, medical service and employment. According to our data, 95 percent of disabled people of active working age are unemployed. Hence they cannot maintain their families. About what integration it is possible to speak?

The legislation provides roughly speaking three ways to address the issue. The first one is a three-percent quota which must be provided at any enterprise despite the property category. But there is no mechanism for such quota. The second way provided by the law is weakly spelt out. They are some kind of tax remissions, in this case unessential indulgences for social tax which do not inspire employer to give jobs for disabled people. Herein according to labor legislation these people must have shortened working day that is quite unprofitable for employer. On the West it is profitable to hire people with disabilities.

The third way are so called social jobs including those under the Road Map Program. More often when employer is ready to hire a person with disabilities but there are few people having higher education. That is professional development of disabled people is not developed in our country.

I always tell that the problem should be solved in complex. We have the Coordination Council on Disabled People affiliated to the Kazakh Government but it is not sufficient. It should work under the President as for example, the Board on Women's Affairs. The chairman of the committee should be a legally trained person with disabilities. In case all this is implemented you can see how the society will be quickly changed.

Tell us please about your participation in IV Civil Forum: what do you expect from this event, what issues will you propose to discuss ant etc.?

 I have already named all the issues for consideration above. The fact of carrying out the Forum is remarkable itself. My proposals are: the Forum should become more effective to implement all accepted decisions. The plan of action signed by the Prime Minister should be developed precisely covering line of activity for each Ministry. Only in this case the Forum can become more effective and will be able to help us to reach significant results.

 Thank you for the interview!