MOSCOW, August 19 (Itar-Tass) — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will meet on Friday with representatives of disabled people’s organizations, and the associations implementing programs to support them.
“The meeting will take place on the floor of the All Russia People’s Front (ONF),” the government press service reported.
“Taking part in the discussion will be the All-Russia Society of the Deaf, the All-Russian Union of Public Associations “Soyuz Chernobyl,” the Al-Russia Public organizations of Afghan war invalids and military injuries and many other organizations which voiced the decision to join the All Russia People’s Front from the beginning. They take an active citizenship position within the scope of the Front and use its tools to resolve disabled people’s problems and promote their interests,” the press service said.
The main issues on the agenda will be integration of disabled people in the society, the availability of services in the key sphere of life, employment problems and social support.
“The floor of the All Russia People’s Front was chosen for discussion of their problems because it has already proven itself as one of the instrument, expected to secure a more active participation of the society in the settlement of acute problems,” the press service said.
Earlier, Putin met with representatives of confessions and national and cultural public organizations. A number of “round table” discussion and events were held, at which the public considered pressing economic and social issues.
There are 13.2 million disabled people in Russia, including 550,00 children. Four million of the disabled are employable, 8.7 million are pensioners, and about one million have jobs, which makes up 26 percent of all employable physically handicapped persons.
Goal-oriented federal and regional programs that bring together the efforts of various agencies, became one of the mechanisms to implement the government policy in resolving disabled people’s problems in Russia.