Towards Greater Educational Access for Disabled Russians: Presentation to the "Inclusive Education: Problems and Perspectives" Conference

I would like to thank everyone for coming here today to participate in this conference, which seeks to promote greater awareness of the barriers disabled young people face in obtaining equal access to education. This is a topic that has received far too little attention, and I am pleased that my government, through USAID's support of the NGO Perspektiva and its regional partners, is able to contribute to a greater awareness of the issue. Former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said that "the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." In my brief remarks today, I would like to offer some thoughts as to how the institutions of government -- and in particular the legislative process -- can be used to lift the shadow that Vice President Humphrey referred to and guarantee that the educational needs of the disabled are met.

More than a decade ago, the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights concluded that "In most countries, human rights violations against disabled people take the form of unconscious discrimination, including creation and maintenance of man-made barriers preventing disabled people from enjoying full social, economic and political participation in their countries. Most governments have a narrow understanding of human rights vis-à-vis disabled people and believe they need only abstain from taking measures which have a negative impact on them." Although many countries, including Russia, have made significant progress in the past few decades, people with disabilities still face numerous barriers that prevent them from realizing their potential and fully participating in society.

Indeed, many experts believe the greatest obstacle preventing disabled Russian children and young adults from fully integrating into society is discrimination in equal access to education. The 2002 State Report on Children in the Russian Federation estimates the total number of disabled children in Russia at more than 650,000. Yet only about 185,000 disabled children receive education in the system of general and special education and only 20 of Russia's 89 administrative divisions have special, remedial educational institutions for the disabled. Over 70 percent of disabled Russian children receive little or no formal education, relegating them to a lifetime of dependence.

Disabled children and young adults face significant bureaucratic and social barriers to education: children with developmental disabilities are often marked as "uneducable;" the majority of teachers and administrators have little or no understanding of disability issues or training to deal with them; there is very little accessible transportation and very few accessible school buildings; and parents of non-disabled children object to having their children study with disabled children. The few existing laws promoting the integration of disabled people into Russian society are predominantly declaratory, lacking implementation mechanisms. Disabled students and their families do not want to be shut away from the rest of society or given a watered-down curriculum that leaves them unprepared to compete for jobs; they want, deserve and need the opportunity to receive a decent education and to work so that they can maintain themselves with dignity and contribute to society.

The experience of my country may offer a useful example of how progress on social issues such as this can be made through well-conceived legislation. Until the 1970s, the United States faced a situation similar to that prevailing in the Russian Federation. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in the 1970's, more than one million children with disabilities were not receiving any public education, and another 3.5 million did not receive appropriate programs within public schools. Many of these young disabled Americans were placed in state institutions for the mentally retarded. The first American federal law mandating equal access to education for disabled children, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was signed into law in 1975. This federal law guarantees disabled students equal access to free, public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs. The statute requires school districts to develop individualized educational programs tailored to the needs of each disabled child. And the statute accords parents the right to appeal to a state educational agency, and even to state or federal court, when they disagree with the school's individualized program.

For almost 30 years, this law has played a major role in transforming American communities. Through IDEA-mandated school programs, millions of students with disabilities have received the education they need to become fully participating members of society. Today, infants and toddlers with disabilities receive early intervention services that help get them on the right developmental track from the beginning. Children with disabilities go to preschools and schools in their communities with their brothers and sisters. They have the opportunity to play sports and participate i n extracurricular clubs and activities. And, when they finish school, they often are able to work, pay taxes and contribute to society.

IDEA has fundamentally changed the role of government. Instead as serving as a caretaker of dependent individuals, the government now guarantees their access to education, empowering the disabled to participate fully in their community and to gain the education and skills necessary to support themselves. As Russia faces such important questions as how to improve educational access for the disabled, you should know that you are not alone. Although the United States still has much work to do in this area, we have been working on educational system improvements for three decades. We are more than willing to share our experiences wherever possible.

In closing, Russian and American partnerships like those between the World Institute on Disability and Perspektiva is a good example of how we can share our experiences and mobilize resources to solve social problems. Let us continue to work together to build a better educational future for all.

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