Republic of Georgia Establishes Disability Library
A notice and call for assistance from the new Library Cultural Center for Disabled People in the Republic of Georgia
Let me tell you briefly about the non-governmental, non-profit organization "Assistance: Library Cultural Center for Disabled People." The aim of our organization is to provide social-psychological support of disabled people and their integration into social life, and to provide disabled people with library service and implementation of cultural, educational programs, and training.
Since the day of its establishment the library has implemented several projects financed by international organizations including OSCF, Marcy Corps., and the British Embassy.
The library offers the following activities:
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library service
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conference hall
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training and educational programs
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humanitarian activity
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work with beneficiaries on adaptation of school programs
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popularization of integrative education
At present moment we are working hard to make our library accessible for different categories of disabled children, in particular to create working places for blind and visually impaired people (one of the members of our organization has participated in the fellowship program in Washington Library of Congress NLC: the National Library service for the blind and physically handicapped).
We are also working on problems of disabled children who are isolated and whose right of education is infringed upon. We are lobbying in the Ministries of Education and Social Welfare regarding this problem and they agree to create special infrastructure in pilot schools. But for actual integration of disabled children into mainstream schools, it is necessary to create public support and conduct rehabilitative training courses for disabled children, their parents and school teachers. At the present moment the library is conducting special program for kids with physical disabilities. The program aims to assist them with integration into mainstream schools.
We are still struggling for funding of our future projects and would appreciate it if you could provide us with information about the possibility of our participation in your grant-making program or provide us information about international funds or granting organizations. Thank you in advance.
With best regards,
Nana Gegelishvili, Program Coordinator
Our full address is:
4 Makashvili St.
380008
Tbilisi
Georgia
P.S. Georgia is a hilly and mountainous country situated on the eastern shores of the Black Sea, which stretches into the Southern flanks of the Caucasus Mountain. It covers an area of 70 thousand square kilometers and has a population of 5.5 million.
Following the disintegration of the former USSR, Georgia was among the first Soviet republics to gain formal independence and sovereignty on April 9,1991. In 1995 the country adopted its new constitution. In November of the same year presidential and parliamentary elections were held. The Head of the State was elected and the Parliament set up, while a new government was formed.
Emerging nationalism in early '90s was considered a threat by ethnic minorities; as a result, a separatist movement rose in South Ossetian Tskhinvali Region in January 1999, leading to disastrous ethnic conflict. Hostilities started in Abkhazia 1992 over the intention of Abkhaz to secede from Georgia. Both conflicts caused the significant growth of number of refugees. More than 250,000 refugees have fled to major cities.
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