table of contents - home page - text-only home page Technical Assistance Available to Disabled Citizens of Russia: history, development and the current situation By Lev N. Indolev The oldest of our citizens will remember what it was like when disabled veterans returned home at the end of the Second World War. These veterans were permitted to drive about in cities and villages on motor scooters with one cylinder. These scooters were called "Kievlianki" because they were produced in Kiev, although rumor had it that their design and even some of their parts had been stolen from German prisoners. It would be decades before disabled people were finally given the right to install hand controls in ordinary cars and apply for a driver's license. Whether they lived in apartment blocks built before the war, in factory dormitories, in tiny wooden farmhouses, or in the newer, however, very narrow apartments in buildings without elevators (often referred to as Khrushchev's Ghetto), life was hard for disabled people, and most especially for those who had been disabled since childhood. In the worst case, paraplegics and amputees moved about by crawling or by pushing themselves around on low platforms with wheels. The lucky ones had enormous chairs made of iron, plywood, imitation leather and cotton wool. On city streets, in marketplaces and near churches it was common to see people using three-wheeled carts with levers that were made during the Russo-Japanese War of 1907 or during WWI. These carts were called "crocodiles" either because they were so out-dated or because many were painted a dirty green color. Amazingly, these "crocodiles" can be found in some remote provinces even today. Progress in the 60s The situation began to change in the 1960s, when Khrushchev announced that the foundation for Communism would be in place by 1980. Upon approval by a special medical commission, disabled people were allowed to drive cars with hand controls. A very simple type of car was given free-of-charge to disabled veterans and provided at a discounted rate to other disabled people. More importantly, disabled people were not put on waiting lists for these cars (ordinary citizens could wait five to ten years for a car, for spare car parts and even for tires). This simple car was a "Zaporozhets," a 30-horsepower Ukrainian model. The car came in two well-known types. The earlier model, which looked like an old Fiat-600, was called a Hunchback, and the more modern one, due to the position of its vents, was called a clipped-ear car. Disabled military officers and well-off citizens who had work-related injuries could count on receiving the classier "Moskvich," which was equipped with hand controls. Those citizens with childhood disabilities were left with unreliable and even dangerous two-seater motorized carts that they received second-hand from disabled veterans. These carts, which were called "Serpuhovki," were first made even earlier than the "Zaporozhets." Their production was launched on special order from the Armed Forces, and their frames were made with mortars leftover from the war. Prosthetics and Orthotics Prosthetic limbs were made in factories located in more than 100 different regions of the USSR. Prostheses were generally made of lime wood and scrap metal. Assistive devices for para- and quadriplegics and for people disabled from polio were made, and in fact still are made, from leather and metal. Russia is a country of forests, and therefore canes and crutches are generally made of wood. To this day, prosthetic devices are rarely made from synthetic materials. To a European or American reader this "natural" method might seem superior, just as natural cotton sheets are better than synthetic sheets, but in fact, these crude prostheses are heavy, cumbersome and, most critical, easily broken. Hearing aids, for example, were also of poor quality and very uncomfortable to wear. Wheelchairs in the 80s A major change in the way wheelchairs were produced occurred in the early 80s, when a factory near the city of Vladimir (300 kilometers Northeast of Moscow) received government permission to enter into a partnership with the German firm Meyra and build two different models of simple wheelchair and one model of an electric wheelchair. Their production quickly increased to 30 thousand wheelchairs per year. Although these were some of the oldest and heaviest of the German designs, they allowed tens of thousands of disabled Russians not only to go down stairs and join the rest of the world, but also to ride in cars and travel to health spas. These wheelchairs were distributed free by local medical committees of the Ministry of Social Services - simple wheelchairs for a period of seven years, electric for five years. In fact, these wheelchairs remain in use to this day and are among the country's most popular models due to their relatively low prices (about $200 per chair). Perestroika With Gorbachev and perestroika came new connections with the outside world and information about the technical devices used to assist disabled people in other countries. Thanks mostly to the work of non-profit organizations, disabled residents of large cities first got access to modern wheelchairs, hearing aids, and other devices. Leading Western producers of prosthetic and other assistive devices opened offices in Russia. Their products, however, are too costly for the average citizen and are primarily purchased by disabled members of rich families and, most often, by large firms which provide them to employees disabled on the job. Contemporary Wheelchair Production In the early 90s a number of workshops sprung up in Moscow, and later in St. Petersburg, where wheelchairs are made based on Western (primarily Swedish) models. These compact and lightweight wheelchairs are made of titanium and aluminum and designed to allow users to lead active lives. The managers of these small businesses, as well as the designers and the workers are almost all disabled themselves - mostly para- and quadriplegics. These domestically produced wheelchairs are basically the same as wheelchairs available in the West, but they cost one third to one quarter as much (about $400). However, this amount is still well beyond the means of local social service agencies, and unthinkable for most disabled people, who receive an average monthly pension of about $20-40. Right now the largest wheelchair producing factories are located in Ufa (the capital of the Bashkir Republic in the Ural mountains), St. Petersburg and Vladimir. These three factories could easily supply the needs of Russia's estimated 40 thousand wheelchair users if sufficient financial resources were available. Since the decentralization of the federal budget, however, many regional social service agencies, which are supposed to provide disabled citizens with wheelchairs free-of-charge, simply do not have the means to purchase any. Disabled persons can wait for many years to be finally be granted a wheelchair. Another problem is the limited assortment of wheelchairs available. There are approximately 30 different types of wheelchairs produced in Russia. There are very few wheelchairs made for children and almost no electric wheelchairs, although there are a few small businesses which produce motors that can be attached to regular wheelchairs. There are also individuals and groups that have invented or adapted their own wheelchairs for use in Russia. Assistance for Disabled Drivers With regards to adapted cars, the same situation exists. The cars exist, but disabled people have no money for them, and neither do the regional government officials who must buy and pay for a suitable model. The most common type of car provided to disabled people is the two-cylinder Oka, about the size of a Fiat Uno , which currently costs approximately $1500 (many times the monthly pension of the average disabled Russian). The Oka is produced in the Moscow suburb of Serpuhov and is available in various models for drivers with one leg, or for those who need complete hand controls. They also produce a model with a semi-automatic transmission. But this model is not popular due to its unreliability. In some regions this car is provided free-of-charge to disabled people instead of the old motorized carts, and in some regions, including Moscow, the individual pays approximately half the cost, with the government covering the rest. The Moscow administration also provides compensation for fuel costs in the amount of about 170 liters a year (this would allow for 3 thousand kilometers of driving - this is less than 25 percent of an average disabled Muscovite's yearly driving needs). A roomier car, the Moskvich, can be fitted with an older style of hand controls. Moskvich cars are made in Moscow's Lenin Komsomol Automotive Factory. In Moscow this type of car is provided free of charge to WWII veterans and disabled veterans from all other recent wars. Unfortunately, assistive devices for drivers missing one or both arms are no longer produced in Russia. Within the past year, a new group of cars, "Kishema," has been introduced. These small cars are powered by motorcycle engines and are characterized by easy maneuverability and a simple design. They are intended for use by disabled people in rural areas. Hand Controls and Licensing Most disabled drivers buy ordinary domestically produced cars, or bring in used cars from nearby countries, and install hand controls for themselves, sometimes using kits made by local small businesses. Because of the poor quality of the installations, traffic authorities are often unwilling to register these cars. Access to any type of transportation is especially difficult for quadriplegics, people with muscular dystrophy, people with bone diseases, people of small stature and other severely disabled individuals. Such people are forced to acquire illegal licenses, drive without a license, or register their cars officially with relatives. But some progress is being made. Not long ago, hearing impaired individuals were granted the right to receive a driver's licenses. Accessible Buses It would be unfair not to mention the buses with wheelchair lifts made in the city of Briansk. It is thanks to these buses that members of Russia's various disability NGOs can travel to events, including local excursions. Accessible buses are available not only in Moscow, but also in a few other major cities, but their availability is very limited and usually only to those disabled people who have an affiliation with these disability groups. Challenges Up to this point, this article has focused only on those things that are most vital in allowing disabled people freedom of movement - cars, wheelchairs and prosthetic devices - and it is evident that slowly but surely, there is progress being made in these areas. But are no improvements being made in the production of other less obvious but equally important devices - special pillows for para- and quadriplegics, assistive devices for people with weak fingers, modern hearing aids, talking clocks and other sound-producing devices for visually impaired people, bathtub lifts and accessible toilet facilities. The Ministry of Social Protection and Labor recently issued their five year "Program for the Support of Persons with Disabilities", and one of the principle areas of focus is the development of domestic production of assistive devices. During Soviet times, the main obstacles preventing disabled people from participating in mainstream society were the disdain and indifference of the Soviet Government with regard to citizens with disabilities. Now, a huge obstacle to disabled Russians being included into mainstream society is the inability (financially) of local governments to provide disabled people with the many things they need. But one cannot lose hope that with improvements in the economy will come improvements in the industries that provide assistive devices for society's most marginalized group. table of contents - home page - text-only home page