Disabled Youth Activist Teams Launched in Russia & Newly Independent States

Young disabled people in Russia and other Newly Independent States face daily discrimination and attitudinal and physical barriers to an adequate education, employment opportunities and other life activities. Significant barriers to accessing and participating in the mainstream educational system are: schools are inaccessible; parents of children in mainstream schools are often opposed to having their children study with disabled children; the majority of teachers and administrators in mainstream schools and universities have had little or no exposure to disability issues; and old negative social stereotypes and misconceptions about disabled people still prevail. Like many parts of the world, the vast majority of disabled children from these countries receive separate and unequal education, if any at all.

With funds from the US Agency for International Development, the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Belgian Delegation, the US-based World Institute on Disability, the Russian NGO, Perspektiva, and their seven partner NGOs have completed the first year of activities of the three-year project to empower disabled youth. The project supports disabled youths, parents and other allies in challenging discrimination against persons with disabilities in their communities and to advocate for the elimination of the social and physical infrastructure barriers to an equal education faced by young disabled people.

In a short time, the project has tackled both physical and attitudinal barriers, resulting in ramps for community centers, schools and community based awareness trainings, production of advocacy videos and public education programs shown on local television - involving thousands of disabled youths, adults, their families and local officials and supporters throughout the region.

Three International Training Seminars for Youth Activist Teams held in Moscow

In the first year of this project, teams of young disabled activists (DYAs) representing NGOs that promote the social integration of disabled persons in their countries learned skills and gained practical experience to become more effective disability advocates and leaders in their communities. The training seminars devoted time for sharing and learning about other teams' experiences, and this structured sharing allowed the young disabled activists to learn about the successes and difficulties of their peers and colleagues in other cities and countries, providing them with a forum for solving some of their own problems. The primary training structure of sharing of experiences and problem solving through group interaction also proved to be a very positive role modeling experience for all of the participants.

The first international seminar in the series was held in January 2004 in Moscow. Afterwards, many of the teams returned to their communities and held press conferences to launch their projects. The second seminar was held in June in conjunction with an international conference on inclusive education. Team coordinators participated in the conference with delegations from their countries. The seminar that followed strengthened the network of disabled youth activists and the bonds of friendship already established at the first seminar. The third seminar was in November in conjunction with the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival, the Second International Disability Film Festival in Moscow, and each team contributed films or public service announcements to the festival. The DYAs were united in their desire to learn new methods and ideas that they could implement locally through their project activities and participated with enthusiasm in all training activities. The training room was always teeming with enthusiasm, energy, new ideas and passion, and everyone took advantage of the opportunity to discuss their problems and successes with the other teams.

DYA Teams work together across conflict zones to achieve common goal of inclusion

Disability leaders from regions previously in conflict often work across political and geographic borders out of necessity to establish cooperative relationships with other disability NGOs. In the aftermath of the civil wars of the 1990's, characterized by ongoing political upheaval and change, and the economic difficulties of the post-Soviet era, several DYA Teams participating in this project are working across their borders of geographical and political conflict. For example, although their countries are in a "frozen conflict" with each other over disputed territory, the DYA Teams from Armenia and Azerbaijan have been working together as part of the international network of disabled activists since the beginning of this project.

The Republic of Georgia and the region of Abkhazia are also in a frozen conflict with one another as a result of Abkhazia's desire to be recognized as an independent state. Over the last 5 years, the Georgian Coalition of Disability NGOs and Veterans and the Abkhaz Forum of Disability NGOs and Veterans established a relationship to share information and resources with each other to achieve common goals that address the needs and promote the rights of disabled persons in each of their societies. This informal exchange of information and resources has increased the desire of both disability coalitions to deepen and strengthen their relationship and engage in practical collaborative activities that are based upon shared values and mutually beneficial outcomes. When representatives of the Abkhaz NGO, AIS, a member of the Abkhaz Forum, and the Georgian Coalition of Disability NGOs and Veterans met in January 2004 in Moscow with representatives from WID and Perspektiva, they requested to participate in the international network and use the opportunity to further promote understanding and cooperation between each other and serve as a model for conflict resolution between civil societies in conflict. In June, with funds secured from the OSCE and the Belgian Government, DYA Teams from Sukhumi and Tbilisi joined the project, using the project as an opportunity to cooperate across their zone of conflict and work together to achieve the common goal of inclusive education and the full participation of persons with disabilities in their societies.

DYA Team activities impact communities from the Black Sea to Lake Baikal

In spite of the various political and economic climates in each of these countries, in 2004 between seminars, DYA Teams based in Yerevan, Baku, Samarkand, Sukhumi, Tbilisi and two Siberian cities, Gorno-Altaisk and Ulan-Ude, provided training and peer support for hundreds of disabled youths and parents, led disability awareness trainings for more than 3500 students at mainstream schools, and led sessions for hundreds of professionals including journalists and teachers. They were successful in getting their local media to cover their project activities, and they also organized disability film festivals, negotiated professional partnerships, educated government officials and made films and public service announcements about access to education and other disability issues. The activities of the DYAs have also resulted in the construction of ramps in the centers of several cities in the region.

Several of the teams translated project materials into their local languages and are conducting sessions in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Uzbek and Georgian in addition to Russian. Each team implemented community advocacy projects, experienced unique project successes and achieved unanticipated but positive outcomes as a result of project activities. Following are some of the highlights of the first year of project activities from each of the teams.

Samarkand

Despite the terrorism in their country last April that delayed some project activities, the NGO Hayot's DYA Team from the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand produced a video, "We Are Here!" and launched a massive media campaign. The team succeeded in getting lots of media coverage for their activities, including free TV spots during prime time to show the films from the 1st and 2nd International Disability Film Festivals in Moscow, the PSA and the video produced as part of this project.

The team was also very successful in fundraising and managed to raise $5-7,000 in spite of the economic situation in Uzbekistan and the lack of a legal framework supporting fundraising activities. These funds were raised with the help of local media, primarily TV, as part of a campaign held during Disability Awareness Week. They were able to solicit funds and support from some of the larger local companies, and many of these companies have now expressed an interest in hiring disabled people.

The Uzbek team also produced a 35-minute disability awareness performance introducing ten rules of etiquette for the media and the social model of disability that they debuted for 200 university students, administrators and staff. The performance was very well received and will be shown at schools as part of the project's disability awareness trainings.

After the success of the team's disability awareness sessions in the schools, local authorities began to express a sincere interest in collaborating with Hayot, a partnership that initially seemed impossible. Hayot is currently developing a new employment project with local authorities that have committed to providing funds to pay salaries for young disabled people to conduct training at schools.

Yerevan

Beneath the snowy peak of Mount Ararat, the NGO Bridge of Hope DYA Team from Yerevan worked in two cities: the capital, Yerevan, and Ijevan in northeast Armenia, the center of the Tavush region. The municipality of Ijevan was impressed by the social advocacy project conducted by the DYA Team in their community. The team built a ramp at the entrance of the cultural center of the town, and the event was celebrated by a performance by young disabled actors of the Bridge of Hope Theatre. The local TV channel covered the event, and the mayor of Ijevan promised to eliminate physical barriers in their city by 2008. This new program will start in 2005 by making the central part of the city accessible to persons with disabilities during the scheduled renovation of community roads. The city government of Ijevan also decided to fund Bridge of Hope to organize a disability awareness TV campaign for in Ijevan in 2005.

The Yerevan DYA Team has been very successful in soliciting media coverage and involvement in project activities. More than 40 journalists from print and broadcast media submitted materials for the media competition, and the winners were announced at an award ceremony on December 3rd. The team also raised an additional $2000 for the media awards from the Danish NGO, Mission East.

Journalists in Armenia are changing their language about disability, primarily as a result of the seminars and materials disseminated by the DYA Team and Bridge of Hope, and are using less stereotypes and more appropriate terminology to describe disabilities and persons with disabilities. Publicity about the social problems facing persons with disabilities and the importance of equal opportunities has become more frequent, and public behavior including stereotyping and prejudice against persons with disabilities is slowly improving. Armenians are starting to acknowledge the rights of persons with disabilities to participate equally in society.

Ulan Ude

In the Buryat Republic where the Siberian steppes reach the southern edge of Lake Baikal, the Barrier-Free Foundation DYA Team from Ulan - Ude conducted a successful media campaign, receiving coverage from local TV stations for various project activities. Perspektiva's animated PSAs promoting inclusive education were shown on all local TV stations, and the team also made a film about the relationship between one of the members of the team, who has a vision impairment, and her guide dog that was shown at the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival.

As part of their social advocacy project, the team built ramps with the sponsorship of several local businesses and support from local authorities. The Municipal Center for Children's and Youth's Creativity had been inaccessible to many people with disabilities. Although students from all over the city attend the Center where various festivities for children are usually held, the building was not accessible to many disabled children and youth prior to the construction of the ramps. An architect from a local company developed the construction plan, and building materials were provided by local businesses. Local authorities provided no funds for the project but did express their support, and the two ramps into the Center were completed in October. A Grande Opening was held and attended by government officials and donors and covered by the local mass media.

The team built another ramp into the movie theater where the project's Disability Film Festival was to be held. At the Disability Film Festival, approximately 1000 people saw films from the first Disability Film Festival in Moscow. The festival turned into a true community event, and basic audio description was also provided for people with vision impairments, making the theater and the film festival accessible for people with all types of disabilities for the first time.

Gorno-Altaysk

In this remote Siberian city in the Altai Mountains just north of the border of northwestern Mongolia, the NGO Vozrozhdenie DYA Team from Gorno-Altaysk attracted the attention of local authorities during their rally, "A City for All." More than 100 people with disabilities participated. After the rally, the Commission on the Social Protection of Disabled People of the State Assembly reviewed the demands of the participants and developed a plan for addressing compliance issues with the Federal Act, "On Social Protection of People with Disabilities in Russian Federation." The Mayor of Gorno-Altaysk sent a written response to their demands that included a list of buildings that will be made accessible. So far, ramps have been built at four government buildings, the Central Telegraph and several local shops.

The team also produced a short documentary, "Vysota" ("Height"), with a local TV station that was screened at the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival. The winners of the PSA competition were also broadcast on local TV and radio, the first time local TV and radio had ever aired PSAs on disability.

In addition to conducting disability awareness trainings and other project activities in their city, the Gorno-Altaysk team wanted to reach disabled people in distant locales spread throughout such a vast region as the Altai Republic, so the team conducted disability awareness workshops at places where children, youth and their parents from more remote areas congregate, such as summer camps for children including 'at risk' youth. As a result of the disability awareness sessions conducted in the schools and the camps, local officials have decided to fund and support educational programs for disabled children.

Baku

On the western shores of the Caspian Sea, the NGO Lotos' DYA Team from Baku held their annual event, "Pictures on the Road," as part of the project's disability awareness campaign. The exhibition attracted more than 150 participants and was very well covered by the mass media, highlighting both the event and the theme, access to education for disabled people in Azerbaijan.

Several members of the Baku team, as part of their mass media campaign, were interviewed on BBC-Baku. The team discussed the barriers to education for disabled students and perspectives on inclusive education in Azerbaijan.

Baku is the largest city in Azerbaijan, but many disabled people live in towns and regions far from the capital. Recognizing the isolation experienced by many disabled adults and children living in more remote areas, the leaders of the Baku team's peer support groups are now training other participants to lead groups. As a result, peer support groups are now being held in more and more regions and are starting to reach people in the more remote areas of Azerbaijan.

Tbilisi

In the valley of the Mtkvari River beneath the towering peaks of the Caucasus Mountains in Tbilisi, the Georgian Coalition of Disability NGOs and Veterans DYA Team joined the project with the Abkhaz Forum of Disability NGOs and Veterans ' team from Sukhumi later than the other teams. After receiving extensive training from Perspektiva trainers to catch-up with the other teams, the team met with Ministry of Education officials, were given their support for the disability awareness trainings at mainstream school in Georgia and launched their disability awareness trainings in the fall. Local schools have been very supportive of the school trainings and the youth activist teams in both cities.

The DYA Team from Tbilisi also received ample press coverage for their activities, including the school disability awareness sessions. The team also submitted a PSA produced by a member of the Georgian Coalition that won a prize at the Breaking Down Barriers, and a local movie theater has agreed to show their PSA . Local TV stations have agreed to air the PSAs as well as the team's film, when it has been completed, along with other Moscow Film Festival films, including the Sukhumi team's film in support of the cooperative relationship between the Tbilisi and Sukhumi teams and in support of increasing tolerance between the two civil societies.

The team also conducted a disability awareness training for the Tbilisi Youth Parliament, students from 14-17 years old from several regions of Georgia. The seminar was held in the National Parliament building, and as a result, these young parliamentarians are planning more joint activities including a national rally on "Education for All" and disability awareness trainings at schools and universities in their regions. The team also held sessions for medical students and is planning a session for members of the Georgian Parliament

Sukhumi

Isolated on the eastern shores of the Black Sea due to an ongoing conflict with Georgia concerning recognition as an independent state, the Abkhaz Forum of Disability NGOs and Veterans DYA Team from Sukhumi also joined the project later than the other teams. After receiving extensive catch-up training from Perspektiva trainers, the Sukhumi team launched their project activities in September and produced a film on the lives of disabled people living in Abkhazia that was shown at the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival. The entire DYA Team made appearances in the film and participated in its production, and the film was shown twice on the Abkhaz national TV station.

The DYA Team from Sukhumi received significant mass media coverage for their other activities, and during a series of meetings, the management of local mass media outlets expressed a willingness to support the project's goal of increasing awareness of disability and the issues facing persons with disabilities through their activities. Journalists have also agreed to participate in seminars on disability awareness and sensitivity.

Unfortunately, the political crisis resulting from last fall's first democratic presidential election ever held in Abkhazia delayed the start of some project activities. Nonetheless, the project caught the attention of their authorities and gained the support of Ministry of Education and the Parliament. Meetings were held with school directors, education officials and the Vice Speaker of the Parliament to discuss leading disability awareness trainings at local schools and to educate them about the project and issues of inclusive education for disabled children. The DYA Team was finally able to begin conducting the disability awareness sessions in their local schools at the end of November. Furthermore, the Parliament Deputy Speaker suggested developing legislation for inclusive education in Abkhazia after the elections.

The Sukhumi team also produced a unique performance, "The New Year's Fairytale," with both disabled and non-disabled children at the House of Youth. The performance was a big hit and was covered by the evening news. This event was the first of its kind at the House of Youth and after the success of this event, the Youth House director decided to host more disability related activities including a disability film festival for children.

All of the DYA Teams continue to conduct disability awareness sessions in schools, peer support groups, media campaigns and community social advocacy projects in their communities. The teams are looking forward to gathering again in April 2005 for more training and to share their experiences. More project activities are currently planned and funded through October 2006.

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