23.06.2016

A Federal Register of Disabled People, as proposed by the Russian Government, will take effect from 1 January 2017. Community organisations that have been involved in discussions to establish the register are hoping that it will become a tool for practical State agency response to problems faced by disabled people in their everyday life. The single register of disabled people, which has been developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and disability NGOs, will be officially known as the “Federal Register of Disabled People”.

The Ministry has stressed that the register should be a single information system which holds a wide variety of data on disabled people. According to the regional disability body “Perspektiva”, which was one of the organisations involved in setting up these new arrangements, the register will also contain information on rehabilitation and habilitation programmes and social benefits, as well as other general material on disability issues.

As well as information on implementation of rehab and habilitation programmes for disabled adults and children, the register will hold information on the provision of spa treatments as part of a suite of social services, on education and training, on the provision of medical help to disabled people, as well as Government services to promote their employment prospects, and on providing maternal (family) capital for technical rehab aids.

All information on the register will be available to Government agencies, expert medical and social institutions and other bodies that need data on disabled people in providing State and municipal services.

“Disabled people will also be able to use the register and open an online “personal account” through which they can access vital information. For example, on job vacancies held on the national database “Better Jobs in Russia” which will be “embedded” on the register”, said Maksim Topilin, Minister for Labour and Social Protection.

Experts from “Perspektiva” have said that it should be possible to leave feedback in a “personal account” on the information system on the quality of municipal services that are provided to disabled people. “We are fully aware of the importance of maximising the scope of the “personal accounts” in reflecting the needs of disabled people. People should not only be able to register complaints, but also see what action is being taken to resolve them. This is an excellent channel which State and other agencies responsible for providing social services to disabled people can use in getting practical solutions to queries as they arise”, said Marina Subbotina, Head of “Perspektiva’s legal department.

The Federal Register of Disabled People will be set up gradually to allow time for the various Ministerial and departmental systems to be fully integrated into the new structure. Part of the information that will be incorporated on to the system from the start of 2017 will be material held by expert medical and social institutions, i.e. the Russian Pension Fund, Social Insurance Fund of Russia, Federal Service for Labour and Employment, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science. The remaining data will be included on the register from 1 January 2018.

“By using the register, we’ll be able to see the history of each disabled person, gain an understanding of the help they’re being given, and where any failures have occurred”, said Topilin.

According to Marina Subbotina, the only people who’ll ultimately be able to judge the success of the new system will be disabled people themselves. “To this end, it will be vital to properly assess how the information system operates in practice. Crucially, can State agencies use this resource to come up with effective solutions to problems faced by disabled people? We’ll have to wait until after 1 January 2017 to find out”, she added.

Author: Irina Laktyushina

http://www.asi.org.ru/news/131580/