The competition for grants under the Access programme,
for co-financing from the federal budget, has begun for the regions. This was
announced on 16 May at a session of the Council for Disability Matters, chaired
by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Alexei Vovchenko.

 The Ministry
has already received 76 bids for consideration by the Coordinating Committee,
beginning on 22 May. Mr Vovchenko recalled that the Access programme runs until
2015. In 2014 alone, the federal budget will contribute 4.24 billion roubles,
and in 2015 – 4.53 billion. If the project is extended, in 2016 the Ministry
will begin to develop rehabilitation infrastructure for people with
disabilities. According to the Deputy Minister, “now we are trying to develop
accessible external infrastructure. After 2016, if the programme is extended,
we will start on rehabilitation infrastructure and on a modern and appropriate
system-based rehabilitation programme, to help persons with disabilities to
adapt to their external environment”.

http://www.asi.org.ru/ASI3/rws_asi.nsf/va_WebPages/0D906E407AFBC69944257B6E002D6920Rus