NGOs ask for state support for disabled people during the epidemic

07.04.2020

Organisations supporting disabled people have written an appeal to the government and regional powers asking them to take into account their wards’ particular vulnerability.

Financial support

The authors of this letter believe it is vital to offer additional financial support to disabled people, until the situation stabilises.

The letter says that, “Financial assistance will make it possible to access food and medicine delivery services and will significantly reduce the need for people to leave their homes… In areas where such delivery services are not available, the free provision of food, medicine and essential goods should be organised”.

Support for social workers and public organisations

We need to promote public organisations, which supported disabled people, as well as increase the number of social workers. On the chance that someone gets sick, there will be someone available to replace them. Furthermore, work involving contact between social workers and disabled people needs to be organised in a way to ensure safety.

Also, people with disabilities need to be able to go on daily walks, without the risk of violating quarantine.

Medical support

They demand prompt at-home coronavirus testing for disabled children and adults, as well as their family members.

If a disabled child is admitted to hospital, they must have a parent or guardian with them. The letter emphasised that, “such a measure would resolve the issues of self-care, complex behavioural problems and will also reduce the stress which might be caused by hospitalisation.”

It is also necessary to develop a support procedure for disabled people if their parents or guardians’ have been hospitalised. Such a procedure may include preliminary work with families, and finding out who can provide the disabled person with a familiar environment to stay in during such a situation.

It is vital that disabled people are provided with medicines, receive electronic prescriptions, which the Ministry of Health has ordered to be for the longest period of time, and to ensure that medicines are received without unnecessary delays or interruptions.

The authors of the letter ask to take into account the special vulnerability of disabled people and to not allow “disability to become a reason for refusing to provide necessary assistance when resources are limited”.

Information support

It is important to regularly inform disabled people about coronavirus, how it is spread, how to protect their health and socially responsible behaviour. It is also important to inform them about existing assistance services, available in forms that people with various disabilities can understand – such as Russian sign language, audio description and the format of “simple words”.

The letter was signed by Perspektiva, the Together for Children Foundation, The April Children, The Centre for Austism Problems, the I am Special Foundation and various other public organisations. Source: https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2020/04/07/obshhestvenniki-invalidy-koronavirus-pravitelstvo/