“The bill has a high social significance and is aimed at implementing the state program of the Russian Federation “Accessible Environment”. It is proposed to prescribe mechanisms for realizing the right of people with disabilities, including children with disabilities, to receive comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation services”, commented the executive director – head of the Office of the Association of lawyers of Russia Elena Spiridonova.
He recalled that the rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a system and process of total or partial restoration of the capacities of people with disabilities for daily, social, professional and other activities. The empowerment of people with disabilities is a system and process of training skills for domestic, social, professional and other activities that were absent for people with disabilities.
Improving the conditions for the rehabilitation and habilitation of disabled people is important for 11 million disabled people and more than 730 thousand disabled children. Each year around 2.5 million people with disabilities receive rehabilitation and habilitation referrals under individual programmes. However, due to existing legislative loopholes, people with disabilities often do not receive full comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation services after being referred. The prepared bill proposes comprehensive changes that will increase the effectiveness of social work programs for people with disabilities. At the same time, all currently planned rehabilitation measures, activities and services are preserved.
“In order to maximize the ability of existing organizations to provide rehabilitation services, it is proposed to legislate the definition of a rehabilitation organization. In turn, the Ministry of Culture of Russia is empowered to approve the procedure for creating conditions for the sociocultural organization rehabilitation and habilitation of disabled people and children with disabilities”, added Elena Spiridonova.
The bill also makes provisions to increase the availability of information and services for people with intellectual disabilities by defining a simplified form of the Russian language as one of the means of communication.
The preparation of texts using a simplified form of the Russian language is a complex, laborious and lengthy work, which will be carried out in our country at the state level for the first time. Therefore, it is proposed to attribute the entry into force of this norm to September 1, 2027. Other changes may enter into force -if the bill is approved by the legislators- as of September 1 of the following year.
