Announcement! Disabled in Russia: on the way to equal opportunities

On 12 December 2008, the United Nations Office in the Russian Federation will conduct an on-line conference at RIA Novosti information agency, entitled ‘Disabled in Russia: on the way to equal opportunities’. Russia signed the United Nations Convention on the rights of people with disabilities on 24 September 2008. This important development reflects the fact that the issues of well-being and decent life standards of the disabled, their integration into the life of the society have moved into the focus of attention in the country. These principles lie in the core of the UN Convention. What kind of practical steps are needed to implement the principles of the Convention and to achieve its ratification in Russia? What hinders the access of the disabled to education and labour market? These and other questions will be answered by the participants of the on-line conference: Oleg Smolin, deputy of the State Duma, Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Education, Vice-President of the All-Russian Society of the Blind, and First Vice-President of the Paralympics Committee of the RF. The other speaker is Evgeny Gontmakher, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Head of the Centre of Social Policy of the Institute of Economics of the RAS, member of the Management Board of the Institute of Contemporary Development.

You can participae in the on-line conference by following the link:
http://www.rian.ru/online/156603138.html