Disabled persons have been allowed to cross the border out of order

Disabled persons have been included into the list of persons who may cross the border out of order.

Disabled persons have been included into the list of persons who may cross the border out of order.

This is evidenced by the corresponding changes to a regulation, made on May 31, "On the regime at checkpoints across the state border of Belarus".

Under the changes, crossing the border out of order will be now allowed to disabled persons and war veterans, the first group of people with disabilities, as well as those traveling with disabled children under the age of 18 or those of the third or fourth group of loss of health.

These changes will have a significant impact on maintaining the health of people with disabilities who previously were forced to stand for hours in queues at the border, say experts the Republican Association of wheelchair users.

"It's no secret that using the bathrooms at checkpoints for people with disabilities is practically impossible. People were forced to use diapers and other accessories during the passage of the border, feeling at that time humiliation, experiencing back pain from a permanent stay in a sitting position", explained in an organization.

It would seem that it was an obvious problem requiring urgent solution, which hasn’t been solved for years. The Republican Association of wheelchair users (RAIK) was regularly appealing to various authorities that would be able to influence the question solution; there were held meetings with officials responsible for this area. But nothing happened!

The key point in addressing this issue became a rally held by the Association on May 5. As a result of the protest, an appeal to the president was sent, which, among descriptions of other problems requiring immediate resolution, contained also a description of the problem of crossing the border.

RAIK thanks everyone who was participant of the rally on May 5, as well as those who could not get out to the street because of the stairs’ problem and come to the rally, but "were keeping their fists" for the success of this event.

The Association members hope that the other very important points raised in an appeal to the president, will be resolved soon. These are:

• Construction of barrier-free housing;
• Signing of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
• Inclusion in the list of rehabilitation means, given to disabled persons, of additional devices in addition to diapers;
• Return to the delivery of vehicles with manual control;
• Allow the first group of people with disabilities being individual entrepreneurs, to hire three employees who are not members of the family.

"RAIK encourages all colleagues with disabilities to use in good faith the opportunity of crossing the border out of order, given such a difficult and long way to defending our interests", added in the Association.