LocationsUNDP in Belarus will support new regional initiatives for people with disabilities.
Photo: Sergey Gapon for UNDP Belarus
According to the World Health Organization, one in six people worldwide, or 16% of the planet's population, lives with a disability. In Belarus, this figure stands at approximately 6%.
Despite progress, people with disabilities still face significant barriers in many areas of life, from education and healthcare to employment.
Globally, the average hourly wage of people with disabilities is 12% lower than that of individuals without disabilities. Moreover, young people with disabilities are twice as likely to be excluded from educational and employment opportunities compared to their peers without disabilities.
While the unemployment rate in Belarus is 3.5%, it is significantly higher for individuals with disabilities. For men, the rate climbs to 16.5%, while for women, it stands at 13%.
The Sustainable Development Goals can only be achieved in an inclusive society where everyone, without exception, has equal access to opportunities. The commitment to 'leaving no one behind' lies at the heart of UNDP's global mission.
In Belarus, UNDP is working to improve the education and employment prospects of people with disabilities and enhance the accessibility of services and medical technologies. The agency is also promoting social entrepreneurship and inclusive environmental volunteering, helping young people with disabilities engage with their communities and contribute to sustainability efforts.
Photo: Sergey Gapon for UNDP Belarus
To create an inclusive society, it is important to:
Raise awareness about the needs of people with disabilities, while also informing them of their rights and available opportunities;
Ensure access to education and employment for individuals with disabilities;
Create a barrier-free environment
UNDP Belarus remains committed to progress in these areas and will support new pilot initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs across the country, with a particular focus on disability inclusion.
Resource centre for people with disabilities
To raise awareness about inclusion, the regional public association 'People with Spinal Disabilities', in partnership with the Labor Committee of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee, will establish a regional resource centre. This online platform will serve as a comprehensive hub where people with disabilities and their families can access essential information on adaptation and rehabilitation, employment opportunities, psychological support, and more.
Dedicated training sessions and meetings with specialists in housing and communal services, architecture, and transportation will focus on creating a barrier-free environment. These events will cover key issues, aiming to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in building designs and provide better assistance for boarding and alighting from public transport.
Other activities within this initiative include regional sports competitions, an exhibition in Gomel showcasing 27 paintings created by artists with disabilities, and a contest titled 'The Most Successful Person with a Disability in the Gomel Region.’
"The regional resource center will enhance the social integration of people with disabilities by creating a comprehensive system for them and their families across various aspects of life"
Photo: Denis Zolotarev
- The initiative will draw public attention to the inclusion issues in Gomel and the Gomel region. It will also strengthen interdepartmental cooperation on creating an accessible environment, - remarks Denis Zolotarev, chairperson of the regional public association People with Spinal Disabilities.
Inclusive training and adaptive workplaces
To foster inclusive training and adaptive workplaces, UNDP will support the set up of several inclusive sites. One such initiative is an animation workshop where young people with disabilities will gain skills in video production and promotion. Another project involves opening a pizzeria that will provide job opportunities to students and graduates of the Molotkovichi Special Boarding School. Additionally, an inclusive playground will be established at a kindergarten in Krichev, Mogilev region, ensuring accessible play for all children.
Training in reverse engineering
Training in reverse engineering skills using 3D printing technologies will be organized in Luninets, Brest region.
The ‘Takeoff Technologies’ initiative by Elena Lavrenchuk and Valery Pavlyukevich will enable people with disabilities to acquire skills in additive technologies, thereby increasing their competitiveness in the labor market.
Photo: UNDP Belarus
Fifty percent of participants are expected to be employed after the training.
"Acquiring skills that are in demand in the local labor market will empower people with disabilities to secure employment, including self-employment, and generate additional income," say the authors of the initiative, Elena Lavrenchuk, head of the Department of Social Rehabilitation and Habilitation of People with Disabilities at the Luninets Territorial Center for Social Services, and Valery Pavlyukevich, chairperson of the Board of the Luninets Regional Organization of the Belarusian Society of People with Disabilities.
Adaptive tennis
In the Minsk region, training in adaptive tennis and a national tournament will be organized for young people with visual impairments.
Inclusive coffee training center
The first inclusive coffee training center in the country will appear in the Gomel region. Over the past four years, six cafes employing people with disabilities have opened across Belarus. While there is a growing demand for such professionals, there are currently no accessible training programs available.
With UNDP's support, the first coffee training center for people with disabilities will be opened in Belarus
Photo: UNDP Belarus
Polyurethane wheelchair tires production
Also in the Gomel region, a new facility managed by Eberbach-Polesie LLC will produce polyurethane wheelchair tires. This initiative will not only create new job opportunities but also provide 150 people with tires free of charge.
- Wheelchair users in our country face challenges in accessing the necessary components for wheelchairs. Currently, these parts are imported from China, which brings about long delivery times and the need for bulk purchases, - says Anna Shevko, director of Eberbach-Polesie LLC.
Yevgeny and Anna Shevko coordinate the initiative to support the employment and mobility of people with disabilities in the Gomel region.
Photo: Yevgeny and Anna Shevko
- Our initiative aims to establish a production facility in Belarus that will manufacture polyurethane tires, a key component for wheelchairs, - adds Anna. - This will address the demand for high-quality, accessible, and affordable wheelchair tires for people with disabilities. Additionally, the product will be exported, primarily to EAEU countries.
Promoting a barrier-free environment
A new inclusive beach in the Braslav district will emerge as part of a wider commitment to creating a barrier-free environment. The beach will feature wooden walkways, handrails, adaptive beach cabins, and accessible toilets, ensuring that it is accessible not only for people with disabilities but also for young families with strollers and the elderly.
As the number of accessible sports grounds in Belarus is increasing, a new facility will now appear at the boarding house in Zhabchitsy, Brest region.
The number of accessible sports grounds in Belarus is steadily growing.
Photo: Sergey Gapon for UNDP Belarus
Accessible travel
Creating comfortable travel conditions for people with disabilities is the main goal of the initiative proposed by the Braslav District Public Association for Cross-Border Cooperation ‘Euroregion Lake District' implemented in partnership with the Braslav Lakes National Part and the Republican Association of Wheelchair Users.
As part of this initiative, Belarusian tourism specialists will be trained to develop accessible routes, enabling the creation of tours that meet the needs of people with disabilities. This will allow them to plan their trips to Braslav with confidence, knowing about accessible locations and necessary infrastructure. With approximately 150 wheelchair users residing in the Braslav district, the ability to travel around their homeland will mark a significant achievement.
- Our goal is to make travel accessible to everyone by viewing each tourist attraction in Braslav through the lens of inclusivity, - emphasizes Nadezhda Dudarenok, head of the Tourism, Environmental Education, and Information Department of the Braslav Lakes National Park. - Every day, we see more and more people ready to support our initiative. We hope that our efforts will set an example for other regions and cities, and inspire changes that will allow everyone to feel comfortable and confident while traveling.
The pilot SDGs initiatives are being implemented with the support of UNDP in Belarus within the Joint Project 'Support for the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in the Nationalization and Localization of the Sustainable Development Goals,' funded by the Government of the Russian Federation.
