The view and attitude of society towards a special category of the population, which are people with disabilities, has changed over many centuries, going from categorical non-recognition to sympathy, support and loyalty. In fact, this is an indicator, a decisive factor determining the degree of moral maturity and economic viability of a well-coordinated civil society.
Attitude to persons with special needs for centuries
The literal meaning of the term “disabled person” is identified with such words as “unsuitable”, “inferior”. In the era of reforms by Peter I, the former military, people with disabilities, injuries or illnesses during the fighting, began to be called disabled. Moreover, the general definition of such a group of individuals, that is, all persons with physical, mental or other disabilities that impede normal functioning, appeared in the post-war period - in the middle of the twentieth century.
A significant breakthrough in the difficult path for people with disabilities to acquire their own rights was the adoption of the most important document at the international level. The Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, signed in 1975 by UN member countries, is implied. According to this multilateral agreement, the concept of “disabled person” began to mean the following: it is any person who, due to congenital or acquired physical or mental limitations, is unable to fulfill his own needs without outside help (full or partial).
The system for maintaining the socialization of the disabled
In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, today absolutely all people with disabilities can be called disabled. To establish the appropriate group, an MSEC is appointed by a specialized public service.
Over the past few centuries, attitudes towards such people have changed dramatically. If some two hundred years ago everything was limited to ordinary care, today things are different. A whole functioning system has been created, which includes a set of organizations designed for the specific maintenance of persons with disabilities, rehabilitation centers and much more.
It is impossible not to say about the well-functioning performance of educational institutions in which disabled children can receive a worthy education, as well as institutions whose graduates are ready to devote their lives to helping people with disabilities. It covers not only physical, but also psychological and moral aspects.
Labor market problems
It is necessary to highlight such an important point as work for people with disabilities. Modern labor markets for people with disabilities are a separate spectrum in the state economy, depending on special factors and patterns. Without the help of the governing bodies, the solution of this issue is impossible. Citizens who do not have sufficient competitiveness are in dire need of state assistance in finding appropriate work.
To determine at what level in society are people with disabilities, taking into account a number of objective and subjective points:
- financial income and level of material support;
- the presence of education or the potential for obtaining it;
- satisfaction with social guarantees provided by the state.
The lack of permanent employment and unemployment among people with disabilities is a rather acute problem throughout the country due to the scale of the likely negative consequences.
Why are people with disabilities not successful people?
Often, a low status in a society occupied by people with disabilities can easily be explained by the lack of proper psychological rehabilitation. In particular, this applies not only to persons injured already in adulthood, but also to disabled children. As a result, such people do not pursue clear life goals, do not have specific attitudes due to lack of professional skills, knowledge and skills.
The current situation is significantly aggravated by the fact that most entrepreneurs, to put it mildly, are not ready to provide jobs for people with disabilities. Employers are reluctant to hire such people, since providing them with workplaces equipped for their needs and a full package of preferential conditions is extremely unprofitable. After all, it will be necessary to reduce working time and productivity requirements in accordance with Russian legislation, and this is fraught with losses for businessmen. Despite the large number of applicable laws and regulations governing quotas for jobs at enterprises, and the employment mechanism, current managers of firms, organizations, companies, as a rule, find good reasons to refuse to hire people with disabilities. In general, a single system can be distinguished, consisting of several factors that determine the specifics of the employment of persons with physical disabilities.
Stereotypical barriers
Disabled people are perceived by employers stereotypically. Most managers unconditionally believe that people with disabilities cannot have decent professional experience, they are not able to fulfill their duties in full and they will not be able to build good relationships in the team. In addition, health problems are fraught with frequent departures for sick leave, instability, and sometimes inadequate behavior. All this, according to employers, testifies to the professional unsuitability of a person, his insolvency.
The prevalence of such stereotypes has a large-scale impact on the attitude of persons with disabilities, discriminating against them and depriving them of a chance to adapt in official labor relations.
The choice of a profession that does not match the possibilities
A small percentage of people with disabilities can correctly build a personal strategy for professional growth. The first step in this process is the adoption of the right decision on the choice of a future specialty, its probable prospects. Entering universities to study selected specialties and areas, people with disabilities often make the main mistake here. Not all people with disabilities are able to sensibly assess their abilities and physiological capabilities based on the severity of their health status, accessibility, and study conditions. Guided by the principle of “I can and I want”, not taking into account the realities of the situation of the current labor market, many of them do not think about where they will be able to find employment in the future.
This implies the need to develop an additional vector in the activities of employment services, which will give a result during preventive measures to overcome the unemployment of people with disabilities. It is important to teach such people to look at employment through the prism of their own potential.
Lack of working conditions for the disabled
Analysis of the statistical data of the most popular and popular vacancies for people with disabilities has demonstrated that such people are mainly offered jobs that do not require a highly qualified approach. Such positions include low wages, a simple monotonous work process (watchmen, operators, assemblers, seamstresses, etc.).Meanwhile, one cannot categorically state that this state of affairs is caused only by the limited number of persons with special needs.
A significant role is played by the underdevelopment of the labor market in creating the necessary conditions for the activities of people with disabilities.
The struggle for the rights of persons with special needs
At the moment, many public, charitable and volunteer associations that regularly advocate close attention to the difficult fate of people with disabilities are operating. Their main task is to increase the level of social protection of this category of the population. In addition, over the past few years, it is impossible not to notice a positive trend towards the widespread inclusion of people with disabilities in public life, using their unlimited potential. Societies of people with disabilities go the hard way, breaking barriers and destroying stereotypes.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The above-mentioned Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is not the only document regulating the rights of such people. A few years ago, another international treaty acquired legal significance, not inferior in importance to the previous one. The 2008 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a kind of appeal to states to resolve the many problems of this social sphere. Creating a barrier-free environment - this is the unofficial name for this project. People with disabilities should have full physical access not only in the literal sense - to buildings, premises, cultural and memorable places, but also to information, television, places of employment, transport, etc.
The 2008 UN Convention outlines the rights of persons with disabilities that must be ensured at the state level by health, education, and important political decisions. An important point of the international document is that it affirms the fundamental principles of non-discrimination, independence and respect for such people. Russia was no exception among the countries that have ratified the Convention, taking this important step for the entire state back in 2009.
The value of adopting this international instrument for our state is invaluable. The statistics are not comforting: a tenth of Russians have a disability group. More than two thirds of them are patients with cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Following them settled carriers of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and musculoskeletal system.
State activities in solving the problem
Over the past few years, the main areas of support for people with disabilities have been work on regulatory, financial, organizational and social security. Of particular note is the question of how to help raise incomes and improve the lives of people with disabilities. Given that the implementation of social programs aimed at supporting people with disabilities continues, we can now draw an intermediate result:
- public organizations of persons with disabilities receive state subsidies;
- disability pension has doubled in recent years;
- more than 200 rehabilitation centers for the disabled and about 300 specialized institutions for children have been created.
It cannot be said that all problems in this area have been resolved. Their list is quite long. One can single out among them a whole multitude, namely: regular malfunctions in the operation of the MSEC mechanism, difficulties encountered during rehabilitation activities of disabled people, the presence of conflicts in regulatory acts indicating the rights of disabled people to sanatorium-resort treatment.
Conclusion
The only fact that causes only a positive attitude is the realization that modern Russia has determined the course and direction for the long-awaited transition from the current social system to new principles, according to which all obstacles and barriers should be removed.
After all, human capabilities are not limited. And no one has the right to interfere with full-fledged effective participation in public life, make important decisions on an equal basis with others.
