2011 will be the year of accessible environment in Kazan

 (KZN.RU, November 29, Elena Chembaeva). Kazan should be not only a sporting, cultural and educational center but a comfortable city for people with disabilities, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan announced today on the "Business Monday".

Irina Prosviryakova the Deputy Minister, the Acting Head of the Social Security Government of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) of RT in Kazan has informed in her report that the Republic of Tatarstan included in a pilot project to build an accessible environment. Thereby the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security elaborated a long-term draft of the "Accessible Environment" republican program for 2011-2015 that foresees a multifaceted approach for promoting an accessible environment to the needs of disabled persons with various disorders: musculoskeletal system, vision disturbance and hearing disorders. "We have a lot of work in this direction", I. Prosviryakova said.

"Kazan has to be not only sports, cultural capital, educational center but also a comfortable city also for persons with disabilities”, Ilsur Metshin called, “probably we can not do everything at once in the old buildings but where the full repair has been held needless to say about the constructions of the Universiade we have to carry out the work on creating accessible environment. I think it is necessary to organize the planned, normal work in this area with deputies, heads of administrations in conjunction with the prosecutor. Andtotalkaboutlackofmoneyisnotcorrectlyatleast".

"We must listen to our Kazan citizens with disabilities. They are our neighbors, relatives. Often they need not only money but also attention. There a lot of situations when a ramp exists without handrails. Extra 2-3 degrees of an inclination and a person can not pull onto the ramp. There are handrails but the length is not enough, a person can not grasp. And these are not little things. This is an everyday life for these people. On this occasion we must meet with designers especially", I. Metshin said.
The mayor directed the Social Security Office and the heads of districts to submit a work plan on creating an accessible environment and analytical data about the number of objects of social infrastructure, culture, sports, entertainment facilities which do not satisfy the requirements. "2011 should be the year of putting these objects in a normal, comfortable state. The work is going, we have done it in transportation sphere, we do it at on all pedestrian crossings but there is trade, housing facilities where people are faced with this problems every day", the Mayor of Kazan said.

Also Ilsur Metshin noted the necessity of organizing such a taxi in Kazan. "All European cities have such a service; the government subsidizes a part of the cost. It is necessary to Kazan with disabilities can book this service. In Kazan, a taxi should be", the Mayor said.