Community Services to Vulnerable Groups: Expanding Participation of People with Disabilities Quarterly report January-March 2011

Discrimination and marginalization of adults and young people with disabilities is a common social phenomenon in Belarus, where adults are often excluded from social and economic life and decision-making practices, and children with disabilities suffer from insufficient access to education and inappropriate quality of services. The "Expanding Participation of People with Disabilities" project component, funded by USAID in Belarus, aims to include Belarusian people with disabilities into mainstream society and strengthen the capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities. The project's three main objectives are to support initiatives of people with disabilities and extend the range of services provided by local organizations to PWD in urban and rural areas through small grants, to support advocacy efforts by PWD grassroots organizations to promote rights of people with disabilities and increase public awareness on people with disabilities, and to improve the capacity of grassroots organizations that support PWD and their families. The project was implemented according to the Annual Implementation Plan and approved budget, with all annual targets exceeded by the end of March 2011. Service delivery and promotion of rights of people with disabilities were areas of particular success. Six partner DPOs continued implementation of small grant projects awarded in the previous year, with 24 new or improved services created within small grants, including 24/7 respite care, psychological support for parents of children with disabilities, education and counseling on job placement for PWDs, vocational training, integrated playground for children, services on alternative communication with non-verbal children, volunteer assistance and intermediary services for accessibility and access to information, information and communication through websites, and development, communication, play and leisure for children with disabilities. By the end of March 2011, 630 children and 124 adults with disabilities were served by partner DPOs. Best practices and new experiences in PWD-services delivery were documented by partner DPOs in manuals, brochures, and guides and disseminated among involved governmental and non-governmental organizations at local and national seminars, round tables, and presentations. The project's achievements and detected problems with implementation of PWD's rights were highlighted through mass media, including TV spots and newspaper articles. Implementation of small grants helped partner DPOs to strengthen their managerial and technical capacity, expand their partnership networks, enhance DPOs' image among the general public, and ensure PWDs' participation in community life. The number of advocacy efforts doubled in comparison with the previous quarter, reaching 30, with 53% of course participants propelled to the next level of advocacy, developing comprehensive advocacy campaigns. Partner DPOs and alumni of the advocacy course used a variety of advocacy tools, including mass media communications, writing letters, photo exhibitions, expert groups, presentations at round tables, meetings, and negotiations with stakeholders.