Saratovskaya Oblast forms part of the Privolzhsky Federal Okrug, with an administrative, cultural and industrial centre in the city of Saratov.

The total area of the Oblast is 101,2 thousand square kilometres. The Oblast borders on Volgogradskaya, Voronezhskaya, Tambovskaya, Penzenskaya, Ulyanovskaya, Samarskaya, Orenburgskaya Oblasts and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The overall number of permanent residents of the Oblast is 2 million 608,3 thousand persons, of which 1 million 923,6 thousand persons (73,7 per cent) of city dwellers and 684,7 thousands (26,3 per cent) of countryside residents. Density of population amounts to 25,8 persons per square km. 4.189 thousand 61,9 per cent of Oblast residents are people of active working age, 15,9 per cent are under working age, whereas 22,2 per cent are above working age. The average age of the population is 38,1.

The Governor of Saratovskaya Oblast is Mr. Pavel Ipatov, who was vested with the authorities of head of the Oblast and Chairman of the Government of Saratovskaya Oblast on March 3, 2005.

Rehabilitation and social protection of people with disabilities
Basic information

As of January 1, 2007, 150,7 thousand disabled people are registered with the authorities for social protection (5,7 per cent of the Oblast population), of which 6,9 thousand disabled children. Most of the disabled (87,7 thousand people – 58,2 per cent) belong to the 2nd category, 33,1 thousand disabled (22 per cent) are of the 3rd category, and 22,8 thousand people (19,8 per cent) are of the 1st category.

Over the recent decade, the number of people with disabilities has increased by 64 thousands (average annual increase amounts to 7-10 thousand people).

From January 2007 Saratovskaya Oblast has embarked on the Oblast-level targeted programmes “Social Support for People with Disabilities in Saratovskaya Oblast for 2007-2010” and “Children in Saratovskaya Oblast, 2007-2010”. These programmes foresee a number of activities aimed at enhancing the social support and improving the living standards of disabled individuals, families with children with disabilities and limited abilities, promoting social adaptation and further integration of the disabled into the life of the community.

The programme activities are designed to improve the performance of rehabilitation institutions, to promote social and cultural rehabilitation, to carry out capital repair of the institutions, to ensure information and methodological support of the institutions, to set up the system of training and staffing, and to improve the system of professional re-training of the disabled due to war related injury or disease.

The programme principal targets are as follows:
• Implementation of the pilot project for promoting social adaptation of young disabled people;
• Further development of “Social Taxi” service;
• Acquisition of eight specialized buses equipped with lifts for the transportation of disabled people;
• Occupational rehabilitation for individuals disabled by a war related injury or disease.

In order to promote the effective partnership in the field of social protection of people with disabilities and to ensure the effective legal, occupational and social rehabilitation of the disabled, a special Co-ordination Committee for Disability Issues was established with the Government of Saratovskaya Oblast. The Committee is composed of representatives of bureaus of social and medical examination, Social Security Fund, Pension Fund, NGOs, scientists, representatives of different public authorities active in the field of health care, social protection, education, culture, employment and legislation.

A wide network of rehabilitation institutions provides social support to children and adults with disabilities across Saratovskaya Oblast. Among such institutions is a vocational boarding school for disabled young people, a centre for rehabilitation and social integration, general and psychoneurological residential institutions, a training unit for training and rehabilitation of people with disabilities, centres for social services and rehabilitation centres providing support to disabled children and adults, war veterans, veterans of the home front, and veterans of labour.

As many as eight rehabilitation centres provide medical, social and occupational rehabilitation to people with disabilities in Saratovskaya Oblast; two of these institutions were opened this year.

The main target of these centres is to conduct medical, psychological and educational activities which promote the restoration of social and professional potential of disabled people, their social adaptation and further integration into the mainstream of social life.

Comprehensive medical and social rehabilitation includes the necessary drug treatment, physiotherapy, curative physical training, mud cure and spa procedures.

All centres providing rehabilitation services are completed with the professional medical staff.

Rehabilitation centre divisions provide services in the following fields: medical and social rehabilitation, psychological counselling for disabled children and their parents, education and training of children with disabilities, social and legal counselling, co-ordination and co-operation with various institutions in order to ensure the comprehensive approach to the rehabilitation process.

A professional circuit brigade was set up with the purpose of rehabilitation assistance to children with severe disorders residing in Saratov and backcountry districts of Saratovskaya Oblast.

The Public Research and Production Institution “Oblast-level Rehabilitation Centre for Children and Teenagers with Disabilities” conducts seminars and workshops on issues related to educational, medical, psychological and social rehabilitation of children with disabilities and limited abilities. The seminars are held by the specialists from Saratov and Saratovskaya Oblast, including specialists from “Family” (division of the centre for social services to the community), the Office for Social Protection of the Community, the Ministry for Social Protection, professionals from children’s boarding schools and residential institutions etc, as well as by parents of children with disabilities.

The events include theoretical seminars and practical training courses for parents on the basics of self-regulation, skills of communication and interaction with children who suffer from severe intellectual and physical disorders.

A special permanent “Mother’s School” works to provide counselling for parents of disabled children. Additional consultations of medical specialists, speech therapists, legal counsels and social workers are available. These specialists assist in the preparation of necessary requests to municipal authorities and other executive and legislative authorities and institutions and provide occupational guidance and assistance in acquiring a vocational degree.

In 2004 the project “Sewing Instruction and Training for Children with Limited Abilities (locomotive diseases)” presented by Ershov Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children and Adolescents won a grant at the Oblast-level contest for social and cultural projects. This project will allow disabled children from poor families of backcountry districts of the Oblast to identify and realise their professional potential.

In 2006, 8.660 people with disabilities (of which 6.268 disabled children) received rehabilitation services in rehabilitation centres.

Three residential boarding schools for children with mental disorders work on the territory of Saratovskaya Oblast. These are public institutions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Oblast.

All children receive qualified medical treatment, rehabilitation, educational and training services which prepare them for an independent adult life.

Divisions of medical and social rehabilitation, psychological and training assistance and occupational rehabilitation are established in the residential boarding schools in order to protect the constitutional rights of children with severe mental disorders.

The residential boarding schools’ staff includes a psychotherapist, psychologist, speech therapist, social trainer, defectologist and corrective education specialist.

Bazarnokarbulaksky Residential Boarding School for Children works to promote social adaptation of children with mental disabilities. This process includes education and vocational training provided in accordance with the specialized methodology. In 2006, the School conferred the status of pivotal experimental institution of the social sphere.

Education and training of children in residential boarding schools is a particular process characterized by a combination of psychological, educational, medical and social assistance and corrective therapy and developmental training at the early stage of identification of developmental disorders. The training provided is based on corrective and comprehensive school curricula, as well as on individual programmes tailored to the intellectual and physical needs of a concrete child.

From 1994 rehabilitation of children and adolescents by means of sports and physical training is conducted by “Rehabilitation and Physical Training”, Saratov Oblast-level Comprehensive Sports Adaptive School for Children and Youth.

Pursuant to the Oblast programme “Disabled Children”, over the last 12 years Saratov Oblast-level Comprehensive Sports Adaptive School for Children and Youth opened its affiliates in 15 towns of the Oblast, such as Atkarsk, Balakovo, Balashov, Volsk, Ershov, Kalininsk, Krasnoarmeisk, Marx, Petrovsk, Pugachyov, Rtischev, Saratov, Tatischev, Khvalynsk, and Engels.

At present, the School numbers 850 disabled students aged from 2 to 18 with locomotive disorders, hearing and visual impairments and mental disabilities.

The School’s priority is to ensure the rehabilitation of disabled children by extensive use of physical training and sports, and to improve their sports achievements. This target is being realized through a comprehensive training programme which comprises the following elements:

• Adaptive physical training (curative physical training, training on weight lifting and fitness machines, curative horse riding course); 
• Several types of massage (general, partial, sportive, apparatus massage and hydromassage); 
• Vitamin treatment, additional nutrition for leading athletes; 
• Training lessons of swimming, bullet shooting, table tennis, athletics, darts, cross country skiing, karate-do, judo, golbol and badminton;
• Social and cultural rehabilitation (organisation of special events, festivals etc).

The School provides physical training to 82 groups of students in a wide variety (10 kinds) of sports: swimming, athletics, table tennis, bullet shooting, cross country skiing, badminton, darts, karate-do, judo and golbol.

Each year every student receives on average 200 hours of curative physical training.

All the above measures do promote effective rehabilitation of children: from 1998 to 2006, 136 individuals changed their disability status.

Saratov Vocational Boarding School for the Disabled is a specialized educational institution providing annual training to on average 132 residents of Saratovskaya Oblast and other Russian regions. The age of students varies from 15 to 40.

School training is based on the recommendations of individual rehabilitation programmes.

The School provides comprehensive rehabilitation support, including medical, psychological, occupational rehabilitation and social adaptation with the aim of effective subsequent integration of a disabled individual into the mainstream of the society.

Medical and psychological rehabilitation activities includes massage, physiotherapeutic treatment, regular medical check-up and psychological counselling.

Occupational rehabilitation is aimed at equipping the students with professional skills and qualification.

Social adaptation and adaptation to living conditions includes comprehensive activities aimed at the effective subsequent integration of the disabled individual into the mainstream of the society.

In 2006 the School obtained a licence for educational activity and accreditation for issuing diplomas and certificates of national standard. In June 2006, 52 individuals finished their training with the specialization in clothing and shoe manufacturing and artistic wood-painting.

The students’ housing and board is fully financed by the state. The students receive their complete pension without any deduction.

In compliance with Article 15 of the Federal Law “On the Social Protection of the Disabled in the Russian Federation” federal authorities, executive authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation and local self-government work to ensure the unhindered access to public buildings for the people with disabilities.

Organisational issues of promoting the barrier-free environment from 2003 lie with Saratov Oblast-level Centre for Rehabilitation and Social Integration of the Disabled.

Enquiries and examination carried out by the Centre employees have shown that wheel-chair users and the visually impaired are woefully limited in terms of transportation around the city. Participation in communal events, visits to the theatre, shopping trips meet insuperable obstacles. Streets, public transport and most public buildings are still inaccessible for the disabled due to high steps, narrow doorways, uneven footpaths, curbs and lack of ramps. However, despite all obstacles, a few conspicuous achievements have been made in the city over the three years of the centre’s performance.

Out of more than 1,5 thousand surveyed socially meaningful buildings, 458 were equipped with special adjustments which facilitate access to these constructions for people with disabilities and limited abilities. 553 buildings were partially refurbished, others are expected to be modernized in a due course.

The resolution of the Government of Saratovskaya Oblast No. 105-P of March 7, 2007 “On the Authorized Body of Executive Power of Saratovskaya Oblast” authorizes the Oblast Ministry of Health and Social Protection to co-ordinate the promotion of unhindered access to information and public buildings for the disabled and to monitor the compliance with the legal requirements in the area of barrier-free access to the means of public transport, communications, information, and newly-built and reconstructed public buildings.

In order to ensure the unhindered access to public buildings to people with disabilities, a social facility “Social Taxi” was established in April 2006 with the public institution “Unit for Training and Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities” within the jurisdiction of the Oblast Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

The facility provides transportation services to children and adult people with disabilities to facilitate social and medical examination, provision of dental orthopaedic services, provision of prosthetic and orthopaedic services and technical rehabilitation aids, visits to medical institutions, pharmacies and social support institutions.

In 2006, 1804 disabled citizens used the facility. Its further development is spelled out and regulated by the targeted programme “Social Support to the Disabled in Saratovskaya Oblast for 2007-2010”.

The Oblast Ministry of Health and Social Protection effectively co-operates with NGOs active in the provision of social services to people with disabilities and provides financial support. Among such organizations are Saratov Oblast-level Public Organisation for the Disabled, All-Russian Society for the Disabled, Saratov Regional Affiliate of Public Organisation “All-Russian Society for the Hearing Impaired”, and Saratov Oblast-level Organisation “All-Russian Society for the Visually Impaired”.

The Ministry supports events conducted in the framework of the International Day of the Visually Impaired, International Day of the Hearing Impaired and International Day of the Disabled by financing contests, festivals, sports days and trips to Olympic games held in other regions of the Russian Federation.

From 2003 the Saratov Oblast Ministry of Health and Social Protection in cooperation with the Saratov Government Foundation has been conducting the Oblast-level contest of social and cultural projects. The overall objective of the contest is to identify and promote the best initiatives of public associations and other NGOs active in the area of social support.

Nine NGO projects aimed at the effective rehabilitation and integration of the disabled into the society have been identified through the realization of the contest and received financial support.

Starting from 2000, Saratovskaya Oblast has been involved in eleven international projects aimed at support of socially vulnerable categories of citizens, including people with disabilities.

Starting from July 2005, Saratovskaya Oblast has been participating in the international project “Social Integration of the Disabled in Privolzhsky Federal Okrug” as a pilot region. The project is financed by the European Union and is implemented by the international consortium which is headed by Bernard Brunhes International and comprises the organizations from France and Germany. The project will last for 2,5 years and will be finalized in December 2007.

The project is being realized with the contribution and input of leading specialists in the area of rehabilitation of people with disabilities (among them representatives of the Oblast Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Oblast-level Rehabilitation Centre for Children and Adolescents with Limited Abilities, Chair of Social Anthropology and Social Work of Saratov State Technical University) who participate in seminars, workshops, training sessions and research and practical conferences held in the framework of the pilot projects.

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