Armenia to introduce new system of assessing disability in 2022

YEREVAN, May 12. /ARKA/. A new system of assessing the disability of citizens will be introduced in Armenia in September 2022, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stepanyan said at a press conference on Wednesday.

On May 5, the Armenian parliament passed in the second and final reading a set of amendments to laws on the rights of people with disabilities, on the assessment of the functional capabilities of the individual and a number of related laws.

The amendments were designed to create equal opportunities for the participation of people with disabilities in all areas of public life, to eliminate discriminatory manifestations and provide appropriate targeted services according to their needs.

According to Stepanyan, today a person is granted a disability degree, based on his/her state of health. The assessment is made by permanent groups of experts composed largely of doctors.

"In the future, there will be no permanent groups, which will be replaced with a register of specialists, Groups of 3-5 experts will be recruited in the register the day before the examination of a citizen, based on their complaints," she said.

Thus, according to her, steps are being taken to control corruption risks. Stepanyan said that such a multifaceted assessment will give an opportunity to provide a person with an individual program of services.

“A citizen may or may not be recognized as a disabled person, but if he/she needs some services, they will be provided as a preventive measure. Under the revised laws we must provide a wide range of preventive services so that a person does not get a disability," she said. -0-