Chronicle - 23 November
2006
According to statistics, Tavoush region has the
highest number of disabled people in Armenia.
Nevertheless, the results were concluded in 2002; and
there have been no investigations since, reports
Trend.
The reasons of disability are health problems,
especially those caused during birth. "The girls of this
generation were born during the war years which has had
its influence. There are many cases of Cesarean section.
The residents of Ijevan have the problem of malnutrition
of future mothers too. Besides, there are few qualified
doctors", says Marine Khakhanyan, psychologist-pedagogue
of the Ijevan special school.
There are special schools in four centers of the
region - Berd, Noyemberyan, Dilijan and Ijevan. More than
300 children with special needs attend those schools. The
centers were founded by NGO "Bridge of Hope".
First the centers had difficulty in finding disabled
children, as many parents were ashamed even to walk in
the yard with their disabled children. "Often the
neighbors did not know that there is a disabled child
living next door. It was difficult to persuade the
parents to bring their children to school. Today we have
many pupils who become more unrestrained and reveal their
talents. During the past three years about 150 pupils
started to attend common schools", says Artashes Amiryan,
manager of the Ijevan regional department of "Bridge of
Hope".
The Ijevan special school is located in a kindergarten
building. The municipality has given the building to the
NGO free of charge for 99 years. 3-25-year-old about 85
children with special needs come to the center five days
a week. They play, draw, sing and participate in the
meetings of the debate club. They also participate in
courses of rhetoric. Alongside with the conditions
created for the disabled children, the center has one
problem - that of heating. The center is heated with gas
stoves which are not enough for the building, not to
mention the dangers they cause.
Source
Trend
