On 14 June, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) opened a social inclusion centre that provides vital services to people with disabilities and to local communities of the mountainous Racha region, reported georgiatoday.

The new social inclusion centre has the capacity to provide vital services to over 50 people with disabilities in the village of Sadmeli, Ambrolauri Municipality. At the centre, people with disabilities can develop learning and employment skills and take part in physical rehabilitation programs. The entire community at large will benefit from the centre’s cooperation and partnership spaces. 

The centre facilities include a specialised gym, a library, a vocational training classroom and a combined print shop and bookbinder. These will provide much-needed jobs, training, counselling, physiotherapy, and inclusive outdoor space for people with disabilities. The centre will also serve as a social space for the elderly and local youth. The centre was established in partnership with Together For Real Change, a Georgian civil society organisation. The governments of Bulgaria and Poland also contributed by equipping the centre with disability-friendly technology and by building a greenhouse to grow vegetables and create additional employment opportunities for beneficiaries and staff. “Despite Georgia’s notable progress in recent years, people with disabilities remain one of the most excluded and marginalised groups of society.  In our quest for an inclusive society, we must ensure that they enjoy equal rights and equal opportunities in all areas of life,” stated the Head of the UNDP in Georgia Anna Chernyshova.  

On 5 March, Georgia ratified Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which establishes two procedures. The first is a complaint procedure that allows individuals and groups to take complaints to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the case of an alleged violation of their rights under the Convention. The second is an inquiry procedure that allows the Committee to inquire into allegations of grave or systematic violations of the Convention by a State Party. The UN praised the move, saying that the ratification would complement and strengthen existing domestic mechanisms designed to promote the rights of Persons with Disabilities, strengthen Georgia’s role within the international community and illustrate its commitment to constructive engagement with the UN human rights system.

In regards to people with disabilities, the UNDP in Georgia: 1) develops the national legislative framework; 2) introduces inclusive local services in the selected municipalities with the focus on women with disabilities; 3) improves the judicial remedies for persons with disabilities; and 4) increases civic activity and monitoring. According to the latest survey conducted by the UNDP, 51.2% of Georgia's residents were aware of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities and 67.2% agreed that persons with disabilities can achieve as much success in learning as other members of society. 33.5% still think that disability rights are fully protected in Georgia and over 43% consider disability care as the goodwill rather than the responsibility of the government.