The struggle for the rights of Kazakh disabled

Oleg Šarapatjuk asks for a new leg prosthesis in court. Victim of an accident at the workplace, like so many in his condition, he is ignored by the country's institutions. We need higher pensions and better services for people with different abilities. About 700,000 invalids live in Kazakhstan.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Oleg Sharapatjuk's trial against the Temirtau administration to obtain his right to have a leg prosthesis opened yesterday. 45-year-old Oleg is disabled; his case has become the sounding board for all disabled people in the country, according to whom "the state defends the system and not the person", reports Radio Azattyk. The government has promised to review the legislation in this regard.

For several years, Šarapatjuk waged this battle alone. Once he was a healthy and sturdy worker, a hauler for a large company: he was left without a leg because of his employer, resulting in a third-level disability. He would have the right to the prosthesis, but none of the bodies in charge took an interest in him or checked that he was granted this right, which was denied him several times even in court.

Oleg says that the term of use of the first temporary prosthesis has already expired: "By law I would be entitled to the new one, since this no longer fits well and causes me severe pain and discomfort, leading to a general deterioration in my general health".

In April, the court had agreed with the employer, who considered the initial aid sufficient. A new prosthesis costs over 5.5 million tenge (about 10,500 euros). Azattyk listeners have collected 128 thousand tenge (245 euros) for him, and this act of solidarity has prompted him to continue his struggle, turning to the regional court.

As Oleg himself points out, "on social networks many other people in my condition ask the government to raise the rates of disability pensions, to put us in a position to have accessible housing and to provide at least some essential services".

He points out that so far "only a few privileged people manage to achieve something, in rather ambiguous ways". By law, occupational disabilities must be covered by employers, who are also required to pay the salary to which the disabled worker would be entitled on a regular basis, and to insure all other services if found guilty of the damage.

As Irra Belfer, a Kazakh activist for human rights, observes, “in recent times many social groups in our country have begun to report the violations of their rights and the disabled are one of these groups. As one gets used to mutual support, the whole of society grows and strengthens in defence of human dignity. You get used to words almost unknown to us such as tolerance and inclusion”. According to Belfer, five years ago in Kazakhstan people were limited to "kitchen complaints", in the close circle of friends and relatives, for fear of losing what little they had and doing damage to their relatives.

According to activists, the overcoming of fear for one's own destiny, deeply rooted in the mentality of the Kazakhs, is caused by the regime's "inquisitorial" policy, for which any request from citizens is already considered a form of dissent. Public officials are used to the positive reports of Soviet memory, so "everything is always fine" and plans are respected even beyond expectations; not to mention widespread corruption. Any denunciation of discrimination is denied, because "in the state plan there is no mention of it".

To ensure an acceptable standard of living for all citizens, Kazakhstan signed the UN convention on the defence of people with different abilities in 2015. However, in these six years there has been very little progress in this regard.

Venjamin Aliev, another human rights activist, said that "at the moment in our country the disabled are the most defenceless category, and during the pandemic their conditions have worsened further". About 700,000 disabled people live in Kazakhstan, 3.7% of the entire population.