OUT OF STEPPE: DISABLED MONGOLIANS STRUGGLE TO INTEGRATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ULAANBAATAR 000285 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL, MED, AND EAP/EX STATE PASS PEACE CORPS USAID FOR ANE FOR DEIDRA WINSTON MANILA AND BANGKOK FOR USAID MANILA PASS ADB USED TREASURY PASS IMF, WORLD BANK USEDS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM EAID SOCI PGOV KOCI KGLB AMED SCUL ECON MG SUBJECT: OUT OF STEPPE: DISABLED MONGOLIANS STRUGGLE TO INTEGRATE REF: 07 ULAANBAATAR 575 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Disabled Mongolians face serious obstacles to full participation in society, despite advances in special education and societal awareness. Many of these obstacles are infrastructure-related. The elation that many disabled Mongolians felt in August 2007, when Parliament passed nine amendments to strengthen their rights, has vanished, with the Government of Mongolia (GOM) failing to implement or enforce key provisions. Buses and buildings remain wheelchair-inaccessible, companies are not being forced to comply with disabled-hiring laws, and neither traffic laws nor cross walk devices protect the disabled, where even able-bodied Mongolians risk life and limb crossing Ulaanbaatar's busy streets. The GOM's decision to scrap a transport-fee exemption for the disabled sparked a June 5 protest by dozens of blind or otherwise impaired Mongolians. Since January, the GOM has provided an allowance to state schools that accept disabled students. Special education needs are partially met in the capital, but conditions in the countryside are grim. One disabled man who grew up in the South Gobi recounted having to be carried to and from school on the backs of fellow students. Many disabled youngsters, particularly those in rural areas, are kept at home. There continues to be a powerful stigma associated with having a disabled child; in some cases, mothers are blamed. Rehabilitation services are concentrated in the capital. The GOM supports a Paralympic team but has failed to make 10 percent of Mongolia's sports-education facilities accessible to the disabled. The June 29 elections will not be disabled-friendly, advocates say. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) People with physical and cognitive disabilities in Mongolia continue to face major challenges to full participation in society, despite legislative steps forward, improvements in societal attitudes and advances in special education. This is the consensus that emerged in meetings Poloff held between May 29 and June 4 with the head of Mongolia's Federation of Disabled Persons; an American Fulbright scholar who has conducted extensive research on Mongolians with disabilities; a physically disabled Mongolian who works at the NGO Mercy Corp; and others. The following topics are keyed to the relevant paragraph numbers: ¶3. Background ¶4. Legislative Advances, But Enforcement Lacking ¶5. Loss of Benefit Sparks Protest ¶6. Incentives for Disabled-Friendly Schools ¶7. Six Special-Needs Schools in UB ¶8. Countryside Conditions are Grim ¶9. Individual Suffering ¶10. The "Invisible Population" ¶11. Rehabilitation Services ¶12. A Sporting Chance ¶13. Election Concerns ¶14. Comment BACKGROUND -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Many disabled Mongolians are still adjusting to the sea change in treatment/care that began when Mongolia turned its back on the communist system in 1990. During the communist era, experts say, care for the disabled was highly centralized, and the focus was on institutionalization; those with special needs tended to be socially excluded. Since then, the experts say, many facilities dedicated to the disabled have closed, and many resources extended to the disabled have been reduced. When the Soviets left in the early 1990's so too did their substantial subsidies for health, education and welfare. Conversely, the level of disgrace associated with disabled family members has declined in recent years. ULAANBAATA 00000285 002 OF 005 LEGISLATIVE ADVANCES, BUT ENFORCEMENT LACKING -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Ten months after Parliament was cheered for passing nine legislative amendments to strengthen or expand the rights of people with disabilities (reftel),many disabled Mongolians are disappointed with the GOM's failure to implement or enforce key legal provisions. Companies with 25 or more employees have ignored the requirement to set aside at least four percent of positions for people with disabilities, and have failed to make their workplaces disabled-friendly, as required by law. Bus companies with 20 or more buses have not complied with the law that at least half be made wheelchair-accessible. The President of Mongolia's Federation of Disabled Persons, Mr. Oyunbaatar, told us that because hiring provisions are not enforced, disabled people encounter great difficulty in finding a job. A Mercy Corps program officer who is physically disabled, said some companies see themselves as exempt from the law. He told us that executives of a security company questioned how, given the nature of their company, it could possibly meet the hiring requirement. Later this year, Parliament is likely to approve the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On paper, Oyunbaatar said, Mongolia continues to promote the rights of the disabled. But in reality, he said, many disabled Mongolians remain unaware of their entitlements, and many able-bodied Mongolians are ignorant of the rights of the disabled. He also complained that GOM allowances to disabled Mongolians (whose disabilities are evaluated by local commissions) are only available to adults; nothing is provided specifically for children with disabilities. (Note: All Mongolian children, disabled or not, are eligible for general GOM allowances. End Note.) LOSS OF BENEFIT SPARKS PROTEST -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Parliament recently passed an amendment that will require disabled and elderly Mongolians to start paying public-transportation fees, from which they are currently exempt. The regulation will take effect on July 1. To ease the transition, the Government has proposed a 6,000 Tugruk ($5.17) transportation stipend for these individuals, but this is widely considered insufficient. On June 5, dozens of blind or otherwise impaired Mongolians responded to the Parliamentary decision by holding a bold protest at Sukhbaatar Square, chaining themselves together and crawling on their hands and knees to the UB Mayor's office. (Note: Event photo available from EAP/CM. End Note.) INCENTIVES FOR DISABLED-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) An American Fulbright Scholar researching disabilities in Mongolia believes that the GOM is making a good-faith effort to incorporate special needs children into the state school system (in line with Millennium Development Goals). She told us that the tendency to exclude the disabled from society, which ran deep during the communist era, is being reversed, and that the guiding principle in Mongolian educational reform is "inclusiveness." Since January, she noted, the Education Ministry has been providing an allowance to schools that educate disabled kids. While this is a welcome development, the Fulbright scholar noted that there is no requirement that the allowance be used to support disabled students. She also notes that the lack of a disability-classification system gives schools considerable wiggle room in who to admit. For instance, she asks, could a student who wears glasses be defined as disabled? If so, a youngster who is confined to a wheelchair might be less likely to gain access to classes. SIX SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOLS IN ULAANBAATAR -------------- ULAANBAATA 00000285 003 OF 005 ¶7. (SBU) Experts note that there is no law that prohibits students with disabilities from attending regular public schools, but that there is a common belief among teachers that students with special needs should be educated at special schools. However, such schools are few and far between. Ulaanbaatar is home to six state schools dedicated to children with special needs; four are focused on youngsters who are vision- or hearing-impaired, and the other two are committed to educating those with other disabilities, including mental retardation. (Note: A 1998 survey by Mongolia's Health and Welfare Ministry indicated that 4.8 percent of the population - 115,000 people - had a disability, and that of this group, 30,000 had mental disabilities. Some western researchers dismiss the validity of these statistics. End Note.) There is little awareness that special education schools exist, the Fulbright scholar said. In the countryside, even families who have a disabled child and know about the special education available in Ulaanbaatar may be unable to send their child to the capital, because the cost of living there is substantially higher. CONDITIONS IN COUNTRYSIDE ARE GRIM -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In the countryside, the situation for disabled children is considerably bleaker. Able-bodied children from nomadic families often live at local school dormitories, many of which suffer from neglect; life is difficult there for those without disabilities, but for youngsters with disabilities, harsh conditions present often insurmountable obstacles. A Mercy Corps rep, estimates that of Mongolia's 365 counties, between five and ten have schools that are accessible to the disabled. He noted that some schools are configured to enable heavy cooking supplies to be delivered to the back kitchen, but lack front-entrance wheelchair access. According to the Fulbright scholar, who previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in eastern Mongolia, most teachers lack training for special-needs children and face difficulties in incorporating such students into a standardized classroom. Further hindering the learning process is a severe lack of specialized learning materials, such as Braille textbooks. INDIVIDUAL SUFFERING -------------- ¶9. (SBU) A disabled person provided a profile of his experience. He suffers from arthrogryposis, a rare congenital disease that afflicts the joints. He spoke about his experiences as a physically disabled boy growing up in the South Gobi (but cautioned that his case is unique, in that he was able to receive medical treatment in the United States). He said that in his middle and junior-high-school years, he relied on friends to carry him to and from school on their backs. At school, he needed their help to move from one class to another. Bathroom breaks could be humiliating. The "commuting" service was not rendered for free; in exchange, he did his helpers' homework. He said the only exemption he received was from physical education classes, during which he wrote essays on sporting culture. He said the greatest obstacle that physically disabled children in Mongolia face is infrastructural; they simply cannot make use of buildings, roads, restrooms and other facilities. For the cognitively disabled, he said, the main problem is societal attitudes that diminish the value of such individuals. THE "INVISIBLE POPULATION" -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Although reliable statistics are unavailable, experts in the field say many disabled children are kept at home, becoming part of what the Fulbright scholar calls the "invisible population." Shame is a motivating factor, but not the only one. There is a powerful social stigma associated with children with disabilities. ULAANBAATA 00000285 004 OF 005 Several studies by western researchers have documented cases in which mothers have been blamed for giving birth to a disabled child. For this reason, some families have opted to hide the child; in other cases, the father has abandoned the family. Because of the shame associated with disabilities, many families refrain from seeking public assistance. Making matters worse, parents of humble means -- and there are many in this category -- have no choice but to work, and are unable to be home during the day to care for the child. Mongolian corporate giving is a new concept; few firms see much public relations or commercial value in donating. REHABILITATION SERVICES -------------- ¶11. (SBU) According to the Fulbright scholar, rehabilitation services are concentrated in the capital; these services frequently fail to reach disabled residents of rural communities. Families with children who require prostheses face prohibitive expenses; it does not help matters that, as children grow, they require new equipment. The GOM provides wheelchairs to those who need them, but supply falls drastically short of demand. Since 1999, the GOM has operated a National Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Center; disabled students are among the 120 and 200 people who undergo training each year in tailoring, carpentry, secretarial skills and baking. Although this training ends up distancing some disabled children further from the regular education model, many NGOs enthusiastically support vocational schooling, which they see as providing disabled youth with a crucial skill set for survival. Other rehab services are provided by such groups as the Mongolian Association of Blind People (which also provides financial support and employment assistance); Takhilt, which assists those with spine and back injuries; and Ninjin, a group that runs a prosthesis factory. A SPORTING CHANCE -------------- ¶12. (SBU) New regulations stipulate that at least 10 percent of all sports-education facilities and gyms must be equipped for the disabled. However, advocates for the disabled say they have little faith that this requirement will be enforced in any meaningful way. On the international sports front, Mongolia will reportedly field a Paralympics team this year, for the third time since 2000. (Note: Athletes with physical disabilities compete in the Paralympics; those with cognitive disabilities compete in the Special Olympics. Both are recognized by the IOC. End Note.) Mongolian athletes are expected to compete in athletics, judo, shooting and archery. Oyunbaatar said that previously, the GOM offered 120 million Tugruks ($103,488) to any citizen who could win an Olympic gold medal. For Paralympic gold medalists, it offered one-tenth that amount. That has now changed, however; the prize amounts are equal. ELECTION CONCERNS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Oyunbaatar met in January with leaders of the General Election Commission (GEC) and identified three goals to facilitate the disabled community's participation in the June 29 Parliamentary elections. First, he suggested, all parties should announce their platforms on TV with sign-language translation; second, candidate lists should be made available in Braille; and third, disabled candidates should be supported. (Note: In 1997, the national public TV broadcaster began offering broadcasts in sign language. End Note.) In reply, the GEC reported to Oyunbaatar that discussion of such measures was "stuck" in Parliament; there was virtually no chance the suggestions would be embraced in time for the current election cycle. (Note: No disabled candidates have registered for the upcoming elections. End Note.) ULAANBAATA 00000285 005 OF 005 COMMENT -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Although the shame factor, the isolation of disabled children, infrastructural shortcomings and the lack of law enforcement paint an ugly picture of life for disabled Mongolians, there are hopeful signs. Internet use in Mongolia is booming, and with it, new windows are opening for disabled people with limited mobility. Meanwhile, Save the Children has launched a project called "Ger Teacher," which deploys teachers on "house calls" to educate disabled children and others who are isolated. By all accounts, education is key, and the GOM's provision of allowances to schools that admit disabled children is a step in the right direction. But for disabled Mongolians to take their full place in society, the Mongolian people will need to rethink their stereotypes and biases of those with disabilities. END COMMENT. MINTON