A number of 52 pictures taken by persons with disabilities from both banks of the Nistru River have been exhibited in the square Stephan the Great and Holy, at the intersection of the streets G.Banulescu Bodoni and 31 august 1989 in Chisinau. The exhibition entitled “Ramps over the Nistru” was designed as a dialogue between people with special needs from both sides of the river. The photos show authors’ emotions and speak about the rights and barriers of persons with physical disabilities and stories with positive essence involving them, IPN reports.
Project director at the Center for Legal Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Olga Cenusa said the goal of the exhibit is to build confidence between physically disabled persons from the two banks of the Nistru. “The pictures were produced by 16 exhibitors who contributed to facilitating the dialogue between the young people with special needs from the two sides of the Nistru and to strengthening civic activism and knowledge of the rights of the persons with disabilities” stated the organizer of the exhibition.
One of the authors of the photos Svetlana Statnic from Dubasari said her pictures show a seven-yea-old boy with disabilities who wants to study at a general school, but does not have access to the education institution because there are no ramps, while the desks and chairs are not adjusted to his needs.
Another author Cristina Gherciu from Gratiesti village of Chisinau municipality said her photos show aspects of the life of disabled persons and the problems they face. “I wanted to emphasize the necessity of accepting the young people with physical disabilities as they are. They should be accepted at work, in schools, at kindergartens, everywhere,” she stated.
The exhibit forms part of a project implemented with the finical assistance of EU and UNDP within the Support to Confidence Building Measures Program. Project coordinator Olga Vasiliev said that young people with disabilities from Transnistria were taught the Photovoice method, being helped to acquire skills to photograph and to express their feelings and problems by pictures. “We want to sensitize the general public and decision makers to the problems faced by the people with disabilities and we hope that this way we will become more receptive and will make effort to solve these problems,” she stated.
The exhibit will continue until August 12.
