Your trusted source

The public attitudes towards people with disabilities have significantly changed over a few decades, German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kisler said at today’s discussion on “Protection of the rights of people with disabilities and their social inclusion” held in Yerevan, Armenia.

“We have also overcome a long path to better accept and integrate the disabled people. When I was young, it was acceptable to discriminate against those people,” the German envoy said, sharing his country’s experience in tackling the issue.

“I remember how the children suffering from Down syndrome were treated. Their parents were afraid to let them out of the house, they were afraid that the kids could be bullied,” he said.

However, according to Matthias Kisler, Germany found the strength to fight against the discrimination. According to the ambassador, it is time to prepare the society and to carry out basic activities.

“I think the majority of German population now understands that it is beneficial for all of us to have the disabled better included and integrated [in the society]. The same refers to Armenia,” the top German official said.

Matthias Kisler says he has visited institutions taking care of people with disabilities, adding that though it is praiseworthy to see NGOs and individuals actively working in this sphere, it is equally, if not more important, to see the activities of officials and the government in this sphere.

The German official stressed the inclusion of the disabled should not depend on the readiness of certain NGOs: it is an issue concerning the government and parliament. “We learn from each others’ experiences, and I will take part in this whole process,” he concluded.