International Day of People with Disability in the Vilnius Region

The International Day of People with Disability, established by the General Assembly of the United Nations, is celebrated annually on 3rd December. We dedicate this day specially to those who were not spared from unpleasant accidents of fate.

An unusual atmosphere could be felt that day in Centrum Dziennego Pobytu Osób Niepełnosprawnych (day care centre for the disabled) in Niemenczyn. The centre’s attenders were surprised by a number of special visits. The first visit was payed by the members of “Optymiści” senior club, in particular by its president, Ms. Józefa Gulbicka and one of the members, Ms. Krystyna Szadziun. The aim of their visit was to wish the attenders all the best and to hand out sweets.

The Mayoress of the Vilnius district municipality, Ms. Maria Rekść, and its alderman, Ms. Teresa Dziemieszko, were the next unexpected visitors.  The Mayoress gave her best wishes and assured that the disabled have been and always will be under special care of the municipality. The visitors presented the disabled with an enormous cake. They looked round a new unfinished extension and had a friendly tea party with the attenders of the day care. The disabled were eager to present their skills, such as singing, playing the guitar and dancing. The atmosphere was pleasant and homely thanks to the fact that the Mayoress and the whole government of the municipality remember of the disabled all year round, not only on this special day.

On 4th December, as a way of celebrating the International Day of People with Disability, the centre’s attenders went to “Akropolis” shopping mall in Vilnius, thus starting “a new tradition.” A sporting competition in a bowling alley, followed by strength regeneration at a pizza place and entertainment at a cinema, filled the day with positive sensations and kept the participants in high spirits.

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2012/12/06/miedzynarodowy-dzien-osob-niepelnosprawnych-w-rejonie-wilenskim-2/

Tłumaczenie Aleksandra Christ w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Aleksandra Christ the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.