March towards Etchmiadzin
Dozens of the disabled moved from the Opera building towards Etchmiadzin today with the slogan "Everybody is part of society".
This time the marathon organized by the "Pyunik" union is dedicated to Republic Day and is aimed at raising public awareness of issues concerning the disabled.
According to statistics of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, there are nearly 160,000 disabled in Armenia.
"The disabled face many issues today, including unemployment, lack of accessibility and security. However, the government and NGOs are trying to solve the issues step-by-step," President of the "Pyunik" union Hakob Abrahamyan to "A1+".
When asked about their issues, almost all participants said that they have "many". Tigranuhi Minasyan mentioned inappropriate conditions for transporation and at the culture home.
Mher Manukyan, who has been on a wheelchair for the past 17 years, considers lack of workplaces as the key issue. Mher's wife is also disabled and they raise their only daughter with their 11,000 dram pension, which barely takes care of expenses.
The Catholicos will greet the marathon participants at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin with his patriarchal blessing at 4 p.m. today.
