Krystyna Dzikowska, a resident of Spółdzielcza Street, has had a disability since childhood. She has been certified as having a second-degree disability. She did not walk at all until she was five. Various doctors examined her. It was only a specialist from Poznań who helped her enough for her to be able to stand on her feet. “I held on to my mother or father and walked that way,” she recalls Mrs Krystyna.
She moved to Bolesławiec in 1966. For some time, she worked as an accountant. How did she manage in everyday life? “I have very good neighbors who help me with shopping,” explains the Bolesławiec resident. Moreover, thanks to help from her uncle in the United States, Mrs Krystyna has been getting around our city on a scooter since February this year. Now she can do her shopping herself. “My life is easier. I can meet up with friends,” she says with a smile.
As she admits, the county authorities are paying increasing attention to the needs of people with disabilities, although still not to a sufficient degree. “The side streets are somewhat neglected,” notes Krystyna Dzikowska. In her conversation with us, the Bolesławiec resident complained, among other things, about the ramp in front of her staircase entrance.
“If Mrs Krystyna Dzikowska had contacted us, she would have learned that this is only the beginning of the work,” Piotr Hetel told the IstotneInformacje.pl portal Piotr Hetel, president of Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa „Bolesławianka”, which manages the building on Spółdzielcza Street. Work to extend the ramp began on August 1 (for the time being, Mrs Krystyna managed to descend it only with difficulty). Soon the housing cooperative is to install a handrail and a barrier.
As the president of „Bolesławianka” explains, people with disabilities may apply to the State Fund for Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities for funding for measures aimed at removing architectural barriers. Obtaining permission to build a ramp or install an elevator can sometimes be a lengthy procedure. “But PFRON helps with this. And so do we,” assures Piotr Hetel.
How does the county office help people with disabilities?
Powiatowy Urząd Pracy w Bolesławcu and the Referat Spraw Obywatelskich, Społecznych i Zdrowia provide assistance to people with disabilities and employers who employ or wish to employ them. Training courses and internships are organized for people with disabilities. An unemployed person who wants to start a business may apply for a loan to launch it. Employers who would like to adapt newly created or existing workplaces for people with disabilities may also apply for financial support.
Meanwhile, Powiatowe Centrum Pomocy Rodzinie provides funding for, among other things, rehabilitation stays, orthopedic supplies and rehabilitation equipment, as well as the removal of architectural, technical and communication barriers. In addition, PCPR issues parking cards to people with disabilities and reduced mobility, while Powiatowy Zespół ds. Orzekania o Niepełnosprawności w Bolesławcu issues disability cards.
(information from Starostwo Powiatowe/ii)