During its session held on 25 February this year, the District Council allocated funds from the State Fund for Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities. This year, the District will have PLN 1,136,623 at its disposal, which is over PLN 138,000 less than in 2009. These funds were allocated on the basis of the needs of people with disabilities. The allocation received a positive opinion from the District Social Council for People with Disabilities.
At the same time, the Council sent a letter to the president of PFRON in Warsaw and the government plenipotentiary for people with disabilities, expressing concern over the year-on-year reductions in funding for the vocational and social rehabilitation of people with disabilities.
Due to the reduced funding, restrictions have been introduced on the implementation of these tasks. Architectural barriers will not be removed in the individual homes of people with disabilities. People with disabilities will receive assistance only for the purchase of orthopaedic equipment and auxiliary devices. The purchase of rehabilitation equipment will also not be subsidised, with the exception of prosthetic corsets for women after mastectomy. People with disabilities will also not be able to benefit from rehabilitation stays. Funding will be granted only to those people with disabilities who have declared their participation in the EU project “Socially Active in Bolesławiec District 2008–2013”.
The amounts allocated for vocational rehabilitation will also be limited. Employers wishing to equip workstations for employees with disabilities may receive up to PLN 20,000 per workstation. Individual people with disabilities who wish to start their own business may apply for an amount not exceeding PLN 15,000.
(SP/ii information)