Vice-President of the National Paralympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Double Paralympic Games Champion, Double World Champion, Seven times European Champion, 2015 European Games Champion, Honored Sports Master of Azerbaijan, 1st group disabled of Karabakh war Ilham Zakiyev December 3 – met with students at an event held at Azerbaijan University on the occasion of International Disability Day. At the meeting, Ilham Zakiyev informed the students about various aspects of his lives – beginning a sport, first sports successes, explained how he shot by the enemy sniper while performing combat mission in military service, loss of vision, rehabilitation period, return to sports and told about his successes. Also, he said that he is preparing for the next Paralympic Games which will be held next year in Tokyo. I. Zakiyev underlined that he was left difficult times with the support of his family and friends and also he mentioned that President Ilham Aliyev was always in the spotlight, and thanked First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the care and attention.

Then students with disabilities were motivators Mahammad Alakbarov, a first-year student of Social work at Azerbaijan University, and Natig Rahimli, a first-year student in Management, Murad Yunusov, a fourth-year student at Baku State University, and Actor of ASA Theater, Orkhan Aliyev talked about the social adaptation of disabled individuals problems, and solutions to their integration into society, and shared their life stories and experiences with the participants.

A lecturer at University, CHED courses teacher that organized by the University of Washington University to train specialists to work with children with disabilities in Azerbaijan Zuleykha Najafova, in her speech highlighted the positive changes in our country over the past 10-15 years, approaches to disability, service organization, and social welfare. Disability in Azerbaijan is a state matter and contain one of the main directions of our country's social policy.

In the event also depicted that International Disability Day is celebrated on December 3 each year. On December 14, 1992 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution about this issue. The purpose of the day is to involve the community in addressing disability issues, and to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in all areas of public life. Azerbaijan joined “Rights of Persons with Disabilities” Convention in 2006 by the UN. Significant steps are being taken by the state year by year to improve the social welfare of vulnerable groups, and the social security of these people.

The event was prepared jointly by the Department of Social Work Organization and the Student Youth Organization.

Public Relations Department
03.12.2019