There
are 115,000 registered people with disabilities (PWDs) in Mongolia, according
to the Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor. However, no general education
schools, colleges, universities, or technical/vocational or training centers
are accessible for them. Currently, 146 teacher-training colleges and
universities do not have standards for disability training or how to work with
children with a disability.

Things
have begun to change with programs that are part of USAID”s Fostering an
Inclusive Environment for Local Disabled (FIELD) Project, implemented by Mercy
Corps. Since its inception in January 2009, the FIELD project has trained over
2,650 disabled people in Mongolia. In December, project leaders advocated
successfully for approval of “National Standards for Accessible
Construction and Walkways” by Mongolia”s State Department of Measurement
and Standardization. As a result of the campaign, 23 accessible ramps already
have been built by government and private sector agencies at their own cost,
and several agencies have also modified their facilities to accommodate the
needs of PWDs.

The
FIELD trainings increased PWDs’ understanding of their situation and their
potential. But much more important has been the regular contact with other
people and with the public, which give them confidence and make daily life more
and more pleasant. One of them says that her participation in the trainings was
helpful because she finally understood: “I can do something to improve my own
situation.”