02.12.2022

PHOTO EXHIBITION "THROUGH MY EYES AND YOURS" DEDICATED TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

On the eve of the International Day of People with Disabilities, a multimedia photo exhibition "Through my and your eyes" was opened at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. "We have to prove to society that people with disabilities are a valuable resource. This is a long process that cannot happen solely with the efforts of the state," Minister Lazarov said at the presentation of the exhibition organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Human Resources Development Program. "It is necessary for each of us to make an effort to have a society without borders, without an inaccessible public environment, without social exclusion - a society that guarantees everyone's right to realize themselves. We will fully support initiatives to provide employment to people with disabilities," he added.

The photo exhibition "Through my eyes and yours" is dedicated to people with disabilities in Bulgaria with a focus on autistic individuals. The aim of the project is to put an emphasis not on the diagnosis of "disabled", but on their knowledge, skills, talent and opportunities to fully integrate into society and contribute to its development. The exhibition presents photographs of 18-year-old Sevdalin Tlachenski, an autistic person, and his mentor Alexander Nikolov, winner of the "Journalist of the Year" award for 2021 of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee.

Deputy Ministers Nataliya Efremova and Nadya Klisurska, representatives of the Metropolitan Municipality and non-governmental organizations providing social services for people with disabilities participated in the premiere of the exhibition.

"In the coming year, we will continue to work hard to support disadvantaged people. Our main focus will be on the opportunities for their employment. We will have special programs for employers, for the non-governmental sector," said Deputy Minister Natalia Efremova.

Nadya Klisurska emphasized the need to "see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us". "I hope that we will all have the sensitivity and patience to appreciate the uniqueness of each one, to see for their strengths and skills and give them a chance to develop them," she said.

Five poets from different generations - Petar Chuhov, Kristin Dimitrova, Maria Doneva, Konstantin Trendafilov (Papi Hans) and Anastasia Stoilova - wrote poems based on the photographs of Sevdalin Tlachenski and Alexander Nikolov, which reflect society's sensitivity to the problems of people with disabilities in Bulgaria.