The members of the Deaf and Blind Society of Turkmenistan celebrated the International White Cane Safety Day at the training ground of the Agama Alpinist Club in the Demiryolchy sports and health-improving centre.
The festival on adaptable rock climbing for people with disabilities brought together more than 40 handicapped persons.The event was organized by the Agama Alpinist Club, the Deaf and Blind Society of Turkmenistan, the Center for Persons with Physical Disabilities, the UN Women, and the Children’s Fund of the Youth Organisation Central Council.
"The international community marked many significant and memorable dates in calendars", said Leyla Ataeva, a member of the Deaf and Blind Society of Turkmenistan. “Among them is the International White Cane Safety Day, celebrated since 1969.
This day is marked with the aim to help people with disabilities.Traditionally, on this day, the Deaf and Blind Society of Turkmenistan conducts seminars, meeting, trainings, lectures on how important it is to help people with a white cane.
Our country carries out significant work to help people with disabilities.Pensions and state benefits are constantly rising.Due to the social policy pursued by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, modern rehabilitation centers for children with physical disabilities are built throughout the country.
The solid legislative base has been created to ensure the social protection and create the best living conditions for this category of citizens”.
"This year, inviting people with disabilities to the Agama Alpinist Club, we tried to remind them that they are not alone, that we can understand and accept them as they are.
But the main goal of this day is to help people with disabilities through sports, in this case by climbing, to stimulate them to a healthy lifestyle, to attract the attention of people and media to their problems”, - says the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Agama Alpinist Club Valery Kotvin.
Especially for this case, Ashgabat alpinists prepared a climbing wall - a vertical wall-simulator 7 meters in height with artificial hooks.Before the ascent, each participant put on a safety belt to be controlled during the ascent.
Despite the complexity of the proposed task, most of the participants climbed the artificial rock in the allotted time.According to the common opinion, the best climbers’ were - Bogdan Kalugin, Didar Selimov, Leila Ataeva, Nargul Pashiyeva, Batyr Atayev, Muhammet Seyidov, Ogulshirin Bayramova, Arslan Ibragimov, Azat Akmuhamedov.
The organizers awarded diplomas and prizes to the winners of the competitions.The Executive Board of the Agama Alpinist Club awarded certificates to all participants of the first festival on adaptable rock climbing.
Ashgabat alpinists plan to regularly attract people of different ages and opportunities to take part in competitions on a rock exercise simulator.