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Gori Municipality Initiative – elevator for disabled people

November 15, 2016
 
Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

A 25-year-old Viktor Karkishvili is a disabled person. He lives on the 4th floor of the 5-store residential building. He has to leave house every day and says it is more difficult to leave the building than move about the city. 

“I am a para-dancer and have to leave home every day. Often I skipped the rehearsal, because I could not come down the stairs. My family members and friends bring me down with their hands. However, sometimes I hesitate to ask them for help because you cannot always oblige the family members, or friends to take care of you; everybody has his own affairs. Moving in the city became easier. The environment is mostly adapted and I move by wheelchair”, - Viktor Karkishvili told humanrights.ge.

Leaving home was problematic for Lamzira Melikidze too. However, the Gori Municipality administration allocated 1950 GEL from the budget of the residential buildings partnership for the construction of adapted elevator in the Eliozishvili street #15 where Melikidze lives and now she can move independently. 

“I have been disabled for 23 years and I had to disturb my neighbors until now because I could not leave home independently. After the elevator was constructed, I actively communicate with society and I am very happy with it”, - Lamzira Melikidze said. 

The Gori Municipality does not exclude that similar elevators will be constructed in the buildings where disabled people live in upper floors. However, meanwhile the local administration shall raise corresponding funds. 

“One of the priorities of the Gori Municipality is to create adapted environment for disabled people. Our social budget is 820 000 GEL, out of which 210 000 GEL is allocated to support the disabled people. 11 social projects were financed from the budget and their beneficiaries were disabled people. Besides that, all infrastructural projects, implemented by the Gori City Hall since 2014, aimed to create adapted environment for wheelchair-users. With the effort of Lamzira Mikeladze, we will construct elevators for other disabled people too”, - the city mayor Zurab Jirkvelishvili declared. 

Viktor Karkishvili hopes the elevator will be constructed in his residential building too. He also hopes that the partnership of his residential building will also support and co-finance the project. 

“It is very good and innovative project and I hope all disabled people will be able to use the elevators. In our society integration is related to adapted environment. If the project continues, a lot of friends will come out as I do and they will become plenipotentiary members of the society. I am sure, the partnership of our residential building will support the project, because everybody knows me and more or less they are all aware about my problem”, - Viktor Karkishvili told humanrights.ge. 

The City Mayor stated the security guarantees of the elevators shall be checked; afterwards they will be constructed in all residential buildings, where disabled people live in the town. Zurab Jirkvelishvili said, after the security check of the elevators is done, he will try to fund the construction totally from the City Hall’s budget, so that co-financing will not be needed. 

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