On September 30, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy and USAID Armenia Mission Director John Allelo visited ”Agate” NGO. Karine Grigoryan, “Agate” NGO founder and president welcomed the guests.
“Our American partners have made a great contribution in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in Armenia,” she said.
The guests had a talk with ”Agate” NGO staff, got acquainted with the activities carried out by the organization, as well as the projects which have already been implemented and are currently being implemented. The NGO staff presented the projects implemented over the years with the funding of the US Government, the purpose of which is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in Armenia.
“We are proud of our cooperation with “Agate” NGO and we appreciate your work. Persons with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups in society; through your work you make their voices heard, and you help the government and society to better understand their needs, and be accountable”, Ambassador Tracy says.
During the meeting, the obstacles and the challenges restricting the rights of persons with disabilities and the possible ways of eliminating them were discussed. Issues related to the promotion of independent living of persons with disabilities were touched upon. In this context, the participants talked about the “Leading for Independent Living” project, which is currently being implemented with the funding of the USAID. Within the framework of the project the “Agate” Independent Living Resource Center was established. The Ambassador got acquainted with the staff of the ILRC, who presented the services provided by the Center.
The mission of “Leading for Independent Living: Building Resources and Partnerships for Inclusive Communities in Armenia’’ project is to empower people with disabilities in Armenia to live independently, advocate for their rights, and participate fully in their communities, and is implemented by two leading disability organizations: Mobility International USA (MIUSA) and “Agate” Rights Defense Center for Women with Disabilities NGO.
This project is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of Agate and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.