The Archangelsk Regional Association of NGOs for people with disabilities joined the IDEA network in 2008.

The organization was registered on September 15, 2005. Its main mission is advocating rights and interests of people with disabilities including:
• interaction with government bodies and lobbying;
• interaction with media to form a positive image of the Association and its member organizations;
• information support of member organizations;
• training and re-training of experts from member organizations and exchange of know-how and experience.

Currently the Association unites twenty member organizations and employs the Chairman, an accountant, and several project assistants (up to eight people).

Within the short time since its launch the Association has already demonstrated its ability to influence the social policy of the city and region through participation in:
• developing and adopting the City Charter;
• forming the Public Chamber and developing the program of the Federal ombudsman in Archangelsk region;
• lobbying for the Rodnik rehabilitation center, the Archangelsk system of job-related pre-placement medical and social exams, and boarding vocational school for teenagers with disabilities;
• lobbying for legislation on social security and employment guarantees for people with disabilities;
• lobbying for the inclusive approach to education, etc.

All these activities gained significant public support which would have been impossible without the coordinated effort of member organizations (for more information please see www.sousnko.ru)

For the latest news and events in civil society development see the sites in Russian:
www.sousnko.ru
www.arovog.deafnet.ru
www.4cs.ru
www.pomorcpp.org