The Society of the Blind and Deaf organized the Poetry and Art Festival in Ashgabat with the assistance of the National Centre of Trade Unions and the UN Development Programme in Turkmenistan.

The cultural action dedicated to the 17th anniversary of Turkmenistan independence brought together over 70 participants from the regions – the winners of the amateur art contests. During five day the artistic groups – the members of the Society for the Disabled People will perform the concerts at the specialized children’s institutions.

The Poetry and Art Festival for the disabled children is organized each year in one of the regions of Turkmenistan. This year it has brought the participants and guests together in the Turkmen capital – an evidence of the special concern of the Turkmen state for social protection of the most vulnerable layers of the population. The Society of the Blind and Deaf aims the activities at guaranteeing the exercise of the rights and freedom to disabled citizens. The considerable accomplishments in this work were achieved in co-operation with the UN Development Programme. The first in Central Asia Rehabilitation Centre engaged in designing and delivering courses on vocational training, English language, computer literacy and use of the internet was opened in Ashgabat.

Those speaking at the opening ceremony noted that such actions helped to reveal talented children for whom participation in the concerts – an additional incentive to develop their creative abilities, to live the interesting, full-value life.

An exposition of the paintings, the works of applied and decorative art and handicrafts created by the members of the Society for the Disabled People was arranged in the framework of the artistic contest.