MOSCOW, December 3 (RAPSI) – A group of lawmakers from Liberal Democratic Party has drafted a bill introducing the post of ombudsman for people with disabilities, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday, citing one of the authors of the bill, Yaroslav Nilov.

Nilov, who drafted the bill along with Igor Lebedev and Andrei Svintsov, said they submitted the document in time for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is marked on December 3.

Several bills have been adopted to improve transit, information and communication access for the disabled and to give them more opportunities in culture, sports, healthcare, social protection and employment, Nilov said.

He added that according to the Russian Labor Ministry’s report to the UN on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the number of people with disabilities has not decreased in Russia from 2009-2013, while the number of children with disabilities has grown despite measures to prevent this.

This is why the MPs have proposed creating the post of ombudsman for the rights of people with disabilities under the president and similar posts in the regions.

Nilov pointed to red tape, procrastination, extortion for the documents certifying that people have disabilities, and refusal to hire these people.

The authors of the bill believe that society needs ombudsman for the disabled who would promptly react to unreasonable incidents involving these people, take proper measures and cooperate with public and government agencies.