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In her remarks, Tatyana Golikova said that the Government intended to introduce new requirements regarding the accessibility of information resources for visually impaired persons, which would come into effect on March 1, 2026. In the meantime, the Government is drafting a corresponding act. These regulations will cover accessibility-related matters for websites of state-level and local government agencies, as well as their affiliated organisations.

Today, mandatory requirements for enabling visually impaired persons to access information include text-to-speech solutions, using keyboard and screen-access software for website navigation, better text contrast ratios and several other options. The draft Government directive is expected to set forth specific requirements for ensuring that visibility settings for visually impaired users can be easily located on the webpage. Offering text-to-speech capabilities will also become mandatory.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that both state and private entities must gradually bring their resources up to this standard ensuring full compliance with a single set of requirements so that people with disabilities can access information.

The progress report on the Concept for Promoting a Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Habilitation Framework for People with Disabilities, Including Children until 2025 was a separate item on the meeting’s agenda. This concept is designed to ensure that all people with disabilities can access quality, effective and safe services, thereby benefitting from maximum autonomy and improving their quality of life.

“Today, there are 11.4 million people with disabilities living in Russia, and 788,000 of them are children. According to the WHO, over one billion people suffer from various kinds of disabilities around the world. Consequently, the availability and quality of rehabilitation services is a global issue,” Tatyana Golikova pointed out.

Efforts to implement the concept have helped increase employment figures among working-age people with disabilities. Today, one in three people with a disability has a job in Russia, up from one in five in 2021.

All 27 mandatory standards for providing rehabilitation services have been adopted, covering areas from social and professional rehabilitation to prosthetics and orthopaedic assistance. This is expected to ensure the transition to a unified approach and improve the quality of services across the country. This initiative includes a transition period until 2030.

The development of rehabilitation infrastructure is subject to an annual review. Almost 29,000 organisations provide rehabilitation services in the country, either operating within or being affiliated to various agencies. Mobile services have also enjoyed positive momentum in their development. The number of stations renting out technical rehabilitation equipment has increased to 2,150 in 2025. A single digital platform has been launched at the federal level to enable all medical and social assessment commissions to operate within a unified digital ecosystem.

The authorities have been paying special attention to offering early care and assistance to children and their families. This included approving a standard for providing early and preventive care to children under three years old. In 2024, 91 percent of children who needed this kind of assistance were able to receive it. Improving the lives of people suffering from mental disorders has also been a priority.

Following the meeting, instructions have been issued to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, and the Ministry of Education.