For many young people, going to school is a routine part of life. For Anush Aslanyan, it required something more unusual: Riding a horse.
Anush grew up in a rural community in Armenia, where opportunities for persons with disabilities were limited. Her school was far from home, transportation was inaccessible, and the idea of equal participation often seemed distant. Yet despite these barriers, she continued her education and refused to accept that disability should determine the course of her life.
At that time, opportunities for self-education, networking, and advocacy were scarce. Information was difficult to access, and connecting with people outside one’s immediate environment was often impossible.
Today, the situation is different. The digital world has brought information, communication, and opportunities closer than ever before. Yet many people with disabilities still face barriers to public participation, especially when their voices are ignored and discounted by decision-makers.
This reality drives the NGO “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities,” which was founded and continues to be led by persons with disabilities to advocate for their public participation and rights. Its work is rooted in a simple belief: People with disabilities should not only be beneficiaries of decisions, but active participants in making them.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
This reality inspired the “Disability-Led Civic Participation Hub” project.
As the organization’s president and the project leader, Anush Aslanyan spent years advocating for equal opportunities, independent living, and the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.
Her personal experience taught her that real change happens when people are given the opportunity to speak for themselves and when institutions are willing to listen.
Supported through the Digital Spark grant program, the Disability-Led Civic Participation Hub seeks to create a new space for dialogue between persons with disabilities and decision-makers.
At the heart of the project is a simple but powerful idea: Bringing people together around one table for honest conversations. Using digital tools and podcast formats, the project will create opportunities for persons with disabilities to discuss the challenges they face directly with policymakers, local authorities, experts, and other stakeholders. These conversations will not focus only on identifying problems. They will also explore practical solutions and encourage cooperation.
One example of this is the limited involvement of persons with disabilities in the design phase of reforms and programs across different sectors, such as employment, education, culture, and adaptive sports. Often, there is a disconnect between decision-makers and persons with disabilities, which leads to solutions that do not fully address real needs.
Bringing these groups together around one table creates an opportunity not only to raise concerns but also to co-create practical solutions. Such direct discussions help build communication and trust between stakeholders, while also identifying concrete ways to improve policies and services. For instance, involving persons with disabilities in the early stages of employment program design can lead to more accessible workplaces and inclusive hiring practices.
Too often, discussions about disability happen without the participation of persons with disabilities themselves. This project aims to change that by ensuring that their voices are documented and shared with a wider audience.
The power of digital storytelling
One of the strengths of digital technology is its ability to extend conversations beyond a physical room.
We will create a series of podcast episodes, which will be recorded and published online on Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities’ website in the dedicated Podcasts section, which has been specifically designed for hosting these and future podcast series. Through online distribution, podcast episodes can reach people who would otherwise never have the opportunity to participate in these discussions. Community members, advocates, policymakers, and citizens from different regions can listen, learn, and engage with the issues. In addition, the podcasts will be uploaded and widely shared օn YouTube and various social media platforms.
The project also includes the production of four short video reels featuring persons with disabilities. These videos will address topics that are increasingly important in today’s digital world, including digital safety, media literacy, barriers to education, and challenges in employment. People cannot influence decisions if they are absent from conversations. They cannot defend their rights if they do not have access to information. And communities cannot become inclusive if the experiences of persons with disabilities remain invisible.
The Disability-Led Civic Participation Hub is about more than podcasts and videos. It is about creating a culture where persons with disabilities are recognized as experts in their own lives and valued contributors to public discussions.
Anush’s journey, from a young girl riding a horse to reach school to a leader creating platforms for civic participation, reflects the broader message of the project: Barriers can be challenged when determination is combined with opportunity. By creating spaces for dialogue, amplifying lived experiences, and encouraging active participation, the project hopes to strengthen both democratic engagement and disability inclusion in Armenia.
