YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. On the occasion of the World Autism Awareness Day, spouse of Armenian President, Nouneh Sarkissian, visited Lousé Rehabilitation Center located in the Yerevan My Love Foundation, reports Armenpress.

Mrs. Sarkissian toured the center, talked to the children and their parents.

The President’s wife told reporters that the Lousé Center helps not only the children with disabilities, but also those who take care of them. “We need to change our mentality. I remember that during my childhood years when we were seeing disabled people, we were shocked and looked at them because they were different, and parents sometimes were concealing them from public, but now all these have changed. We understood that these people as well are part of our society”, she said.

She also told a story of her life when she was unable to walk for quite a long time. “I recovered after treatment and started to walk, and every day thanked my two legs, and only at that moment I understood how it is difficult not to walk. Imagine the situation of these disabled people who are unable to do something. The work of parent and the person who takes care is very difficult. They must try to reveal the talent of that child, because every person has a talent, and this is the reason that we have organized lectures for the parents of the children”, Nouneh Sarkissian said.

She also didn’t deny the fact that there are numerous problems in terms of ensuring the movement of children with disabilities. “I value the fact that now people in Armenia are aware of these issues, and it is necessary to solve these problems step by step with joint efforts, and I hope that we all together will reach a point that will allow us to say that our country is convenient for the people with disabilities”, she said.

In 2008 the UN General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan