Barriers for people with disabilities as a problem of Russian settlements (as exemplified by the Murmansk region)

The article presents the results of the study of presence of barriers for people with disabilities as a historical and cultural process, which lead to the problem of accessible social environment for people with disabilities in Russia. Due to existing social barriers people with disabilities cannot lead an independent lifestyle and exercise their rights, which indicates the relevance of the problem under consideration. The article examines the level of accessibility/presence of barriers with regard to the social infrastructure in urban and rural settlements of the Murmansk region. The study conducted in 2018-2019 under the guidance and with participation of the author on the basis of an observation method has shown that the creation of an accessible environment in the region is extremely uneven depending on different areas and types of settlements. The problem of creating an accessible environment is better solved in urban areas, but most social infrastructure facilities are not even half ready for people with disabilities.