Over 9 thousand disabled people inhabit Puławy. They constitute a significant part of the local community. The town’s authorities do all their best to prevent these people from social and professional exclusion. The disabled people’s problems constitute one of the main elements of THE PUŁAWY TOWN STRATEGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS SOLVING FOR THE YEARS 2005-2014 adopted in 2005. Actions for the sake of the disabled are undertaken resulting from a precise analysis of the real needs of this social group.

Many institutions are functioning on the town’s premises whose role is to take care of the disabled on daily basis, providing services such as: rehabilitation, counseling, trainings, cultural, sports and recreation activities organization.

For many years there have been actions undertaken aimed at architecture barriers elimination. In result of the undertaken modernization works, public usefulness buildings as well as education posts become more and more friendly towards the disabled people. The first building adjusted to their needs was the Town Hall building. Another crucial enterprise was modernization of the swimming pool in the Municipal Centre of Sports and Recreation. Driveways have been made for students on wheelchairs in a few schools. From 1997 the Public Integration Kindergarten functions in the town adjusted to the needs of disabled children.

Since 2003 the Puławy Culture Centre “Dom Chemika” is far more accessible for the disabled. The entrance door was replaced and a special driveway to the show room made. In November 2005 a special lift was fitted to enable access to the conference room, lecture rooms and galleries situated on the first floor. Due to this fact the disabled people can take part in cultural events, educative activities and watch exhibitions presented in the Puławy Culture Centre. The Municipal Library began a new service ‘book on phone’, including: information, reservation and book delivery for the disabled people. Most of the Puławy streets are equipped in driveways for wheelchairs while the traffic light signalization has sound effects for the sand-blind.

In 2004 the Communal Information Centre in Puławy was set up; its main goal is to support the unemployed in job seeking. Among the Centre’s clients are also the disabled people as the access to it is unrestricted by any architectural barriers. European Union funds are also used to support these actions.

Since December 2004 till July 2005 the training project “Communal Information Centre” was conducted in Puławy. The training offer included: English language course, computer course, economics basics, professional workshops, individual support as part of occupational counselling. The programme included 54 disabled people living in Puławy. Two high-class computer sets were handed over to Daily Social Care Home Complex after the project ended.