National Preventive Mechanism while the Akhaltsikhe Public Boarding School No. 7 is yet be rehabilitated. At the same time, all the aforementioned public boarding schools except School No. 203 have the status of an inclusive school.162 As a result of the assessment, it has been established that in terms of organization of adjacent areas, entrances to yards, and yards, only one school out of six (Boarding School No. 202) partially meets the norms163 established by the construction standards. Likewise, in terms of penetrability of the buildings, only one boarding school (N 200) partially meets the established norms. The school building is equipped with a wheelchair ramp, though the angle of slope is less than the norm by 1-1.5% (<6%), and the movement area from the door of the central entrance to the ramp is less than 150 cm (<150 cm). The central entrances of the rest of the buildings are mostly unequipped with wheelchair ramps, have high-step staircases, and lack handrails, which creates a dangerous, uncomfortable, and/or impenetrable environment for a person with any mobility. Unfortunately, the administrations of the institutions often have a mistaken opinion that if a building is equipped with a wheelchair ramp, it is accessible for persons with disabilities. Naturally, the level of penetrability of a building is very important, but, often, it is decisively important what means of movement there are inside the building. None of the buildings of the boarding schools is equipped with an elevator, which means that persons with disabilities can only use one particular floor. In the majority of the institutions, the first floor is occupied by the administration, whereas the aforementioned area is considered as the most accessible for persons with disabilities under conditions of limited accessibility. Restriction of movement inside the building is particularly visible in the Kutaisi Public Boarding School No. 45, despite the fact that the building is being renovated fundamentally, because, in this building, even corridors are connected with one another with high-step stairs, which are also without handrails. In terms of the accessibility of living rooms of beneficiaries and renewed interior and implements, the situation is relatively good in the boarding schools of Tbilisi (No. 200) and Kutaisi (No. 45). In most of the remaining institutions, the living rooms contain old implements (in some institutions, the rooms are only furnished with beds); the interior is also old. In almost all institutions, the doors to the living rooms do not have locks, are non-functional, or can only be locked from the outside. In this respect, the situation is especially disturbing in the boarding schools of Akhaltsikhe (No. 7) and Tbilisi (No. 202). In the latter, the entrance door has glass panes and is covered with a curtain. It should also be taken into account that the beneficiaries of the aforementioned institution have visual loss or impairment. In one of the living rooms of Boarding School No. 203, the distance between the beds was 45 cm, while in the Akhaltsikhe Boarding School No. 7 this distance amounted to28 cm. All institutions are characterized with the absence of ventilation systems and the means to call a caregiver (helper), as well as with weak lighting. All the sanitary facilities (toilets and bathrooms) without exception are impenetrable (door width <85) and/or inaccessible for use – toilets without toilet seats and, if toilets seats are in place, without a supportive handrail and surface, insufficient space – less than <150. The majority of the showers and taps are out of order, or they are absent; The doors cannot be locked, and the lighting is weak. Despite the fact that reconstruction works were carried out in the boarding schools of Tbilisi (No. 200) and Kutaisi (No. 45), unfortunately, we still saw toilets without toilet seats in their buildings. The plumbing systems, taps, and sewage systems are in a need of repair and replacement. The majority of the canteens in the boarding schools (five out of six), meet the necessary standards of accessibility to some extent, though, unfortunately, this only pertains to the internal environment of the canteens, while the front areas and entrances to the canteens still remain inaccessible. THE RIGHT TO PRIVATE ABODE AND SPACE In a number of cases, the monitoring group documented violations of the beneficiaries’ right to use private space and abode in the boarding schools. For example, the door to the living room of Boarding School No. 202 has glass panes, 162 The website of the electronic catalog of educational establishments (eCatalog) created by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia - http://catalog.edu.ge 163 Order No. 1 of the Ministry of Urban Planning and Construction of February 3, 2003 which approved: “Living Environment for Invalids, the Standards of Planning Elements” and “The Standards of Planning Elements of Public Buildings and Facilities for Invalids”. www.ombudsman.ge NPM Report