The Russian textbook that stated that disabled people are not true individuals or citizens has been taken off of store shelves.
Publisher of the book, Drofa Publishing House, plans to submit the textbook to receive “additional expert analysis”. The publishing company says that they will recall the book if it fails to secure the approval of said experts. In such an event, the company will offer an appropriate replacement book.
The textbook that is designed for eighth graders has sparked outrage across Russia.
Specifically, the text reads, “Imagine a person who suffers from a serious psychological disorder since early childhood. He is incapable of studying, working, creating a family, of anything that forms the spiritual world of an individual. In other words, he is not an individual.”
The textbook goes on to state that only individuals are able to qualify as citizens of Russia.
The book is listed on Russia’s Education and Science Ministry’s list of recommended school manuals. It was edited by Dorfa’s former CEO of history and social sciences Tatyana Nikitina and Doctor of Education Anatoly Nikitin.
The company’s chief editor Ruslan Gagkuyev defended the book’s position.
“(The textbook) passed all the necessary expert reviews, and having received positive evaluations, was included in the federal list of (school) manuals,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian activists put a petition on a website to have the book recalled. The writings of the textbook were compared to Nazi psychiatrist Alfred Hoche. As of Friday morning, the petition has more than 1,000 signatures.
Russian advisor on social issues Yelena Klochko says that the textbook goes against the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Head of the Center for Autism Problems, Yekaterina Men, declared the textbook as “fascist”.
The textbook also drew outrage for stating that a “real man” must be intelligent and strong, and a “real woman” must be attractive.
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