President Lennart Meri received in Kadriorg today Kaido Kikkas, who has written his doctor's thesis on the possibilities of the Internet for integrating disabled persons to the life of the society, and Anneli Säre, President of the Art Society of the Disabled People, and Toomas Sepp, Chairman of the Union of the Parents of Children with Hearing Disabilities, who had come to thank the President for his support and kind words during the 25th Art Festival of the Disabled People, which took place in Los Angeles last year.

Kaido Kikkas, who works in the rehabilitation technology lab of the Tallinn Technical University, and who has, in addition to his doctor's thesis of the possibilities of the Internet, also compiled an Information Technology Dictionary for the teachers of disabled people, said when handing over his books to the President that Estonia should give more attention to this tenth of the society that has been excluded from active life because of a major or minor disability.

Anneli Säre, President of the Art Society of the Disabled People in Estonia, handed over the painting ''Linnud'' (The Birds) by Sören Heinpalu living in Viljandi, and invited the President to admire the works of disabled people on art exhibitions. Toomas Sepp, Chairman of the Union of the Parents of Children with Hearing Disabilities, brought the President a small textbook of the sign language as a present to the President, and showed the President how an Independence Day speech could start in the sign language.


The Estonian President was the only Head of State to send his greeting to the Art Festival of the Disabled People in Los Angeles last year.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, February 3, 2000

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