Soviet Union in less than two years. In an attempt to avoid a third short-lived leader, in 1985, the Soviets turned to the next generation and selected Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev made significant changes in the economy and party leadership, called "perestroika". His policy of "glasnost" freed public access to information after decades of heavy government censorship. Gorbachev also moved to end the Cold War. In 1988, the Soviet Union abandoned its nine-year war in Afghanistan and began to withdraw its forces. In the late 1980s, , which paved the way for Revolutions of 1989. With the tearing down of the Berlin Wall
European Union disability policy the year 2003 as the "European Year of People with Disabilities." Following the success of this event, the European Commission introduced the "Equal opportunities for people with disabilities: a European action plan for the years 2004-2010". It aimed to develop a sustainable-operational approach to the case for the disabled in the extended Europe, finding out and protecting the rights of the disabled. European Union disability policy The European Union policy for disabled people guarantees governmental responsibility for all disabled people in all of EU's member states. This policy operates in the framework of the subsidiarity principle: if possible, one should