Authorities need to create conditions for disabled people's social integration, study

Moldovan authorities need to create conditions for the social integration of disabled people, besides ensuring their medical needs. The recommendation was made by the Legal Assistance for Disable People Center (CAJPD) in conclusion of a study on the social participation barriers faced by this population, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the study, which was presented at a press conference on Tuesday, August 2, 53% of the respondents think that associations for the support of disabled people are the most actively involved in implementing social policies. 65% find that the Government and the Parliament aren’t active enough. “Disabled people in Moldova face many barriers in social participation. They cannot engage in civic and political life and are discriminated against by employers. Authorities satisfy only their basic needs, but don’t contribute to their social integration. There are cases when disabled people pass all the steps for employment: application, interview, but at the end the employer suddenly changes its mind”, said Mariana Tabuleac, public relations coordinator of CAJPD. 62% of respondents think that social participation barriers for disabled people can be overcome only through the involvement of local public administration. According to Mariana Tabuleac, many buildings don’t have approach ramps for disabled people. Even those who do have ramps, often have too narrow doors which block the access of people in wheelchairs or don’t have an elevator to allow them to move to higher floors. CAJPD deputy chairman, lawyer Ion Cibotarica, added at the press conference that the systems of social security, employment, healthcare and education needed to be reformed in order to prevent the infringement of human rights stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “The study shows that these problems can be solved by developing an anti-discriminatory legal framework, which would facilitate access to social rights. New normative acts should stipulate deadlines for eliminating social participation barriers on local and national levels”, said the jurist. According to the authors of the study, disabled people cannot participate in politics because many institutions aren’t accessible. “Those who are civically active and want to participate in the political life have to give up at the very entrance of the institution because they simply can’t get inside. Some can’t even vote as the stamp is too high or because they are blind. Proper transport for disabled people is another problem, especially in rural zones. They can’t go to campaign meetings”, said sociologist Parascovia Munteanu. As of 2010, the number of disabled people in Moldova is over 170,000. About 15,000 of them are children. The study comprises data gathered between November 2010 and April 2011and was conducted on 807 people aged between 18 and 55. 46.8% of them are disabled persons.