In the Republic of Moldova, the commitment assumed by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are fully neglected. The courts of law remain inaccessible to persons with physical disabilities and inequity is thus created from the start for these compared with other participants in a trial, executive director of the Center for Legal Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Vitalie Mester stated in an interview for Radio Free Europe, IPN reports.
According to him, practice shows there are few cases when persons with disabilities accept to take part in a trial for the reason that they cannot enter the courts of law owing to the lack of wheelchair access.
Vitalie Mester said the owner of the building is responsible for the implementation of the law. “If the court of law is managed or owned by the Ministry of Justice, this is responsible, together with the courts of law that are in the Ministry’s subordination, for planning the budget for the next year so as to make the courts accessible and create optimal accessibility conditions for any person,” he stated.
He also said that the courts of law must ensure reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities, which does not mean that if a person goes to court, an elevator must be built for this to get to the fifth floor in an old building. Reasonable accommodation is when the judges go down to a courtroom at the first floor so that the persons with disabilities feel free and independent and their dignity is respected.
Vitalie Mester noted that the institution he heads promotes the conception of universal design. This means that what is done should be done to create a friendly environment not only for persons with disabilities, but in general for everyone, either a mother with a baby carriage or a person with reduced mobility.
