Laws discriminate people with disabilities

Current legislative acts discriminate citizens with disabilities. Most of them date since the time when Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia and are not consolidated in the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, argued the organisaiton Polio Plus – Movement Against Disability in favour of the governmental initiative called – “Regulatory Guillotine” – an idea for simplifying the laws and regulations.(23-MAY-07)

This article draws upon a number of articles, already published in Macedonian news media. The editing and rewriting into one, here has been done by Human Rights House Skopje/Rodna Turnovalieva.

On the latest press conference Polio Plus – Movement against disability, reacted towards 20 laws and 28 by-laws deemed for “guillotine”; laws that through time became absurd. “Disabled people in the Republic of Macedonia are discriminated under the laws in force from the time when Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia,  when the society valued other ideals” said Zvonko Savreski, President of the organization “Polio plus”- Movement against discrimination of disabled people in Macedonia.

As a discriminatory legislation, Savreski pointed specifically to the law for employing people with disabilities (lex–specialis), in addition to the labour law in Macedonia. Here, it says that a disabled person can be employed, or can have a responsible occupation only if obtained license from authorized commission. “Disabled people can perform responsible function only with a special license from authorized commission, whereas candidates for President of the State or for prime-minister do not have to make any medical examinations. This is absurd” says Savreski.

In response of the governmental initiative, regulatory guillotine, “Polio Plus” reacted on the law for privileges in the public transportation regarding disability people. Although in force since 1966, this law is contradictory with laws for public transportation voted in 1991 regarding taxes when buying a car and additional requirements burdening disabled people if owning an automobile.

Schools for driving license discriminate disabled people Schools for driving license in Macedonia do not own adapted vehicles for instructing disabled people. As a result of this, disabled people that want to have a driving license meet another invincible barrier. They have a right to drive a car, but they cannot pass the driving examination because the schools for driving license refuse them as candidates.
On the other hand, the driving schools are not legally bound to own an adapted vehicle for disabled people and as several managers of driving schools state it is not profitable to equip such automobiles.

Employing a Law for Preventing Discrimination
Only by eliminating the laws applied previous to 1991, the problem will not be solved.  It is necessary to employ a Law for Preventing Discrimination, known as the Law for Antidiscriminaiton, brought in the parliament by “Polio Plus” with collected over 18.000 individual signatures. Unfortunately, the law is wedged in the state administration for over a year. 

“For us the disability is a condition rather than a disease that needs cure. The State has to create conditions for equal opportunity. The last promise we received from the Ministry of Labor and Social Politics is that the act will be completed before the summer months.” – says Savrevski.