Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Rehabilitation International - RI

Slovenia

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Institut Republike Slovenije za Rehabilitacijo, Slovenia
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Slovenian Government, ILSMH

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the government, in guidelines adopted by a national disability council, in policy adopted by political parties and in a national policy adopted by the parliament. According to the Government disability policy is not expressed in guidelines adopted by a national disability council or in policy adopted by political parties. The emphasis in this policy is on individual support, accessibility measures, rehabilitation, anti-discrimination law and prevention.

Since the adoption of the Rules, the government has not done anything to initiate or support information campaigns conveying the message of full participation. The Government states that it has initiated and supported information campaigns, conveying the message of full participation.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special legislation and general legislation. The judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is due process (legal remedy through courts). Administrative and other non-judicial bodies include an Ombudsman, a governmental body (administrative), and independent expert bodies. According to the Government there are no administrative or other non-judicial bodies available for that purpose.

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, access to court of law, the right to privacy and property rights. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, employment, independent living, participation in decisions affecting themselves. According to the Government, the benefits of independent living and of participation in decisions affecting themselves are not guaranteed by law.

New legislation concerning disability has been enacted since the adoption of the Rules. According to the Government, no new legislation concerning disability has been enacted since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are laws and regulations to ensure accessibility of the built environment requiring that public places, the outdoor environment and housing are made accessible. According to the Government, there are rules to ensure accessibility only for public places. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by the constructor and by the organizers/providers of the activity. The following measures have been promoted by the government in order to facilitate accessibility in the built environment: levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing automatic doors, lifts and accessible toilets, ensuring access to public places, improving accessibility in housing, providing financial support for accessibility measures in housing, installing special lighting for visually impaired and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. According to the Government, the only measures promoted to facilitate accessibility in the built environment are marking parking areas, installing automatic doors and installing special lighting for visually impaired. Special transport arrangements include free transport, special services and adapted buses. Special transport is available for medical treatment, education, work and for recreational purpose. According to the Government, special transport is not available for recreational purpose. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to built accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, technical factors, lack of planning and design-capacity, lack of knowledge, research and information, lack of user participation, lack of co-operation from other organizations/institutions and lack of enforcement mechanism. According to the Government, economic/budgetary factors is also a main obstacle for building accessible environments. There is a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language for deaf people is recognized as the official language of deaf people and is recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. According to the Government, sign language for deaf people is not recognized as the official language of deaf people, but used as the first language in education of deaf people. There are no government measures to encourage media to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities, but government measures to encourage other forms of public information to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities, e.g. informational services for the deaf and the blind. According to the Government, there are not even measures to encourage other forms of public information to make their services accessible. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape, news magazines on tape/Braille and sign language interpretation being available for any purpose. According to the Government, even easy readers for persons with mental disabilities are provided.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization in which 11 organizations are represented. There are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and to work with governmental institutions. According to the Government, there are no legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making or to work with governmental institutions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are often consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at the national, regional and local level. According to the Government, consultations occur only at the national level. The government financially supports existing or new organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in judicial authorities, to some extent in political parties, and to a great extent in government, legislatures and NGOs. The role of disabled persons organizations is to advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities.

The adoption of the Rules has not yet led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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