Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Disabled Peoples' International - DPI

Poland

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

National Diet of Disabled People, DPI, Poland
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Polish Government, ILSMH, WBU, WFD

General policy

There is no comprehensive disability policy. According to the Government, the officially recognized disability policy in Poland is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the government and in policy adopted by political parties. Disability policy equally emphasizes prevention, rehabilitation and anti-discrimination law, less emphasis being on individual support and accessibility measures.

The Ministry of Labour has translated the Standard Rules in order to convey the message of full participation. The Government also refers to other actions, such as information campaigns in the media.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special legislation and general legislation. There is no judicial mechanism to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The non-judicial mechanism adopted is a special arbitration/conciliation body. According to the Government, the judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of disabled people includes due process (legal remedy through courts). Administrative and other non-judicial bodies include: an Ombudsman and a governmental body (administrative). The only benefit guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities is employment. According to the Government, even the benefits of health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, independent living and participation in decisions affecting themselves are guaranteed by law to disabled people.

No new legislation concerning disability has been enacted, since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment requiring that the outdoor environment and housing (only new buildings) are made accessible. According to the Government, there are rules requiring that even public places are made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by a national authority and by local governments. The only measure promoted to facilitate accessibility in the built environment is financial support, for the costs of adapting private buildings to the needs of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, even the following measures have been promoted in order to facilitate accessibility: levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing automatic doors, lifts and accessible toilets, ensuring access to public places, improving accessibility in housing, installing special lighting and using contrast colours for visually impaired and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. Special transport is available for all purposes. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, 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, there are two obstacles when building accessible environments: attitudinal factors and economic/budgetary factors. There is no disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners architects and construction engineers. According to the Government, there is such a component.

Sign language for deaf people has no officially recognized status, is not used as the first language in education of deaf people, nor recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. According to the Government, sign language for deaf people is recognized as the official language for deaf people, is used as the first language in the education of deaf people and is recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are no government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. According to the Government there are such measures. 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 only for major events.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization including 100 member organizations. 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 sometimes consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. According to the Government, however, disability organizations are often consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. The views of the organizations are taken into account at the national level. According to the Government, their views are taken into account even at the local levels. The government financially supports organizations of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, organizations receive even organizational/logistic support. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in government, legislatures, judicial authorities, political parties but to some extent in NGO's. According to the Government, organizations participate to some extent in Government, legislatures, judiciary and to a great extent in political parties and NGO's. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities. According to the Government, organizations also participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures concerning the lives of disabled people.

Co-ordination of work

There is no national co-ordinating committee or any similar body. According to the Government, the national co-ordinating committee is reporting to the Minister of Labour and Social Policy. The committee includes representatives from several Ministries, from organizations of persons with disabilities, from other NGO's and from the private sector. The government expects the committee to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks.

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Contents of the DPI Report | Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Polish Government, ILSMH, WBU, WFD