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

Romania

Download 'DPI Reports on the UN Standard Rules' as a PDF file (240 KB)

---

© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

The National Organization of the Disabled in Romania, Romania
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Romanian Government, WBU

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in law. The emphasis in this policy is on individual support.

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 taken action to convey the message of full participation through mass-media, working meetings, seminars etc.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by special legislation. According to the Government, the rights of persons with disabilities are protected both by general legislation and special legislation. There is no judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The non-judicial mechanism available is a governmental body (administrative).

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities only with respect to education. According to the Government, general legislation applies also with respect to 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 only benefit guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities is health and medical care. According to the Government, even other benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities such as training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, employment, independent living and participation in decisions affecting themselves.

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, land, sea, air transportation and housing are made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by a national authority. Even local governments are responsible for observing accessibility in the built environment, according to the government. Special transport arrangements include free local urban transport and 12 inter-city trips/year for severely disabled. The most difficult obstacle, when planning to build accessible environments is political will. According to the Government the most difficult obstacles are attitudinal factors and lack of knowledge, research and information. There is a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers. According to the Government, there is no such component.

Sign language for deaf people has no officially recognized status, is not used as the first language in education of deaf people and is not 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 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. No services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others. According to the Government the following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape, sign language interpretation, being available for any purpose, and easy readers for persons with mental disabilities.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

The Organizatia Nationala A Persoanelor cu Handicap din Romania (ONPHR) is the new "umbrella" organization, a National Assembly with 48 members, NGO's of the disabled from all over the country, representing all types of disability. There are no legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making or to work with governmental institutions. According to the Government, there are such legal provisions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are never consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect. are being prepared According to the Government, organizations are always consulted. No support is given by the government to existing or new organizations of persons with disabilities. The Government states, that it gives both financial and organizational/logistic support to organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in government, legislatures, judicial authorities, political parties but to a great extent in NGO's. According to the Government, persons with disabilities do not participate at all in government, legislatures, judiciary and political parties. The role of organizations of disabled persons 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 but they do not promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

There is a national co-ordinating committee, however, not reporting to a particular Ministry or a central body. According to the Government, the co-ordinating committee is reporting to the State Secretariat for Handicapped Persons. The committee includes representatives of several Ministries and of organizations of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, the committee also includes representatives of other NGO's, the private sector and local administration. The government does not expect the national co-ordinating committee to participate in policy development or to perform other tasks. According to the Goverment, the committee is expected to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks. The establishment of the co-ordinating committee has not led to any effects. According to the Government, the establishment of the co-ordinating committee has led to improved co-ordination of measures/programmes, legislation, integration of responsibility, a better dialogue in the disability field, more accurate planning, more effective use of resources and promotion of public awareness.

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

---

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