Government Action on Disability Policy
A Global Survey
Part II - Government Replies as Country Profiles

Congo

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Ministry unspecified (10 june 1996)
Compare with the following Country Report(s): ILSMH, WBU

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy in Congo is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the Government and in policy adopted by NGOs. The emphasis - in descending scale - is on anti-discrimination law, rehabilitation, individual support, prevention, accessibility measures.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of special and general legislation. The judicial mechanism available to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is due process (legal remedy through courts).

The general legislation applies to all 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, right to privacy, property rights. The following rights are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, financial security, employment, independent living, and participation in decisions affecting them.

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

Accessibility

There are no special transport arrangements for persons with disabilities. When planning to build accessible environments the most difficult obstacles are: attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, technical factors, geographical and climatic factors, lack of legislation and regulations, 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 mechanisms.

Sign language for deaf people is used as the first language in the education of deaf people and recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are Government measures for encouraging media to make their services accessible but no Government measures to encourage other forms of public information to make their services accessible. The only service provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others is sign language interpretation for major events.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is a national umbrella organization. There are no legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and to work with Governmental institutions. Organizations are sometimes consulted when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Their views are taken into account at both national, regional and local level. The Government gives financial and logistic support to organizations. Persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in legislature and judicial authorities, to some extent in Government and to a great extent in political parties and NGOs. The organizations have the role 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, promote/organize income generating activities.

According to the Government, the adoption of the Standard Rules has, led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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