Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
World Blind Union - WBU

Lithuania

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Council of the Lithuanian Association of the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Lithuania
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Lithuanian Government, ILSMH

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in law and in guidelines adopted by the government. According to the Government, disability policy is expressed only in law. The emphasis in this policy is on rehabilitation, prevention and individual support.

In order to convey the message of full participation the government has declared the 1996 as the year of the disabled.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of general legislation and general legislation. There is no judicial mechanism to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, the judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of disabled people is due process (legal remedy through courts). The non-judicial mechanism for that purpose is a governmental body (administrative).

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. Only the benefit of financial security is guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities. According to the Government even the benefits of health/medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling, employment and independent living are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities.

No new legislation concerning disability has been enacted, since the adoption of the Rules. According to the Government since the adoption of the Rules, the 1995 Act concerning the proclamation of 1996 as the year of the disabled has been enacted.

Accessibility

There are rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment, though not working in practice. Special transport is available only for medical treatment, in urgent cases. According to the Government, there is free, subsidized special adapted transport available for: medical treatment, education, work and for recreational purpose. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are economic/budgetary factors and lack of enforcement mechanism. 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, used as the first language in education of deaf people and recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are no government measures to encourage media to make their services accessible for persons with disabilities but government measures to make other forms of public information services accessible to persons with disabilities, e.g. free mailing of Braille literature. The following services are provided to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape and news magazines on tape/Braille.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is no national umbrella organization. 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 often consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at the national level. The government financially supports existing or new organizations of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, organizations also receive organizational/logistic support. Persons with disabilities participate to a great extent in NGOs. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities 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 concerning the lives of persons with disabilities, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities. According to the Government ,organizations do not promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

The national co-ordinating committee is reporting to the Ministry of Finance and Social Security. The committee includes representatives of the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs, of Housing, of Education, and of Culture as well as of organizations of persons with disabilities. According to the Government, the co-ordinating committee also includes representatives from the private sector, from the Vilnius University and from Kaunas Medical Academy. The government expects the co-ordinating committee to participate in policy development. The establishment of the committee has had the following effects: improved co-ordination of measures/programmes, improved legislation, a better dialogue in the disability field, more accurate planning and more effective use of resources.

The adoption of the Rules has partially led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy.

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