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

Romania

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

Romanian Blind Association, Romania
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Romanian Government, DPI

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 and in policy adopted by NGOs. According to the Government, disability policy is expressed only in law. The emphasis in this policy - in descending scale - is on individual support, anti-discrimination law, rehabilitation, prevention and accessibility measures.

The Ministry of Education has translated and published the Standard Rules in order to convey 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 available to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is due process (legal remedy through courts), while the non-judicial is a governmental body (administrative). According to the Government, there are no judicial mechanisms to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education, employment, 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 and independent living. According to the Government, even the benefit to participate in decisions affecting themselves is guaranteed by law.

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 (but there is no clear and coherent system of implementation) requiring that public places and means of public transport are made accessible. According to the Government, there are even rules to ensure accessibility in the outdoor environment and housing. No responsible body exists to observe accessibility in the built environment. The following measures have been promoted to facilitate accessibility in the built environment: installing automatic doors and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. According to the Government, even the following measures have been promoted: marking parking areas, installing lifts and accessible toilets, improving accessibility in housing, providing financial incentives for accessibility measures and installing special lighting for visually impaired. Special transport arrangements include free and/or substantial discounts for trains, local transport and see transport. Special transport is available for all purposes. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, lack of knowledge, research and information and lack of co-operation from other organizations/institutions. The Government does not regard economic/budgetary factors to be an obstacle, when building accessible environments. There is no 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, is used as the first language in education 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 only 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 easy readers for persons with mental disabilities. According to the Government, even sign language interpretation for any purpose is provided.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There is no national umbrella organization. According to the Government, there is a national umbrella organization. There are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and 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 level. According to the Government, consultations occur also at the regional and local levels. The government gives financial and 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 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 secretariat for handicapped persons. The committee includes representatives of several Ministries, of organizations of persons with disabilities and of certain co-operatives, employing disabled persons. The government expects the co-ordinating committee to participate in policy development. The function of the committee being consultative, it does not participate in regular meetings. It is too early for an assessment of the effects of the co-ordinating committee. According to the Government, the establishment of the co-ordinating committee has had the following effects: improved co-ordination of measures/programmes, improved legislation, improved integration of responsibility, 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 yet led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy. According to the Government, it is too early to make an assessment, whether the adoption of the Rules has led to a rethinking.

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