What we have changed

For you and IPP are asking the Romanian Parliament to give legislative priority to the problems of persons with disabilities

The Foundation for you and the Institute for public policies (IPP) ask the Romanian Parliament to give legislative priority to the problems of persons with disabilities
 
Bucharest, 2 February 2010 ■ In view of the very low concern of the present Parliament, As it results from the analysis of the activity of the first legislative sessions under this mandate, in order to legislate the acute problems faced by persons with disabilities in Romania, The Foundation for you and the Institute for public Policy (IPP) ask the two Chambers to put in the list of priorities the legislative projects concerning persons with disabilities. 

Since 7 projects aimed mainly at amendments to the framework law on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, only two have become law in the recent legislative session of Parliament, both promoting exclusively passive measures:
1. Law No 359/2009 providing for exemption from rent for housing areas intended for State dwellings or its territorial administrative units which are used for persons with serious disabilities;
2. Law No 360/2009 which provides for the introduction of tax exemptions on wages and pensions for persons with serious or severe disabilities.
  
On the other hand, the Government has negatively approved 4 of the 7 legislative projects submitted during the last session of MPs, motivating their inappropriateness and weak basis, although among the initiators there were representatives of the PDL, this is a sign that there is no effective communication at political level in terms of legislative priorities in this field. Moreover, the Government adopted at the beginning of this year without consulting the service providers a decision setting cost standards for social services without taking into account the degree of disability, an approach which is contrary to European rules that provide for the person's right to flexible social services, focused on the person and adapted to the individual needs.

As a new legislative session has recently begun, we appeal to the Parliament by warning that the most important legislative measure is the ratification of the UN Convention on persons with disabilities, and its debate is constantly dragging on in the Parliament. Ratification of the Convention will create the necessary framework to ensure respect for the rights and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. The two organisations find that people with disabilities are not a priority for the Parliament, which is constantly putting off discussion of their problems and considers this all the more serious as this group has limited representation, Almost non-existent among the decision-making of the social policies in Romania 

The two organisations reaffirm their readiness for dialogue with decision-makers and make available their research resources and expertise for a legislative process based on in-depth research and objective justification, in building real public policies in this field. 

For further information, please contact Elena Iorga, IPP Program Manager at tel.: 021 212 3126, e-mail: elena@ipp.ro,and Laila UN, Executive Director Foundation for you at: 0256.228.062, e-mail: pentruvoi@pentruvoi.ro

Ticks protected units can no longer carry out sales/intermediation activities!

Timişoara, 11 June

According to Law 207 of 2 June 2009, only protected establishments established in organisations of persons with disabilities may also carry out sales/mediation activities, provided that at least 75% of the profit is made for socio-occupational integration programs for persons with disabilities in those organisations. These units shall be required to submit a financial report at each beginning of the year showing how the funds obtained by the commercial activity have been used.

"The Parliament has chosen to provide a source of income to organisations of people with disabilities through protected units operating in them. We hope that at least now, the responsible bodies will start controls at the protected cap door units and sanction violations of law 448/2006." said Laila UN, director of the "for you" Foundation.
What happened before as a result of legislative provisions aimed at encouraging the employment of people with disabilities, a number of "tick-proof units" have emerged which
They embezzled money from the state budget and were unfairly competing with those protected units that really employ people with disabilities. The funds that should have been paid out by companies or public institutions under Law 448/2006 ended up in the pocket of immoral opportunists. It has come that large companies' training programs or the purchase of mail scooters are provided through protected capusset facilities that
do mediation.
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Law 207/2009 approves Government Emergency Ordinance No 86/2008 to amend Law No 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities.

European Parliament elections 2009 in easily understandable language

Timişoara 5 June

In the run-up to the European Parliament elections, the Foundation "for you" in Timişoara published the brochure "European Parliament elections 2009" in understandable language to explain the electoral process to people with developmental disabilities.

There are 65 million people with disabilities in the European Union. In 2007, the European movement of organisations for people with disabilities collected 1,3 million signatures in favour of comprehensive legislation for people with disabilities in the European Union.

„Aşteptăm de la noul legislativ european îndeplinirea acestei cerinţe a societaţii civile europene şi împlementarea Convenţiei Naţiunilor Unite privind drepturile persoanelor cu dizabilităţi la nivelul Uniunii Europene.” a declarat Laila Onu, director executiv al Fundaţiei „Pentru Voi” din Timişoara. “Pentru Voi” a fost mereu preocupată de participarea la vot a persoanelor cu dizabilităţi de dezvoltare promovând participarea publică a acestei categorii de persoane adesea neglijată de politicieni. Acest material vine în întâmpinarea nevoii de informare cu privire la alegerile europarlamentare de duminică, fiind foarte util pentru toţi cetăţenii cu drept de vot din România.

The brochure explaining what the European Parliament elections mean, where, when, who and how to vote, it has been printed in 100 copies and can be downloaded for consultation free from the Foundation's website. It has been sent electronically to all the country's social and child protection directorates for use as information material for those with voting rights.

Similar brochures have been printed in all 27 countries of the European Union, through the federation of inclusion Europe, of which the Foundation “for you” is part.

Parties face to face with disability

November 2008

The Foundation “for you”, in collaboration with the Institute for public Policy and the Federation of inclusion Romania, has carried out the campaign “parties face to face with disability”. The campaign has set out to include disability in the election agenda, ahead of the 30 November parliamentary elections

Romania is preparing to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities, a document which historically marks the shift to a new understanding of disability: like ethnic or religious diversity, sexual orientation or political orientation, disability is a form of manifestation of human diversity. The most recent proof of this approach to disability was the speech of the President-elect of the United States, Barack Obama, „It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”

We also want and expect from those who lead us to understand that persons with disabilities are full citizens of Romania and that it is the Romanian state's responsibility to ensure the respect of these rights.

The "parties face to face with disabilities" campaign gave political parties the opportunity to present to voters concrete ways to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, the campaign aimed to inform people with disabilities, and their families (i.e. an electorate of 1 million and a half votes) in order to vote in full knowledge of the cause.

In this respect, the initiating organizations sent a letter to the three main political parties in Romania asking them, by November 19, to specify their 3 main priorities in the field of disability and to answer the following 3 questions:

• will you vote in favour of ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities?

• What legislative measures will you take to stop the abuses regarding the enforcement of Law 448/2008 in the field of the functioning of the protected units? (At present, the spirit of the law, that of hiring persons with disabilities, is embezzled by setting up so-called protected units "the parasite" whose economic reason is not the employment of persons with disabilities, but the profit of immoral entrepreneurs.

• Although social inclusion and life in the community, supported by quality Community services, are subjects stipulated in all strategies and official documents in the field of disability, so far no residential institution has been closed for adults with intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, the Romanian state continues to invest in their "reconditioning", ignoring the fact that the very existence of this kind of asylum-type institution is a violation of basic human rights. Will your party promote concrete policies in favour of closing this type of institution and directing funds toward quality Community social services?

Once centralized, the candidates' answers were communicated in the central and local press, on the website of the "for you" Foundation and the Institute for public Policy and in virtual space, to contribute to the good information of the electorate.

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