The Law for Blind Ones Is Not Applying

The Association of Kosovo's Blind has expressed dissatisfaction with the failure to implement the Law on Blind Persons in Kosovo.

The chairman of this association, Bujar Kadriu, said implementation of the law on employment of disabled persons is below zero.

He made these comments on the case of Minister of Labour and Social Health Report Skender Recica and Public Administration Minister Mahir Jagcilar, at the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, for People of Ungenerous and Petitions, where associations of blind persons have also been present.

The implementation of the employment law on persons with disabilities is below zero, with full meaning, because implementation of this law has been in force since 2009. There have been dozens of documents, government strategies, different publications, different commitments, but the results are really disturbing. There have been individual employment, there have been formal employment, but they have been employment that has been engaged either the Kosovo Blind Association, or persons individually based or simply depending on the moment they found it”, he said.

While 2015 The Assembly has issued clear recommendations for the law on blind persons, Kadriu has commemorated that those recommendations by the Kosovo government have not been taken into account.

Employment of blind persons in Kosovo in both the public and private sectors is not satisfactory for Public Administration Minister Mahir Jagcilar. There are even no statistics about the number of blind people employed in the public sector.

“The statistics alone are not, but according to the information we possess and will be published in the Civil Service situation report there are 103 people in this realm of civil service, employed are 103 people with limited abilities. In this respect we've had meetings with officials and last week I've met with the director of the Department for Civil Service Management and there are many issues talked about how this issue can improve. At this moment we are working on the new law and seeing both Government and parliament these requirements as we can transfer and from legal provisions in the future to become a more positive aspect of employment”, he said.

While, Labour and Social Management Minister Skender Recica said they are working in the comprehensive law on persons with disabilities.

“has seen as a task drafting the document's concept to regulate the field of rights in benefits and services to persons with limited abilities or as the comprehensive law on disabled persons is being called. Following the adoption of this concept the document will begin drafting the general law on regulation of the field of rights in benefits and services for persons with disabilities, which the law will guarantee equal treatment for all categories of disabled persons in line with international norms and practices”, the minister said.

This commission has also been discussed for the medico-social commission, which this commission is operational only in Pristina and this service cannot be carried out in other municipalities.

Commission Chairman Duda Balje has indicated that this should change and that as a service it should be offered at other medical centres in Kosovo, as it is very difficult for a blind person to come to Pristina.

You're required to make the conditions, not blind persons. You are if as minister you don't have mechanisms, since they can make mechanisms, since they can make arrangements, that means Pristina is not close to blind people. If they're right by law I think you have to make the conditions even in some areas outside Pristina with a assessment of”, she said.

Meanwhile, Labour and Social Management Minister Skender Recica suggests that they are working to advance service levels to other regional hospital centres as well.

We're working in this direction, but I'm repeating it because of the sensitivity and sensitivity of the cases of regional hospitals do not have that opportunity to offer this service. That is why it concentrates in Pristina, apps are accepted in regional, municipal centres, while cases are handled at QKUK in Pristina. We know this is not good to be brought from all centres in Pristina, we are working jointly with the Ministry of Health for advancing the level of this service even at regional hospital centres”, the minister said.

While it is also discussed the mandate of this commission, which by law has a one-year mandate, and functional is the commission, which was formed in 2013. Commission Chairman Duda Balje has said the law was violated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Management.

The commission's current <x0). They're from 2013. Since 2013 are the same commission, you have by law only one year. The ministry has the right to continue the mandate of those people. No, you're not right. You're not right by law. I read the law. This commission has made great trouble on the ground, because a commission is for all the blind in Kosovo. Only in days you have violated the law. You have violated the law, by law it is a year, while they are from 2013”, Balje said.

In his response, Minister Recica said he has found this commission functional and that at the moment the mandate is due to become the new commission.

It has also been discussed in the books of blind persons, where 24 euros must be paid to obtain the booklet. The chairman of the Association of Blind Persons Bujar Kadriu has indicated that the booklet is given regardless of whether or not it is a member of the association, while he said quantification applies to all.

But it did not agree with Yasmin Maxuti by the independent Initiative of the blind of Kosovo, who said he did not pay and has no blindness.

I don't want to be a member of the association, I have to pay the Society again, but for what I pay if I don't want to be a member. If 24 euros are for membership what is this I have to pay to get the booklet. This is automatically like tax or spoil. I for myself do not pay and have no booklet, why should I be denied this right which, as mentioned, is guaranteed and at no point is mentioned that to get this booklet the designated person must pay a certain amount to the issuers of these”, he said.

The case has also been invited to report by Health Minister Ismajli Bridge, who, despite confirming his participation, has recently announced that he would not attend. /