ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION HELD IN THE CLUB OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PARLAMENT

Abstract

The round table discussion on “The Conditions, Problems and Development in Education and Employment of People with Disabilities in RM” was held on 26^th September 2007. After the intro­ductory presentations and the round table discus­sions the following CONCLUSIONS were brought.

The Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs within their authorities to approach to changes and amend­ments of the legal regula­tions in order to provide:

·         To accept children with developmental problems and special education needs in pre-school, primary and secondary edu­cation;

·         criteria and standards for inclusion of chil­dren with disabilities in mainstream pre-schools, primary schools and secon­dary schools;

·         qualified defectologists (spe­cial teachers), to employ defectologists and additional professional assistance weekly: 3 hours in pre-school institutions and 5 hours in schools;

·         To provide database.

The Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture should provide publi­cation of textbooks and other books for the blind; should consider the way and timing for integration of these children in the educa­tional process and enable objective and pro­fessional assessment for inclusion;

3.       The new Draft Law on Higher Education should provide benefits for people with im­paired hearing, impaired vision and people with severe physical disabilities. Benefits such as the right to an interpreter for the deaf and the sign language should be provided as opportunities for communication. For the people with impaired vision–technical aid and training on Braille’s alphabet, computers with appropriate software, printers and readers to be provided. For people with severe physical disabilities-access to the buildings of educa­tional institutions to be provided; and for all certain benefits at enrollment at the Univer­sity, scholarships, board and lodging and fi­nancial compensation of the state;

4.       Further development of the process for esta­blishing daily centers, deinstitutionalization of children from the special institutions, the choice of biological and foster families, the chice of housing with previously accepted strategies, as well as bringing a Law on thises issues ;

5.       The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs pre­pared Proposals for changes and amend­ments on the Law of Employment of people with disabilities in order to regulate the in­crease of the percentage of the total amount of the ex­isting contribution for employment from 5% to 15%, which is allocated to sub-account in the Agency for Employment in the Republic of Macedonia (Special Fund) and is to be ap­plied from 1^st January 2008;

6.       The Agency for Employment in the Republic of Macedonia to apply the Rulebook for training disabled people on the requests of enterprises that employ such people;

The secondary and Higher education should provide new vocations and jobs depending on the level of person’s disability, which will en­able employment of these people, possible activities related to electronics and informa­tion technology, i.e. prosperous development;

8.       The Operative Body of the National Coor­di­na­­tive Body for equal rights of people with disabilities is to appoint a working group con­sisted of 3 members: Boge Chadi­novski–a de­fectologist, Vlado Dodevski–a eng. in pro­tec­t­ion at work and Ljupcho Efremov–a defec­tologist, to prepare the no­menclature of voca­tions meant for people with disabilities and the Coordinative Body should provide prem­ises as well as financial means for this pro­ject;

9.       Components of the Conclusions are the pro­posals in the introductory presentations of the round table discussions on education, legal regulations, employment of people with dis­abilities as well as proposals of the discus­sions and working materials;

10.    People with disabilities appeal to the relevant institutions in the state and the authorities with the motto: DON’T DO ANYTHING FOR US-WITHOUT US;

11.    The Coordinative Body entrusts the Presi­dent and the Secretary of the National Co­ordina­tive Body to point out and appeal to the au­thorized institutions to carry out these con­clu­sions.