Article 8 Awareness Raising

92. Promotion of inclusion in education has been conducted through the partnership with the non-governmental sector, which includes counsellors from school administrations, teachers, professional associations (Teachers’ Association of Serbia) as well as through promotional work with teams from DILS (Delivery of Improved Local Services) and EFA (Education for All) projects. Education policy media promotion is carried out through interviews and public appearances of decision makers from the highest level of the educational system.

93. Since PWDs are a vulnerable group, legal provisions were adopted on the basis of SIPPD which define the status of persons with disabilities. In Article 5, the Law on Public Information regulates that the Republic of Serbia, autonomous province and/or local self-governments shall be obliged to provide some means or other conditions for undisturbed exercise of the right of persons with disabilities to public information, and free receiving of ideas, information and opinion.

94. Starting from the objectives determined by SIPPD and legal obligations, the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society (MCMIS) supports projects for people with disabilities as part of the annual competition for financing projects/programs in the field of public information. ²⁶

Note #26

A table overview of allocated funds is set out in Annex I.

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95. In 2004, MLSP published a Guidebook on rights of persons with disabilities in a hard copy and in an electronic form. In cooperation with NOPWD, a revised edition of the Guidebook was published in February 2011, which contains information on the rights set out in the Convention.

96. In 2006 and 2007, MLSP supported a Convention promoting campaign organised by the Center for Independent Living Serbia. The campaign included printing of a brochure on the Convention and organising round tables and panel discussions on rights set out in the Convention, in ten largest cities in Serbia.

97. Lectures on the Convention, given by Dr Damjan Tatić, have been a regular part of the curriculum at the Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade since 2009, whereas the Convention was one of the main topics in the Summer School оn anti-discrimination of persons with disabilities, held at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, 20-24 September 2010.

98. One of LPREPD’s objectives is to eliminate prejudices about abilities and capabilities of PWDs, and to take incentive measures aimed at PWDs’ inclusion in all spheres of social life through their involvement in the labour market. Activities carried out in terms of this also include promotion of equal opportunities, monitoring effects of labour and social inclusion, as well as cooperation with all stakeholders who can contribute to promoting employment and inclusion of PWDs. To perform these activities, institutions competent for the development and implementation of the employment policy for PWDs, the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development (MERR) and NEA have, since entry into force of LPREPD, participated and/or organised over 80 panel discussions, round tables and conferences, with an aim to raise awareness of labour market stakeholders and citizens in terms of rights and needs of persons with disabilities.

99. As part of the EC Program for employment and social solidarity and New Skills for Persons with Disabilities project, two regional conferences were held on the topic Importance and Role of a Partnership in the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, where over 220 partners (employers, associations) were present.

100. MERR and NEA organised designing, printing and distribution of appropriate brochures such as Support to Employers in Employing Persons with Disabilities, Professional Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities and Equal Opportunities in the Labour Market, all for the purpose of informing the public about the position of PWDs in the labour market and opportunities for professional rehabilitation and employment.

101. Also, there is a continuous cooperation with institutions for professional rehabilitation and employment of PWDs, PWD associations, employers and other entities, for the purpose of raising awareness of both employers and PWDs about employment opportunities and rights and obligations concerning work and employment.

102. As part of NEA was established the Center for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities. Through work with PWDs (by motivating them to join the labour market, vocation and assessment of work capacity, gaining and strengthening competencies, knowledge, abilities and skills through training programs), employers (by promoting socially responsible operation, sensitising employers and working environment to the importance of employing PWDs (from the society and individual point of view)), selection of candidates and provision of other forms of professional and counselling assistance to employers and other stakeholders, the aim is to achieve competitive employment of PWDs and functional operational and social integration. The necessity to further strengthen capacities of the Center (meeting organisational, human resource, spatial and technical, operating and program standards), as well as to ensure accessibility for the larger number of users of the stated services, requires development of a network of centers at the regional level in the following period.

103. Part of the projects of the Ministry of Health concerning improvement of the primary health care level concerns sensitisation of health care professionals and local self-government for the purpose of improving knowledge and communication skills of persons with disabilities, as well as improving and strengthening home care services and visiting nurse services, which are crucial for providing aid to persons with disabilities.

104. The former Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, in cooperation with the Office of UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia and OSCE Mission in Serbia, in July 2010, organised a round table with the theme Reporting on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The round table participants were PWD associations, associations of parents of children with disabilities, relevant state authorities and media. Participants were, inter alia, presented with, and made available in an electronic form, the material relating to the process of reporting to UN treaty bodies, and the form and contents of the report, as well as with determining competencies of UN treaty bodies for receiving and examining individual complaints.

105. The Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Directorate for Human and Minority Rights (MHMRPALSG) published on the website the text of the Convention and optional protocol, and a simplified and abridged version of the Convention ²⁷.

Note #27

Serbian version was prepared by the Association Society Orientation, funded by Handicap International, the original document was created by Easy Read Service @ Inspired Services, in August 2007

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