In 2012 Bulgaria is finally about to ratify UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The convention is the first major treaty, regarding policy towards such people. This country signed the document as early as 2007, but the parliament is expected to ratify it now.

“Those countries that have already ratified the convention will comply their legislation with its requirements – disabled people should be integrated as persons with equal rights, with equal access to services in the social, healthcare and educational areas, as well as to the labor market,” Chair of Light for Life NGO Maria Terzieva commented for Radio Bulgaria. Mr. Terzieva works on the issues of people with disabilities in Bulgaria. According to the expert, one of the major steps in this area is related to a change of the attitude to disabled people, since the rest of the society thinks they live on social benefits. We should start to integrate them as people that can work, just like the rest of us. 

“Light for Life Foundation was created back in 2001 with the idea of support for people with serious disabilities, in order for those to be able to reveal their true potential to the highest degree possible, along with their acceptance by the society,” Mrs. Terzieva says. “One of the main problems of such people is the lack of accessibility, or the difficult one, to different social services. Thus many of those are sent to the respective institution. This contradicts seriously to the position of both physicians and psychotherapists that domestic environment and the comfort of their own homes are the best solution for them. That is the point, where the state continues to be indebted to these people, due to the lack of social assistants.”

The Assistants for Disabled People National Program that provides work for unemployed people, who have to take care of such persons, was launched back in 2003 by the social ministry. It became more and more popular over the years, but still lacks personal assistants. A series of NGOs try to fulfill those gaps, Light for Live among them, via the Choose to Help Program. “This program provides the existence of a mobile center in favor of disabled people,” Mrs. Terzieva goes on to say. “The foundation’s experts give these people an opportunity for motor rehabilitation and psychological assistance in a family environment. There are different types of hospitals, centers and clinics in Bulgaria, but many of the disabled people cannot reach those due to architectural barriers, a lack of mobility and the remoteness. We also work with a variety of volunteers that are engaged in a different manner, providing all kinds of services to disabled people: home care, encouraging, shopping, taking out for walks, household activities etc.”
Listen now to Mrs. Terzieva, giving details on another program of the Light for Live Foundation:
Dal. 3

“The Friends Program targets children of people with serious disabilities," Mrs. Terzieva explains. "Light for Life also works actively with the families of such people that carry the consequences from the illness of their relative. Children are the most vulnerable ones. We provide them with monthly opportunities for sport activities, visits to theatre, cinema, exhibitions, museums etc. We try to bring in more light into their life that is full with serious responsibilities and care. We also provide them with family psychotherapy, suitable for both the disabled persons and their relatives.”

There are some 800,000 people with disabilities in Bulgaria. However, there is no concrete statistics on these people and the different kinds of disabilities. “The creation of a national register of disabled people is necessary, in order for the institutions to be able to support more their social integration,” Mrs. Terzieva says in conclusion, adding that this is about to happen under an EU funded project of the Agency of People with Disabilities.

Author: Diana Hristakieva; English Version: Zhivko Stanchev

Source: BNR