Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Absence of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities remains one of themost important challenges. The government has yet to develop a policy aimed at facilitatingemployment of these persons and relevant legislative framework since this is themost effective way for inclusion of persons with disabilities in social life. Together with positive developments that took place in 2014, there have also been seriesof drawbacks in the realm of human rights protection.
However ratification of the optional protocol to CRPD still remains an open issue. As is known, the Convention has been ratified without the optional protocol. Despite recommendations issuedby the Public Defender, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Protection has not yetinitiated procedures needed for its ratification. This can be considered as a negative factsince the optional protocol gives an opportunity to persons with disabilities to appeal tothe relevant UN committee regarding individual cases of violations of their rights.
In order to ensure access of persons with disabilities to inclusive education the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia carried out a range of activities, such as: introducinginclusive education at public general schools, funding special teacher program, developinga specific MA level program for them at Ilia State University, implementing the strategyfor vocational education, including persons with disabilities in vocational education.
A unit for long-term care has been established in the medical institution for convicted andremand prisoners; however prisoners with physical and mental disabilities still remain inpenitentiary facilities and their needs are not being adequately addressed.
In the beginning of 2014 the Government of Georgia issued a resolution endorsing theAction Plan for the Provision of Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities for the years2014-2016.
In order to reform legal framework on legal capacity and to bring national laws in compliancewith the decision of the Constitutional Court, a working group has been set up bythe decision of the Committee of the Legal Issues of the Parliament of Georgia.
The research demonstrated once more the problems concerning protection of rights ofwomen with disabilities and related challenges.
