Representatives of the Public Defender held 19 information meetings on issues of persons with disabilities in 17 municipalities of Georgia in February-March 2022.

The meetings were attended by persons with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities and representatives of organizations working on issues of persons with disabilities, employees of city councils and municipal services, members of the council working on issues of persons with disabilities, people employed in the territorial units of the Agency for State Care and Assistance for Victims of Trafficking LEPL, providers of services under specific sub-programmes of the Social Rehabilitation and Childcare Programme (a total of 249 people).

Employees of the Department of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the Public Defender's Office - Irine Oboladze, Nino Valikova, Lika Batsikadze, Natia Beradze and Mariam Makharadze briefed meeting participants on the mandate of the Public Defender and the challenges identified by the Office; Requirements under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and national legislation were also discussed, including accessibility and realization of inclusive education, identification of violence, implementation of central/local programmes, characteristics of the functioning of councils working on issues of persons with disabilities at the local level, importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in the decision-making process and the existing guarantees in this regard.

Participants talked about problems relating to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities at the central and local levels and discussed solutions.

Meetings were held within the framework of the UNDP Georgia-funded project "Transforming Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities in Georgia" in Telavi, Gurjaani, Sighnaghi, Ambrolauri, Oni, Zestaponi, Kutaisi, Gori, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Kobuleti, Keda, Khulo, Khelvachauri, Shuakhevi, Tianeti and Bolnisi.