Today, the Association of Young People with Disabilities of Montenegro on the plateau between the Assembly of the Capital and the Library “Radosav Ljumović” in Podgorica organized an event marking the European Day of Independent Living (May 5th), Europe Day (May 9th) and the World Day of Raising Awareness of Accessibility (May 16). The event was organized within the EU4ME project funded by the European Union, and implemented by UNDP, as a measure of the Action Plan 2019. Strategy for informing the public on Montenegro’s accession to the EU.
In this way, UMHCG has been joining the campaign launched by the European Network for Independent Living – ENIL and its members for the sixth year in a row, with the aim of raising awareness about independent living, the rights of people with disabilities to their own decisions and elections, control over the support they receive from others, the responsibility for the actions to bear both the “consequences” and the right to error that will not automatically be linked to the fact that we have a disability and that the errors are logical.
Also, this will be the first time that the World Day of Raising Awareness of Accessibility is celebrated in Montenegro, which is generally celebrated in the world every third Thursday in May.
Independent life must be attained to all persons with disabilities (OSI), and physical obstacles in the environment can be removed by planned, carefully designed activities, with the application of established standards without exception, said the representative of the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro (UMHCG) Milenko Vojicic.
Today, at the celebration of the European Day of Independent Living, the Day of Europe and the World Awareness Day, he said that personal assistance, affordable environment, products and services should not be expensive, and education and housing unattainable.
“All of this is much cheaper than the state costs only one institution. The most expensive is isolation, discrimination and segregation. Independent life must be accessible to everyone and equally accessible to all OSIs and should not be the privilege of individual isolated cases, “Vojicic said.
He said that it is important for the state to realize that the biggest OSI workers are themselves.
Independent life is not a gig, nor is the struggle for its realization to have been created as a result of indignation and self-sufficiency of the OSI, it has emerged and exists as a true need to have a dignified life, “added Vojicic.
According to him, in order for independent OSI to be possible, there should be an accessible environment, transport, an opportunity to exchange information, appropriate orthopedic aids, auxiliary technologies and personal assistance services.
Vojićic emphasized that physical obstacles in the environment can be removed only by planned, carefully designed actions of all who build in that environment.
“In order to achieve this, it is necessary to establish the standards that the built environment should have, apply in practice without exception,” he said.
Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulović said that the state managed to incorporate into the legal regulations the rules that the OSI provide life worthy of every citizen of Montenegro.
“We have always tried to be partners with all the associations that have shown interest in passing regulations,” he said.
Minister of Transport and Marine Affairs, Osman Nurkovic, said traffic facilities, buses and stations were largely adapted to the OSI, while the adjustment of transportation means a more complex job, which takes more time.
“The Law on Road Transport emphasizes the availability of transport conditions for all participants under equal conditions,” Nurkovic emphasized.
He said that the regulations, as a mandatory condition for obtaining a bus station license, stipulate that all driving directions must be displayed in a visible place in the waiting room, written in the Braille letter.
“The bus station facility must be accessible to people with reduced mobility and OSI,” Nurkovic emphasized, adding that at least three places in the waiting room must be reserved for them.
He said that the person managing the bus provides OSI assistance when entering, moving and leaving the bus station, as well as entering and leaving the bus, tying up and snapping off the luggage.
Nurkovic explained that a minimum number of taxis must be determined, which will be adjusted to the OSI.
“Two buses must be provided on the bus, which must be adapted to the OSI, as well as accompanying equipment, which includes handrails, platforms for facilitating entry and exit to public transport vehicles,” the minister explained.
He said that the Ministry prescribed a way of marking parking spaces for OSI vehicles, as well as making the sign of accessibility marking their vehicles.
The deputy mayor of the capital, Sladjan Vujačić, said that Podgorica is leading a responsible social policy.
“Significant progress has been made, however, there are still ramps, elevators and elements that will make our fellow citizens more accessible and independent,” she said.
Vujačić said that the capital, in addition to the existing social services that make life easier for citizens and make it more quality, is also working on the development of new ones.
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