Awareness campaign on observing rights of people with disabilities launched in Chisinau

Chisinau, 8 October /MOLDPRES/- The United Nations (UN) in Moldova today launched a public awareness campaign on respect for the rights of people with disabilities and their inclusion in society.

During the campaign, UN Moldova aims to raise awareness about the special needs of people with disabilities, but also the need to respect their rights. People with disabilities, parents and employers will be invited to the event to talk about their own experience regarding the obstacles encountered by people with disabilities, but also about their expectations from the community.

To speed up the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Moldova, UN agencies have also developed a Theory of Change, a document that sets out various key actions in seven areas of intervention, such as accessibility, inclusive education, inclusive social protection, accessible and inclusive health services, participation in good governance, accessible justice, and accessible and inclusive labor market.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2019 about 177,000 people with different types of disabilities lived in Moldova, which is 7% of the country's population. Of these, 10,700 are children aged 0-17. The number of women with disabilities was higher than that of men and was 51.7%.

About 37% of these people fall into the category of people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, who also face the biggest obstacles in their inclusion in society and access to various public and social services. The results of a sociological survey show that 74 percent of respondents are reluctant to include people with disabilities in society.

The campaign to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities and the elimination of discrimination was developed with the support of UN agencies, funds and programs in Moldova.

Photo: alayam.com