View the original post on www.khsi.wordpress.com.

On the same day that the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it also adopted another document aimed at fundamentally changing the laws and standards for the rights of people with disabilities.

The Strategy on the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities was designed by the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family to ensure the social inclusion and full respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms of people with disabilities by aligning the Moldavian social protection system with European and international standards. This is a strategic document with an action plan for implementing the UN Convention.

The Strategy will reorganize the system of social inclusion. A new methodology for determining the level of disability in children and adults will be developed, social services for people with disabilities will be diversified, and early intervention services will be established. The education system will also be reformed, adapting current education programs to the needs of children with disabilities and providing vocational training and rehabilitation.

The Strategy reaches beyond the direct support of people with disabilities. It seeks to educate the community at large about disability issues and social inclusion, and change the community to be more accepting and respectful of children and adults with disabilities.

Our team with the Community for All – Moldova program worked with the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family to develop the Strategy, which will play a key role in the sustainability of the program. As the Community for All – Moldova program develops new community-based services for people with disabilities, the Strategy will ensure that resources to sustain these programs are identified and that regulations and quality standards are developed and implemented.

All of these measures will contribute to the inclusion in the community of people with disabilities, improving their quality of life and preventing institutionalization. As more children and adults are included in society, the world becomes a safer and brighter place for all of us, built on the foundation of acceptance and respect for all people.

Congratulations to the Republic of Moldova on adopting the Strategy on the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. We’re looking forward to hearing more about the progress of social inclusion.