Some of the public institutions for working with citizens in Bar are difficult or not at all accessible for people with disabilities, people with impaired or blind eyes and the elderly. The Health Fund, the Labor Bureau and the PIO Fund are some of them.
In this way, the law is violated and systemic discrimination occurs, according to the director of the Association of Disabled Youth of Montenegro (UMHCG). Marina Vujacic.
The Bar Healthcare Fund is located on the second floor of a residential building without an elevator with a dark staircase. The Labor Bureau is on the first floor of the building without an elevator, while in front of the entrance to the PIO Fund is a two-part staircase without a ramp. The Center for Social Work is located in the same building as the Pio Fund and has a ramp, but the entrances to these two institutions are separate. The Dorm of Students in Bar is also without a ramp.
"The fact that public institutions and institutions in public use are not accessible to all categories of persons with disabilities represents discrimination, and it is systemic, taking into account the scope and frequency," said Vujačić.
The Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Buildings stipulates the obligation of accessibility for all newly built buildings, and for the adaptation or reconstruction of those built before 2008 in accordance with the prescribed standards of accessibility for persons with reduced mobility and persons with disabilities, a deadline of five years is prescribed.
Vujačić personally saw the violation of this law not only in Bar, but also in other municipalities such as Nikšič, Ulcinj, Bijelo Polje and Beran. The situation, she claims, is devastating and the conditions for access, movement, residence and work of persons with disabilities (PWD) are unacceptable.
"A message of carelessness and irresponsibility is being sent, and this is confirmed by the fact that the state refused to adopt a comprehensive accessibility strategy, which is one of the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, addressed to the state in September 2017. It has been repeated several times in the reports of the European Commission about the situation in the country", said Vujacic.
She stated that institutions, public facilities and facilities in public use, in front of which the rights and obligations of citizens are exercised, and which it is determined that they cannot be made accessible, must be moved out and placed in spaces that are accessible to all categories of persons with disabilities. that is, people who use mobility aids or have difficulty moving, people of short stature, people with visual and/or hearing impairments.
"Otherwise, the state as a system, including the municipalities, actually consider the violation of rights and discrimination of persons with disabilities as a justified and acceptable phenomenon. At the same time, it should be remembered that discrimination is equal to doing, as well as not doing, in a situation when someone has the authority or is obliged to act", she concluded.
"Vijesti" visited institutions in front of which she spoke with elderly Barans, mostly pensioners, who said that the stairs are the biggest problem because they find it difficult to move.
"I usually send my daughter, but sometimes I have to personally because of a signature or something, those are their procedures, I don't know, I guess I have to come. Then she goes hand in hand with me and we take breaks", said JB in front of the Health Fund building.
"The building and premises of the Bar Health Fund make it impossible for people with impairments or without vision to move independently and they always need an escort. In addition, they do not have prominent information in Braille, which is of great importance for citizens, and is prescribed by law," said the secretary of the Organization of the Blind for Bar and Ulcinj. Marija Božović.
"The very fact that something is not adapted to us means that it is more difficult for us to exercise some of our rights or everything we need when we go to a certain institution. I don't think that big investments are needed here, and it would be extremely important for people with visual impairments, even if there is information in Braille," she pointed out.
She praised the Municipality of Bar and the Civil Bureau, which, in addition to the tactile paths, also has information in Braille.
"Authorities are obliged to provide signs for persons with disabilities in Braille and in easy-to-understand formats in facilities in public use and spaces and areas of public use," reads Article 12 of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities.
Božović said that they have excellent communication with the local administration, and that they are working on adapting the city with tactile paths, highlighted information in Braille, and the website of the Municipality of Bar is also adapted for people with visual impairments.
As they pointed out, in the previous period, the municipality of Bar implemented the project "Energy-efficient urban mobility of SEE countries", which the Association of Municipalities of Montenegro implemented in several Montenegrin cities in cooperation with the German development organization GIZ, within the framework of which access ramps were installed for persons with disabilities. reduced mobility in several facilities of local government institutions.
"This entailed the removal of architectural barriers and the installation of ramps and handrails, in accordance with standards for the movement of persons with reduced mobility, and was implemented at the entrances of existing public facilities," they said.
They did this at the Municipality building, where proper handrails were placed for the main entrance, the entrance to the Civil Bureau, as well as the entrance to the registrar's premises, the "Vladimir Popović Španac" Cultural Center and the "Velimir A. Leković" Gallery.
As they said, the municipality worked to ensure access to municipal services for people with disabilities, so from March to May 2020, during the first wave of the corona virus epidemic and the interruption of the immediate work of the counter services, it adapted the premises of the Civic Bureau, with the aim of complete accessibility counter services for people with different types of disabilities, as well as for that space to be more functional for the stay and work of officials, and to serve all citizens for the immediate exercise of their rights.
They pointed out that on December 16, 2013, the Municipality adopted the Local Action Plan in the field of disability with the aim of providing conditions for the full and active participation of disabled people in all areas of social life on an equal basis.
With this LPA, which "Vijesti" had access to, it was determined that 179 ramps were built.
In the previous period, the municipality adapted all intersections and pedestrian crossings with ramps to facilitate the passage of PWDs in the city center, they said. Traffic lights at intersections are equipped with special sound devices that allow PWDs to pass safely.
"The municipality also replaced the complete public lighting with modern lighting, which was one of the demands of the association of visually impaired people in order to make it easier for them to use public areas in the evening," the municipality said.
The Municipality building is accessible, other institutions are the responsibility of the Government
When asked by "Vijesti" whether they are working on adapting the institutions, the Municipality of Bar answered that they do not have any competences or authority to renovate the facilities that belong to state bodies and are the responsibility of the state or the Government.
"Nevertheless, in the previous period, through the reconstruction of sidewalks and public areas in most locations that lead to the most important institutions of importance for the daily life of the PWD, the Municipality of Bar established tactile paths for the visually impaired. Also, according to the projections of the local administration, any future reconstruction and construction of buildings on public areas is conditioned by the existence of tactile paths and other segments of importance for PWDs", said the local administration.
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