"Youth with disabilities still face challenges due to lack of support, inaccessible environment..."

Young people with disabilities in Montenegro continue to face challenges due to lack of support, inaccessible environment and lack of understanding of their needs, and it is necessary to systematically work on solutions until their complete inclusion.

This was announced at the Conference on improving the position of people with disabilities, with a special emphasis on young people with disabilities in society, organized by the Association of Disabled Youth of Montenegro (UMHCG).

The President of the UMHCG Assembly, Miloš Ranitović, indicated that, although there are certain efforts and initiatives aimed at improving the position of young people with disabilities, they still face many challenges, as evidenced by the latest report of the European Commission.

"Lack of adequate support, accessible environment and understanding of the needs of young people with disabilities are still only some of the problems that are still present. These challenges remind us that we have a long way to go to create a truly inclusive and just society," said Ranitović.

He reminded that the goal of UMHCG is to constantly work on improving the position of young people with disabilities.

Ranitović said that they are particularly proud of the development of a mobile application that maps accessible locations throughout Montenegro.

"The application is not just a technological tool, but a tool that allows young people with disabilities greater mobility, independence and inclusion in social flows. And the fact that the same application will be available for use already in August of this year makes me happy," said Ranitović, PR Center reports.

He believes that, in addition to technical innovations, it is still necessary to work on changing social consciousness.

"Technical innovations such as our mobile application can significantly improve the situation of young people with disabilities by enabling greater accessibility and easier access to information about accessible locations. This contributes to their independence, increases the opportunities for social interaction and improves the quality of life," said Ranitović.

He pointed out that the possibility of independent movement and access to various facilities and services creates a feeling of inclusion and acceptance, which is crucial for their self-confidence and a sense of equality in society.

Ranitović said that the fight for the equality of persons with disabilities is a fight for the dignity of every individual.

"In order to achieve that, we need the cooperation of all of us - institutions, organizations, but also every citizen," said Ranitović.

The Deputy Mayor of the Capital City, Luka Rakčević, reminded that he has been cooperating with UMHCG for 14 years, assessing that, although certain progress has been achieved, many problems still persist, and that insufficient work has been done to solve them systematically.

Rakčević pointed out that there is significant room for improving the situation and that everyone has a moral and legal obligation to help overcome obstacles.

"I remember how we celebrated the adoption of the first Law on Building Construction and Spatial Planning, which stipulated the obligation to reconstruct buildings in order to make them accessible for people with disabilities. However, even after more than a decade, many public facilities are still not accessible," said Rakčević.

He believes that it is necessary to work more on spatial accessibility, stating that fellow citizens with disabilities deserve equal treatment and access to all public facilities.

Speaking about inclusion in public transport and on public areas, Rakčević assessed that certain steps have been taken, but that there is still a lot of work ahead of them.

He emphasized the need to create affirmative conditions for the employment of persons with disabilities, stressing that the Capital must be a promoter of new values ​​and approaches that will serve as an example for other local governments.

"It is necessary to approach the systemic solution of the problems of people with disabilities, instead of ad hoc solutions. There are successful practices that are already implemented in the countries of the region and the European Union, and Montenegro should follow their example in order to fundamentally improve the position of people with disabilities in Podgorica and throughout the country," said Rakčević.

Independent adviser in the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ana Milačić, said that in previous years, Montenegro has taken certain steps in the field of improving the rights of persons with disabilities.

She stated that laws have been adopted that guarantee rights and protection, and that the state has taken measures to improve their inclusion in society.

"However, despite these efforts, young people with disabilities still face numerous obstacles that limit their full inclusion," Milacic added.

According to her, there are still problems with access to education and employment, and the isolation and exclusion of people with disabilities from social activities, unfortunately, is still present.

Speaking about the field of sports, Milačić believes that certain advances in the inclusion of people with disabilities have been made, but that there is still a lot of room for improvement.

"It is necessary to adapt as many existing fields and sports facilities as possible, as well as build new ones, so that people with disabilities have the opportunity to actively engage in sports," Milačić said.

She stated that additional education and training of coaches and sports workers is needed, in order to understand the needs and possibilities of people with disabilities, which would certainly contribute to their inclusion in sports activities.

She said that the Ministry will be ready to work on removing all barriers for young people, both in sports and in other social spheres.

Milačič said that improving the position of young people with disabilities in Montenegro requires the joint effort of all segments of society - the government, the education system, employers, non-governmental organizations and the general public.