site.btaOmbudsman and Parents of Disabled Children Preparing New Legislation on Care

Sofia, June 6 (BTA) - Ombudsman Maya Manolova and the parents of disabled children are working on new legislation on personal care for disabled people. Manolova told a news conference here Wednesday that the new law will allow people with disabilities to organize and manage the care they need instead of have the State do it for them.

The new law will eliminate the project-based provision of care. Personal care will be provided after an assessment of the individual needs of each disabled person. The new law will also allow disabled people or their guardians to control this process and pick their own care-giver.

Manolova believes that the changes can be put into force within the existing 169 million leva budget for personal care for disabled people.

She is adamant that the changes in the legislation will optimize the financing of this sector.

The Ombudsman urged the Labour and Social Policy Minister or his representative, MPs and anybody who is interested, to join the work on the bill next week.

Kapka Panayotova of the Independent Living Centre said this was the first day their woes are getting heard. She said if adopted, the future legislation will be a breakthrough in the social care system.

News of the new legislation comes after days of protests by the parents of disabled children outside the Parliament building - and many others before that - against the inadequacy of the existing personal care system. The parents have repeatedly called for putting together a register of disabled children and adults by disease; introducing a system of individual assessment of the needs of the disabled; providing an accessible environment, education and health care; and adequate treatment and therapy.