site.btaAnalysis of Policies for People with Disabilities in Kriva Palanka Municipality Presented in Project Financed by Bulgarian Development Aid

The Regional Policies for Persons with Disabilities project, funded by Bulgarian Development Aid, was finalized with a meeting and a presentation of the prepared analysis of policies related to persons with disabilities in the municipality of Kriva Palanka, organized by Handicap Plus Association.

The project's general objective is to promote regional policies in North Macedonia and align them with the obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while specific objectives are aimed at promoting the Convention obligations through the participation of civil society organizations in disability-related work and decision-making at the local level.

Kriva Palanka is the first municipality in North Macedonia where such an analysis has been carried out. 

"This is a snapshot, based on facts, of the problems faced by people with disabilities and a roadmap on how to implement policies in the municipality for them," Kriva Palanka Mayor Sasho Mitovski said.

"It is good to provide this analysis to the Association of Local Self-Government Units in North Macedonia, of which all municipalities in the country are members, because the integration of people with disabilities is part of the Europeanisation of the country," Bulgarian Ambassador to North Macedonia Angel Angelov said.

According to Brankitsa Dimitrovska, Chairperson of Handicap Plus, 20 participants from ten disability organisations have gained additional knowledge on networking through specific initiatives within the project and there has been increased civic dialogue and cooperation in policy and decision-making at local level. The project has also raised awareness on the rights of people with disabilities.

Participants in the meeting, representatives of people with disabilities and organizations working to improve their living and working conditions, discussed and outlined the challenges facing people with disabilities in the municipality of Kriva Palanka, their social security and protection, the right to health care, education, and possible solutions to overcome them, and initiatives that will be proposed to the municipality to be included in the local plans for 2024.