Every December 3rd, we stop to reflect on the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
Established by Resolution 47/3 of the United Nations General Assembly, this date aims to promote the rights, well-being and raise awareness for this community.
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in Albania, despite the years, the struggles are the same: accessibility, social and health services, and personal assistants. The reality remains as challenging as the disabilities themselves.
Personal assistant, the key to independent living, but still far away
At a roundtable organized by the "Together" Foundation, responsible organizations and institutions once again raised concerns about the personal assistant service.
The Albanian state offers only 16,000 lek per month for this position, an amount that does not even cover minimum needs.
According to Suela Lala, director of the foundation, many people with disabilities live alone and find it impossible to find someone to help them with even the most basic daily activities.
"We see people all over Albania who, without proper family support, are alone and with that money they can barely hire someone to cover even the most minimal needs, like getting out of bed or having someone come to feed them or wash their clothes," Lala told Citizens.al.
He added that there are many others who have no family or loved ones, spend their lives alone, and with the little money they have, they pay for an hour or two for someone who comes to serve them.
Lala emphasizes that the lack of this service also penalizes family members: those who provide care cannot work and often face unpaid burdens, despite the fact that the law recognizes the right to independent living.
"Not everyone has the economy and not everyone can support their family with the 16 thousand lek that the state provides," Lala emphasizes.
The position of personal assistant aims to allow people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes, without the constant support of their parents.
The Albanian law (93/2014 “On the Inclusion and Accessibility of Persons with Disabilities”) provides that persons with disabilities have access to personal assistance to live independently. However, implementation has been partial.
The assistant's payments are low compared to the needs, from 8,000 to 13,000 lekë, and years of service are not recognized for most categories.
"They don't even have annual leave, they don't have days off. So they have to be there all the time and they have nowhere to spend the burden that falls on them for caring for their family members, which is an unpaid burden," Lala pointed out.
According to her, given the demographic changes in Albanian society, many people with disabilities will be left alone and without support.
"What is a violation of human rights and contradicts the approach to rights that we have undertaken as a state", she continued.
According to Suela Lala, the personal assistant plays a key role in the independent living of people with disabilities, providing support for daily activities such as dressing, bathing, eating, moving outside the home, and starting a family.
"Studies have shown that providing this service promotes employment and reduces the cost burden on the state of keeping people with disabilities unsupported and isolated in their homes.", Suela concluded.
Accessibility, a still unsolved problem
Despite investments in infrastructure, accessibility remains lacking in most cities in Albania.
Sidewalks lack signage for people with visual impairments, public institutions lack functional ramps, and urban transportation is often inadequate. This reality becomes an obstacle for people with disabilities.
"Accessibility should have been overcome. Tirana is not Albania. In other cities the situation is even more scandalous," says Lala.
Albania has ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has adopted laws aimed at their social inclusion and accessibility.
law No. 93/2014 "On the Inclusion and Accessibility of Persons with Disabilities" is one of the laws that aims to promote and protect the rights of this community by enabling their participation in society, but also by charging all state institutions with the responsibility to enable their full inclusion by removing infrastructural and social barriers.
In 2015, DCM No. 1074 set out measures to remove barriers to communication and infrastructure as well as the provision of public services to persons with disabilities, enabling access to housing, transportation, health, social care, education and employment.
law No. 107/2014 "On territorial planning and development" and the decision No. 1503, dated 19.11.2008 "On the use of spaces by persons with disabilities", determines, among other things, the respect of accessibility for persons with disabilities in any construction for housing, spaces and services for the public, including parks, squares and streets.
law no. 10221, dated 04.02.2010, "On protection from discrimination", in its article 7, it defines the elimination of discrimination by the public and private sectors due to disability.
law no. 8308, dated 18.03.1998 "On road transport", defines the obligation for care and priority transport.
However, the practical implementation of this legal framework has remained partial, creating a gap between legislation and lived reality.
Many public and private buildings do not respect established standards, leaving the community isolated as various services fail to meet their daily needs.
Read also:
- People with visual impairments march for rights and dignity
- Personal Assistants: Hope for Independent Living for People with Disabilities
- "Sense is not enough": People with disabilities demand priority from politics
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
