States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others, which includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labor market and work environment that is open, inclusive, and accessible to persons with disabilities.
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ARTICLE 9.
Three days ago, I attended a meeting where the topic was the employment of persons with disabilities. Did you know that Brčko is the only part of Bosnia and Herzegovina where persons with disabilities do not have employment priority? On the other hand, employers who hire persons with disabilities do not receive any benefits or incentives. The Law on Professional Rehabilitation, Training, and Employment of Persons with Disabilities has yet to be put on the agenda of the Assembly. One draft was prepared over seven years ago, while another has been “in process” for a year now.
I have read this latest draft of the law. Essentially, it is not bad, but it seems incomplete. It needs to be harmonized with the Civil Service Law, and to become functional, the bylaws should be adopted as soon as possible. Also, it is not entirely clear to me how exactly a person with a disability would gain priority when applying for jobs in the public administration.
I am not sure why the adoption of this law is being delayed. The only thing that comes to mind is the mandatory negligible contribution that employers who do not hire persons with disabilities will have to pay. Considering that a significant number of employers sit in the Assembly and that many employers have enormous influence on decision-making, this might be the reason.
To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and fully participate in all areas of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure their access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including information and communication technologies and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and rural areas.
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ARTICLE 9.
The law will not solve all the problems. It is necessary to have more consideration in all spheres for those who are the most vulnerable among us. A year and a half ago, it was promised that the city would reconstruct the pedestrian crossings on Boulevard of Peace near the Department Store so that people in wheelchairs could cross the street. No one blames the current authorities for the way the pedestrian crossings were built; simply, at that time, the needs of persons with disabilities were not considered, but why not correct this mistake of the predecessors already?
One would think that today's city officials would have more consideration when constructing and reconstructing roads and streets. But no. Let's remember the grotesque reconstruction of Branislav Nušić Street (which took too long – we haven't forgotten), where there are now sidewalks so narrow that two people cannot pass each other. There is a kindergarten on that street, just to note. Even the new roundabouts still have a “step” that is an insurmountable obstacle for many people in wheelchairs. This is such a small thing to fix, it does not require any additional costs, but it seems that those responsible do not care.
States Parties undertake to collect appropriate information, including statistical and research data, to enable them to formulate and implement policies to give effect to this Convention.
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, ARTICLE 31.
There is no registry of persons with disabilities. We do not know how many of us there are, and given this, it is difficult to define any policy for solving the problems that persons with disabilities face. However, as a start, it would be enough to act in accordance with the Convention whose implementation is mandatory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including in Brčko, which lags behind the rest of the country in implementation.
Ultimately, solving the problems of persons with disabilities requires coordinated efforts from the government, employers, media, and the entire society. More than laws are needed; a change in mentality and culture towards persons with disabilities is necessary – I naively thought this was no longer an issue.
