(updated 08/01/2018)
Law and Policy
- Is there a legal right to habilitation and rehabilitation services in your country? Please describe relevant laws and give links to further information for:
- a. Health
- b. Education
Law on Education and Training of Children with Special Needs, Rulebook on the Manner, Conditions and Procedure for Guidance of Children with Special Educational Needs. The word rehabilitation is not in the Rules, but what is offered is in close connection with rehabilitation.
- c. Employment
- d. Social Services
Law on Social and Child Protection This Act does not prescribe provisions concerning rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment.
- Is there a legal right to assistive technology, aids and equipment? (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- Do laws on rehabilitation recognise and support participation in all aspects of community life?
In principle, although there is no explicit concern about ensuring the conditions for equal participation of visually impaired persons in everyday life. Perhaps this idea is closest to the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination against pwd.
- Are there policies on habilitation and rehabilitation services for people who are blind or partially sighted?
- a. For children who are (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
- b. For adults of working age who are (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
- c. For older people who are (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
There is a Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, which deals with all ages and types of disabilities. The Strategy is passed in accordance with the EU Strategy.
- Do policies recognise the importance of a personalised multidisciplinary assessment of each individual´s needs and circumstances? Please describe the policies and give web links to more information, for people who are: a. Blind persons b. Partially sighted persons
In principle, the strategy recognizes the needs and circumstances of individuals as well as the Laws, but this does not confirm in practice.
- Are there policies on developing peer support for habilitation and rehabilitation?
- a. For children (please also include policies on family support) who are (i) Blind (ii) Partially sighted
- b. For people of working age who are (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
- c. For older people who are (i) Blind persons (ii) Partially sighted persons
There is no such policy in MNE.
- Are there resources for peer support services?
Institutions dealing with the application of existing legislation, and are listed in legal acts, whose links you can found in previous responses
- Do blind and visually impaired people and their organisations fully participate as equal partners in the development of policies and standards for habilitation and rehabilitation services?
Visually impaired persons and NGO participate in public debates and consultations. But in adopting such policies and legal acts, the views of persons with disabilities do not take account of the views of other participants in the discussions. It is also important to note that the decision-makers themselves and the direct creators of such policies are not a person with a disability or a person with visual impairment.
Access to Habilitation and Rehabilitation
Support Services
- Are there dedicated services for both partially sighted and blind people that meet their distinct needs? Are these habilitation and rehabilitation services focussed on supporting independent living in the community living for people:
The State has still not recognized the importance of solving this problem.
- What is the full range of services in your country
n/a
- How is eligibility determined to access habilitation and rehabilitation services for
It is determined by Rulebook.
- Who provides habilitation and rehabilitation services (for example, dedicated blindness and low vision rehabilitation and support centres, hospitals (private and public), NGOs)?
In accordance with the Law, these are special support centers, but in practice, this work is done by NGOs.
- Are services available locally in all parts of the country?
No
- How are services funded (for example, free, paid for by the user, means tested)?
We strive to make this services for free. But the State does not fund a lot of services, such as a guide dog training, training with white cane.
- If services are not free have any problems of affordability been reported?
Sometimes services are free. But we can not talk about reported problems.
- Are services available for all age groups: children, adults and older people?
The services are equally customized and available for all age groups.
Access to Equipment and Technologies
- The CRPD states that governments should make sure disabled people know about aids, technology and assistive devices and how to use them. How is this done in your country?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- What training is provided in the use of equipment and technology?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- How is eligibility for equipment, technology and training determined?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- How are aids, equipment and technology funded (for example, free, paid for by the user, means tested)?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- If services are not free have any problems of affordability been reported?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
- Are there any limitations on the choice of equipment? What are these?
Law of health insurance, Rulebook on Exercising the Right to Medical Devices
Development of the Competence of Professionals
- Are there training programmes for rehabilitation professionals? Please describe these (If there is accredited training, the qualifications recognised, where people are trained, to what level etc.)
We understand that this issue concerns adults with visual impairment, and the issue of rehabilitation, as well as reparation, is the Law best resolved in the field of labour and employment. The Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of pwd is a very precise way of determining the working methods and procedures for determining the working abilities and the measures of rehabilitation. These rehabilitation measures are: active employment policy, job adaptation, job assistant engagement, subsidy on the amount of the allowance. This Law is very much in use, and we are currently able to ascertain all its shortcomings.
- Please describe how rehabilitation professionals are trained. Does training emphasise meeting needs on an individual basis?
In accordance with the active employment policy prescribed by the aforementioned Law, the Birou of employment of MNE regularly conducts a public call for grants for the purpose of rehabilitation, vocational training and employment of persons with disabilities. The effort is directed at representing the needs of an individual. Nevertheless, in defining the conditions of the competition itself, the voice of persons with disabilities was not sufficiently met, so there are obvious disadvantages in the area of representation of the needs of the individual.
- Does professional training incorporate human rights perspectives?
Yes
- Additional comments on professional training
n/a
Your Organisation
- Does your organisation represent both blind and partially sighted people in your country?
Yes
- What are the conditions for someone with visual impairment to become a member of your organisation or use its services? Please be as specific as possible both for blind and partially sighted people.
Blind in terms of definition of blindness, is considered to be a better eye correction has a visual acuity of less than 10% (0.10) and a person with a central a better eye sight with a correction of 25% (0.25), but the visual field narrowed to 20 degree and less.
- Is this strictly applied, or is there more flexibility in practice?
strictly applied
- Is there another organisation that a person with visual impairment can turn to if they cannot affiliate to your organisation or if you cannot meet their needs? Please give as many details as possible.
We are a national organization with eight local organizations. There is no other organization in Montenegro, except the Association of youth disabilities in MNE, that meets the needs of students.
- How is your organisation involved in the implementation of the right to habilitation and rehabilitation support services and programmes for both blind people and people with partial sight? Please give as much detail as possible, especially regarding:
- a. policies and standards
- b. monitoring of implementation
- c. actions to ensure that dedicated services are in place that meet the distinct needs of blind and partially sighted people.
- d. actual provision of services to blind and partially sighted people and the rights that people with visual impairment have to services.
Unfortunately, the NGO is not involved enough.
- Is there an officer or expert appointed in your organisation to work on partial sight matters? Please describe.
Out of a total of nine employees, four are blind, and two are partially sighted. One of them was employed as a coordinator of cultural activities, and one like a technical assistant.
- What actions is your organisation taking to implement the right to rehabilitation services with dedicated, distinct services for blind people and people who have low vision, and to ensure that these services are/will be available in practice? Please give details (examples: lobbying, cooperation with rehabilitation centres, setting up support services, cooperation with universities to develop specific training for rehabilitation experts etc.)
Mostly lobbying and creating projects, mostly independent.
- How does your organisation inform people with visual impairments and the general public about living with blindness and partial sight? (Examples: a website, a national helpline, information stands in hospitals, campaigns, etc.)
We use the web site, campaign and magazine "Sound review", which comes out once a month.
- How does your organisation inform others about the available habilitation and rehabilitation and support services for blind and partially sighted people?
On web site, or through the direct contact with members.
- In what way is your organisation working with specialised ophthalmologists, optometrists, rehabilitation centres, and teachers, residential homes for older people etc. to prevent, inform and support people with visual impairment?
We do not have enough developed cooperation.
- Is your organisation involved in the Vision 2020 initiative in your country?
No
- Are you familiar with the EBU standards for low vision services in Europe toolkit for implementing the right of partially sighted people to the services they need? How helpful is this resource document?
It is really helpful.
- What, if any, type of support would you like to have to implement UNCRPD article 26 for blind and partially sighted people? Be as specific as possible. We have certain types of support.
- If you compare the current situation with five years ago, regarding the implementation of the right to rehabilitation services for blind people and for people with partial sight, would you say that in your country:
- a. nothing has changed (explain )
- b. The situation has worsened (explain why and how)
- c. The situation has improved (explain why and how)
c.
- Is further action needed in your country? If yes, please explain what needs to be done.
Yes, in future we need more activities in this field. Such as greater transparency in the work of institutions.
- Please send any articles, material, training, standards, protocols, or links that you feel could perhaps serve your colleagues in other EBU countries aiming at high standards services for everyone with sight loss.
We would like to receive materials from other EBU member states to improve standards in Montenegro.