Polio Plus has recently established the first ever genuinely open inter-party parliamentary lobby group in Macedonia. It will focus on disability rights and the introduction of a Disability Discrimination Act, a legal instrument that will lie across the whole of the legislature and serve as the reference point for disability issues.

providing a free service for cases connected with the human rights of disabled people. Specialist lawyers advise and undertake casework through the whole legal process. The practice also has a dedicated team of lawyers who assess the legislative and benefits systems with regard to disability issues and who draft and present appropriate amendments and new articles. The same lawyers also lobby and canvass for these changes to be implemented.

a project that proactively used the democratic process of law to successfully make amendments to targeted legislation and benefits that discriminate against disabled people. Accompanied by a high profile and hard-hitting awareness raising campaign.

a self funded lobbying initiative focusing on the 2002 parliamentary elections in Macedonia and raising awareness of the right of disabled people to be properly represented. Activities included lobbying political party leaders and parliamentarians, with the result that disability became one of the key election issues; a street theatre activity which highlighted the fact that the parliament building is totally inaccessible to any elected Deputy who might be disabled; a public awareness campaign focusing on the simple fact that not one elected Deputy since Macedonia became an independent state has been disabled…

in partnership with the Macedonian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Polio Plus is conducting a sample census of the number of disabled people in Macedonia. This initiative is particularly important since there are no accurate statistics about the number of people with special needs in the Republic of Macedonia. The project builds on the successful Polio Plus lobbying campaign carried out at senior governmental level, which resulted in questions relating to disability being included on the agenda for the recent Population Census.

at the specific invitation of FORUM Centre for Strategic Research and Documentation, together with unanimous nominations from key parliamentary players, Polio Plus worked to draft a new law that provides benefits and discounts to all disabled people with regard to public transport. This law will be enacted in the next six months.

a high level seminar promoting the work and learning experiences of the Council of Europe within the field of disability rights, with the aim of encouraging a similar movement in the Republic of Macedonia.

For the parliamentary elections, Polio Plus provided a team of six consultants to IFES in a nationwide project focusing on voter education amongst vulnerable groups. The team conducted informal forums and distributed materials amongst the disabled community addressing voter’s rights with particular emphasis on accessible ways of voting.

Polio Plus is accredited by the UN to participate in the Ad Hoc Committee Meetings preparing for this Convention; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed that Polio Plus form part of the Macedonian delegation to the UN for this purpose. In addition we have drafted a Declaration to be signed by parliament making specific reference to this Convention and the importance of its ratification in the field of the human rights of disabled people.