Moldova Commits to Ensuring Equality for People with Disabilities
When you walk down the street of a Moldovan city, you do not often see a person in a wheelchair. In a Moldovan classroom, you do not often see a child with autism. However, over 170,000 Moldovans live with some type of mental or physical disability. Until this summer, the only law governing the rights of Moldovans with mental or physical disabilities was the Law on the Social Protection of Invalids, passed in 1991.
As its name suggests, the provisions in this law are based on the assumption that people with disabilities are sick and need charity, rather than that they are healthy citizens whose equal rights to school, work, and community and family life need to be supported and protected. Vitalie Mester, the director of the Center for Legal Assistance for Persons with Disabilities (CAJPD), explains, “The law was good in its time, but it is irrelevant for the 21rst century.”
This all might change in near future, as on July 9, 2010, a sustained advocacy effort led by CAJPD—funded by USAID through the Moldova Civil Society Strengthening Program (MCSSP)—resulted in the Moldovan Parliament’s ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.The Convention is an international treaty that identifies the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, establishing the legal framework for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of social activity, as active citizens with equal rights.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Ion Negrei, recognizes the importance of CAJPD’s efforts: “The ratification of the Convention is a unique success story when civil society managed to promote and to convince the Parliament about the importance of ratifying an international document.” CAJPD organized and led a coalition of 62 civil society organizations 
(CSOs) throughout Moldova which work with people with disabilities, hosted a number of events explaining the Convention and its importance to Moldovans with disabilities, collected 6,579 signatures, and organized a march in Chisinau to bring the issue to the attention of the Moldovan Parliament.
“On top of that, a series of meetings with Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Parliament members were organized. I have participated in the Government and Parliament meetings where they explained their position on ratification. Even though it was difficult, I never thought of giving up,” said Vitalie Mester.
CAJPD’s energy now will be focused on supporting the implementation of the Convention by encouraging the Parliament’s efforts to integrate its principles into Moldova’s laws and public policies and by conducting research on the barriers Moldovans with disabilities face to full, equal social inclusion. Valentina Buliga, the Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, and Family, recognizes the comprehensive changes that are necessary in order to implement the Convention: “the Government and Parliament will take the necessary measures in order to create conditions, will change the legislative, regulatory framework, and gradually tend towards full compliance with their rights.”
CAJPD’s work to encourage the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place within the project “Agenda for change working in the area of people with disabilities”, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), under the Moldova Civil Society Strengthening Program (MCSSP), implemented by the Academy for Educational Development (AED).
