FIMITIC

The National Association for Persons with Neuromotor Disabilities from Romania, AHNR – Asociatia Handicapatilor Neuromotori din Romania, developed its activities both at the national and local level.

At the national level, the AHNR continues to permanently monitor and have a prompt intervention on legal proposals regulating the matters regarding the persons with disabilities. A special attention was drawn to those referring to the rights, protection and social integration on the base of equal opportunities, employment of the persons with disabilities. On the other hand, we got involved, as much as possible, into writing such legal regulations, aimimg to avoid errors that could appear.

In all these actions, the AHNR works either independently or within a broader stucture set up in 2004 with the contribution of our founder-president, Mrs. Monica Antoci. This broad structure is called the National Council of Disability from Romania, CNDR - Consiliul National al Dizabilitatii din Romania. The Council comprises 10 non-governmental associations represenative for the persons with disabilities from Romania.

Thus, in 2011, within the CNDR, the AHNR, represented by its president Mr. Adrian Mihalcea, collaborated with the working group that analyzed the Romanian Law 448/2006 regarding the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities to get in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In the period 8th - 10th of June 2011, in the Arges county, it took place a seminar under the title ”Modification of Law 448/2006 and its harmonization with the UN Convention regarding the rights of the persons with disabilities”, organised by the CNDR. The seminar was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection (MMFPS), local authorities in charge with social protection and ceratin non-guvernmental organizations, among which the AHNR.

The AHNR, independently or together with the other CNDR member associations, developed an intensive activity of lobbying the Labour and Social Protection Ministry, initiator of the legal project regarding social assistance, and the Romanian Parliament, where this legal act is discussed and voted. The legal act refers to the social assistance approached both at a general level and on specific matters, such as third age, unshelterd persons, persons with AIDS, persons with disabilities, etc.

Considering that the law in force, Law 448/2006 regarding the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, has to be adapted and modified in conformity with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we stand for our opinion that the new legal act has to take away certain general principles already present either in the Romanian legislation or the UN Convention, while the specific matters regarding the persons with disabilities have to be regulated by the profile legislation. Consequently, the Law 448/2006 should be modified to get in line with the UN Convention. At present, we continue our lobby activities as works are not finalized, the legal act being not voted by the Parliament, yet.

At the local level, the AHNR acts through its seven member associations that, in their turn, cover the counties they belong to – the eighth member, reported in 2009, is in the course of dissolution consequently to president’s death and lack of active members.

All the county associations performs the following activities:

• support with food, clothes, drugs and technical and medical devices, within the possible limits, for members with the greatest disabilities;
• general information activity and consultancy on matters specific to the neuromotor handicap and in order to get persons with disabilities integrated into the labour market;
• maintaining communication with the local authorities in the field.

Along years, some associations have developed and, thus, got specialized in other types of activities, such as:

• therapy through productive activities for setting up and running protected workshops where there are manufactured candles, cloths made of textitile waste, cardboard objects, knitting, sewing, painting, or for developing computer skills – case of the associations in Zalau, Arad and Hunedoara;
• activities on education/recovery/rehabilitaion/social assistance, developed by the association of Cluj, Arges, Mehedinti and Resita.

These activities were affected both by the economic crisis and the decreasing number of members and aging of the existing members.

In spite of all these obstacles, all our member associations continue to run their activities with less money and to set up protected workshops in order to generate the necessary funds to cover the expenses.

President of AHNR  
Ion Adrian Mihalcea

Bucuresti, October 10th, 2011