FIMITIC

P R O G R A M

on the work of the

Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia

for 2005

 

The following activities have been planned for 2005.

 

I Organizational activities:

Pursuant to the provisions as stipulated in the Statute the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia in the course of 2005 shall continue its activities in view of registration of members by means of signing a membership form, and issuing membership cards as well as introducing a membership register in the Association branch Organizations.

Analytical and statistical data processing of the membership shall be performed on basis of membership forms.

The Association shall be working on the general improvement in respect of the spatial, material, personnel and other related issues of branch Organizations.

 

II Health care and appliances

With respect to the promotion of health care of its members in the course of 2005 the activities of the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia shall be aimed towards the following:

• Initiate changes to the Health Insurance Law which would provide complete release from participation for all health services, and in particular in respect of the appliances, necessary medications and hospital treatment, reinstating the right to spa treatment as well as other improvements in view of the health protection of our members.
• Stringent enforcement of the amended Rulebook on indications of exercising the rights to orthopedic and other appliances in view of:
• the possibility for the persons with physical disability to have a right to choose where to supply the appliance;
• providing high quality equipment as offered by the latest technical and technological developments in the world;
• providing the right to warranty, maintenance and servicing of appliances;
• Initiating changes and supplements to regulations in view of securing complete annulment of customs and taxes on appliances.
• Providing funds to members within financial capabilities of the Association and pursuant to the Association by-laws when payment or participation in certain health services or appliances is necessary.
• Establishing cooperation to Health organizations, manufacturers and distributors of appliances and medications for the purpose of improving the health care of the physically disabled.
• Taking the opportunities to provide appliances and medications for the members through donations.
• Other health care promotion activities.

 

III Social protection

The activities in the field of social protection shall be focused on the following:

Taking initiatives for increasing the amount and regularity in payment of the:

• social assistance;
• financial compensation for assistance and care;
• perpetual subsidy;
• financial compensation due to bodily injury;
• special allowance.

There have been certain problems in the type and level of disability assessment procedure obstructing the accomplishment of the rights of the people with physical disability, thus the Association shall undertake an initiative in overcoming these problems by preparing own proposals and submitting these to the competent Ministries. One of the problems being the care of people with physical disabilities having more severe problems, the Association shall undertake and support any activities on creating mobile services for care of such persons at their homes by means of projects and other actions.

Activities in respect of the implementation of the elaboration for founding an Adult Persons with Physical Disability Center shall also continue in the next year.

 

IV Employment

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia shall work on promotion of the employment of disabled people through the following activities:

• Registering the members in need of employment and fully informing them on the possibilities and advantages the Law on Employment of Disabled People is offering in view of employment within a protected company, other employer or self-employment.
• Registering employers in need of employing persons with physical disability and intermediating between such employers and physically disabled who are interested in and need employment.
• Registering employers that already employ physically disabled and monitoring if and how they are fulfilling their work rights.
• Informing all competent organs when such irregularities and misuse in implementation of the Law on Employment of Disabled and respective by-laws as well as other violation of the employed persons with physical disability rights have been noticed.
• Taking active part in the policy of the Special Fund for creating employment conditions and employment of physically disabled.
• Permanently monitoring the implementation effects of the Law on Employment of Disabled and respective by-laws as well as inducing the necessary changes and supplements to these by-laws with respect to promotion of the employment and attempts to prevent any violation of these regulations and misuse of advantages granted.

All the above activities the Association shall implement through its branch Organizations by means of commissions for monitoring the employment of the physically disabled, surveys, establishing data bases and their processing, proper information and education of our membership through "Feniks 86", by organizing appropriate events on the issue of employment and other respective methods.

 

V Education

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia shall initiate activities for timely inclusion of the persons with physical disability in the educational processes.

• Providing school supplies for socially at-risk families with persons with physical disability.
• Cooperation with regular schools and adult educational institutions in view of inclusion of physically disabled within these.
• Computer, foreign languages and other educational courses for the membership.

 

VI Architectural barriers

The Association activities regarding this issue shall be directed at the following activities:

• Open the problem of adopting a legislation on erecting buildings without urban barriers as well as removing such barriers in the existing facilities;
• Attempting to resolve individual problems our members are experiencing in their movement and related to architectural barriers;
• Providing financial and other resources for taking definite actions for removing architectural barriers
• Monitoring if regulations on securing accessibility have been observed and informing the competent authorities in case these regulations have been violated in any respect.

 

VII Vacation and rehabilitation of members

The Association shall grant vacation and rehabilitation in our flats in Ohrid for 390 members which in fact is the full capacity of the facility. The conditions and method shall be regulated by a separate Rulebook.

In accordance with its financial resources the Association shall also cover 40 full boards in the spa centers in our country.

The following expenses shall be covered for this purpose:

• full board for members going to a spa treatment;
• travel expenses for members going to spa treatment;
• food allowance and travel expenses for 390 members spending their holidays in Ohrid.

 

VIII Sports and recreation

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia shall organize the following sports events in the course of the 2005:

• The National Sports Games of the Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia . when 95 contestants will participate in athletics, table tennis and shooting events.

The following expenses have been anticipated for realization of these activities:

• full board for the participants at the "Palace" Hotel in Ohrid;
• travel expenses for the participants;
• supply of sports equipment.
• National Chess Championship of the physically disabled of Macedonia to be held in the Bansko Spa - Strumica at the "Car Samuil" Hotel when 28 contestants and 5 companions shall participate at this event.
• International competitions

In compliance with the financial resources the Association shall establish communication with similar organizations in other countries and international organizations for the purpose of participating at international competitions.

 

IX Cultural and leisure time activities

Activities anticipated for 2005:

• Organization of the traditional music-literature events to be held at the "Car Samuil Hotel" in Bansko Spa - Strumica when 35 contestants shall participate.

Expenses anticipated for this event:

• boarding for the participants;
• travel expenses for the participants and the host;
• fees for the jury;
• fee for the master of ceremonies;
• first, second and third prize for literature work;
• first, second and third prize for music competition

Organization of a quiz competition to be held in Strumica when 56 contestants - persons with physical disability shall participate.

Expenses anticipated for this event:

• boarding for the participants;
• travel expenses for the participants and the master of ceremonies;
• fee for the master of ceremonies;
• fees for the 3 member jury;
• fess for the quiz questions writer;
• first, second and third prize;
• fees for the technical equipment necessary for proper quiz performance.

In compliance with the financial resources the Association is planning concert performances at the branch Organizations when 20 performers and 5 members of the "Feniks" musical ensemble shall participate.

Expenses anticipated for this event:

• boarding for 25 participants;
• travel expenses for the participants;
• fee for the master of ceremonies.

 

X City Organizations gatherings

In accordance with its timetable and financial resources the Association shall cover for the organization of at least three branch Organizations gatherings. The organization of such a gathering shall be assigned to the branch Organizations that will offer best program including organization of a seminar or other kind of discussion with representatives from government authorities, competent institutions, scientific and experts qualified in certain issues in the field of protection and position of persons with physical disability.

One general gathering shall be also organized on the occasion of the Day of the physically disabled on a date determined by the Executive Board of the Association.

The Association shall also finance the traditional New Year Gathering of physically disabled persons of Macedonia held in Skopje and the traditional cake-making event organized by the branch Organization of Strumica.

Organization of regional gatherings with shared finances shall also be encouraged.

 

XI Information activities

The Association shall continue its work on the publishing of "Feniks 86" including news of interest to the membership. The 40 pages magazine shall be printed quarterly in 1000 copies.

Expenses anticipated for this activity:

• printing costs;
• writers' compensation for the editor in chief, respective section editors, assistant editors and contributors pursuant to the by-law as adopted by the Executive Board of the Association.

In accordance to its financial resources the Association shall also include numerous additions, brochures and other printed materials of interest to the members to the magazine.

In view of affirmation of its work and humanitarian activities the Association shall establish closer cooperation with any kind of informative media and make efforts these to cover as much of the disability issues as possible.

The members shall also receive pieces of information through various meetings, seminaries, worktables etc.

 

XII Regulations

The Association shall continue its mission in monitoring and taking active part by means of proposals, remarks and suggestions in view of changes and supplements to the regulations of interest and significance to the persons with physical disability. This shall refer in particular to regulations in the field of the health and social protection, employment, tax and customs regulations, barriers, regulations concerned with the invalid organizations status, local management etc.

Special efforts shall be undertaken for annulment of the health care participation, providing high quality health protection, increase the social allowances and compensations (for care and assistance from other persons, special allowances, perpetual subsidies etc., creating conditions for foster care of persons with physical disability who need such assistance, annulment of taxes and customs on accessories and supply of vehicles for the needs of certain disability categories, adopting changes and supplements to the regulations on employment thus improving the situation in this field and prohibit all the possible misuse by employers, adopting special legislation that shall regulate the invalid organizations status, providing adequate position of our disability organizations within the new local management regulations etc.

 

XIII Cooperation with other organizations

The Association shall continue its cooperation and shall attempt to establish relation to:

• other disability organizations in our country;
• humanitarian and other non-government organizations in Macedonia with programs of interest to the physically disabled and promotion of the condition of disabled in general;
• scientific and specific organizations and institutions;
• similar international disability associations;
• international associations dealing with the protection and promotion of disabled persons, and persons with physical disability in particular;
• international organizations functioning in the R. Macedonia which in their work programs include activities in view of the improvement and promotion of the condition of inhabitants in general and disabled in particular, the most important being the Institute Open Society - SOROS, the Macedonian International Cooperation Center - (MCMS), the Catholic Resource Services (CRS).

This program activity shall be implemented by organizing meetings between representatives of our and their organizations, their taking part during our events and meetings, providing information about our work, taking the opportunities offered by them etc.

 

XIV Conference

The Association shall organize a conference on certain topic of interest as determined by the Executive Board. Representatives of Government authorities, expert and scientific organizations and other relevant individuals involved in this issue shall take part during this conference as well as representatives from all the Association branch Organizations.

The following expenses have been anticipated for this activity:

• boarding expenses;
• travel expenses for the participants;
• fees for expert participants;
• hall rental fee;
• providing adequate technical facilities: computers, loudspeakers, translation, projections, slides, screens etc.;
• administration, postage and other similar expenses.

The Conference shall produce conclusions that shall reflect on certain Association activities.

 

XV Financing

The Association shall undertake all the necessary initiatives and measures to provide stable and permanent working resources for the Association and its branch Organizations, and especially long term regulation of this issue, through the Budget of the R. Macedonia.

The Program is open and it can be supplemented in the course of the year.

 

 

Association of Physically

Disabled Persons of Macedonia

President,

Miodrag Ignjatovic