STILM Activity report 2003

R E P O R T

 

on the work of the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia

for 2003

 

I Organizational activities:

Pursuant to the provisions as stipulated in the Statute the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia continued the activities in the course of 2003 in view of members registration by means of signing a membership form, and issuing membership cards for the purpose of introducing a membership register in the Association branch Organizations.

The Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute has completed the analytical data processing of the membership.

The total number of registered members for 2003 is 4.161. The following table shows the branch organizations membership for 2003 by diagnoses:

No.

Municipality

Cerebral Palsy

Paraplegia

Polio

Multiple Sclerosis

Dystrophy

Amputation

Other

Total

1.

Skopje

209

118

112

100

59

138

382

1.118

2.

Bitola

64

36

52

18

12

92

231

505

3.

Stip

32

23

17

8

9

41

296

426

4.

Tetovo

73

22

31

13

15

25

85

264

5.

Prilep

43

21

23

8

16

60

162

333

6.

Strumica

86

43

15

30

3

21

23

221

7.

Kumanovo

36

20

24

10

4

23

115

232

8.

Kocani

16

24

16

10

7

33

110

216

9.

Radovis

23

8

9

9

10

20

102

181

10.

Veles

29

13

15

6

5

12

36

116

11.

Kavadarci

9

7

12

13

2

9

40

92

12.

Struga

18

6

16

4

10

11

48

113

13.

Ohrid

12

15

11

5

3

11

35

92

14.

Debar

13

12

12

/

2

14

35

88

15.

Gevgelija

12

6

10

2

3

7

24

64

16.

Kicevo

10

5

4

1

2

7

23

52

17.

Sv. Nikole

1

2

2

1

4

6

32

48

 

Total:

686

381

381

238

166

530

1779

4.161

The Association performed an analysis through its branch Organizations on members profiles in respect of type and cause of disability, age, education and social structure. The aggregate review is as follows (except for the results from ZTIL Strumica):

I Diagnose profile

Men

Women

Total

1.

Paraplegia

213

212

425

2.

Dystrophy

110

47

158

3.

Cerebral palsy

366

222

588

4.

Multiple sclerosis

96

118

214

5.

Poliomyelitis

233

144

377

6.

Amputations

424

99

525

7.

Other physical disability

946

802

1.748

 

II Age profile

Men

Women

Total

1.

To 7 years of age

49

33

82

2.

From 7 to 18 y/a

128

90

218

3.

From 18 to 26 y/a

202

138

340

4.

From 26 to 40 y/a

572

325

897

5.

From 40 to 65 y/a

980

678

1.658

6.

Above 65 y/a

471

265

736

 

III Employment profile

Men

Women

Total

1.

Without education

240

270

510

2.

Primary education

747

586

1.333

3.

Secondary education

1.045

616

1.661

4.

Advanced School

90

41

131

5.

University

117

87

204

 

IV Social profile

Men

Women

Total

1.

Employed

482

236

718

2.

Unemployed

481

363

844

3.

Pensioners

859

510

1.369

4.

Public welfare recipient

312

185

497

5.

Special allowance recipients

203

147

350

6.

Recipients of allowance for care and assistance from other person

573

441

1.014

The obtained data and comparative analyses made shall be of great assistance in preparing the course of our activities and in applying to various projects and donations.

The Association had been working on the general improvement in respect of the spatial, material, personnel and other conditions of branch Organizations.

Salaries and other allowances to the qualified employees with the branch Organizations had been covered by the Association on regular basis.

 

II Health protection

In the course of 2003 the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia submitted an initiative to the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of Macedonia for amendment and supplement to the Rulebook on indications of exercising the rights to orthopedic and other appliances. The initiatives in this respect have finally been fruitful. The decrease of the participation from 40% to 10% and reinstating the right for appliances correction shall lead to a quality improvement of the condition of disabled people in view of observing their right to orthopedic and other appliances. The promotion of the amended Rulebook occurred in the presence of representatives of the Health Insurance Fund, the President and the Secretary General of our Association, as well as several doctors from the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute and a great number of reporters also.

A symposium entitled "Modern trends in prosthetics and orthotics" with an accent to the possibilities of the "Orthopedic Institute Slavej AD" as well as a presentation of the "Special Seats for Children with Cerebral Palsy", a new product of the "Orthopedic Institute Slavej AD" were delivered in 2003. People of various profiles, users of orthopedic appliances, doctors, companies - manufacturers of orthopedic appliances, NGO representatives and reporters were also present during this event.

In 2003 the Association participated in part of the costs the Association members had to pay for certain health care services.

The Association shall continue its activity in view of the initiatives for further development of the health protection of its members in 2004 as well.

 

III Social protection

The activities in the field of social protection have been directed towards the utmost participation in respect of changes and supplements to the Social Protection Law i.e. the changes and supplements to the Rulebook on the method of implementing the criteria for establishing the amount of the allowance for assistance and care provided by other person. The Association provided a very argumentative and expressive facts before the authorities and public through the media for the purpose of reinvestigating the originally announced solution and insisted on new one which is to be more favorable for the members i.e. the beneficiaries.

Pursuant to the STILM Executive Board conclusion a request was submitted to the competent authorities for adjustment of the allowance amount in agreement with the Law and the Rulebook resp.

Considering the irregularities and dissatisfaction of the Rulebook implementation in practice a letter was submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy requesting they should specifically instruct the respective authorities on the method of operation in this issue.

Bearing in mind that certain problems obstructing the accomplishment of the rights of the people with physical disability in the social protection area have arisen, the Association shall continue its initiatives to the competent Ministries by means of preparing its own proposals for overcoming the problems.

 

IV Employment

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia took active part through its organs and representatives with own recommendations in preparing the changes and supplements to the Law on Employment of Disabled People, which passed the Governments procedure. According to this Law numerous significant and favorable improvements to the existing Law have been offered, which in turn will lead to improving the condition of the disabled that are or need to be employed.

 

V Education

In view of this segment a representative of the Association took part at the event entitled "News in the education and rehabilitation of persons with development impairment" when experts from many countries, including Macedonia , delivered their papers on this issue.

The debate on the issues of integration and inclusion of persons with disability in regular education was of particular interest for our Association.

The adopted conclusions were presented in the "Feniks 86" magazine.

 

VI Architectural barriers

The Association donated its own funds as part of the costs intended for removing the architectural barriers in its branch Organizations in Bitola and Kicevo thus contributing to the solution of the problems in certain institutions and buildings with architectural barriers in these municipalities.

 

VII Vacation and rehabilitation of members

Accomodation for a total number of 390 members was arranged at the Association flats in Ohrid in 2003, the members receiving board and travel expenses also.

44 members were sent to the "Car Samoil" hotel in the Bansko Spa in Strumica whereas 10 members went to the "Negorci" Spa. Accommodation and travel costs for these members were covered by the Association.

 

VIII Sports and recreation

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia in cooperation with the Federation of Sports and Recreation of Physically Disabled in Macedonia organized the 15 th National Sports Games of the Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia. The motto of these Games was "One Hundred Years of the Ilinden Uprising in Macedonia " under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia , the Agency for Young and Sports.

All branch Organizations took part during these Games with five contestants each. The competitions were held in three events: shooting, table tennis and all-around athletics.

It was concluded that this year, as many others before, the sports games were held in a very fair and friendly atmosphere, and all the participants of these events, the organisation board and the referees had made this happen to the satisfaction of all present.

In October 2003 the National Chess Championship of the physically disabled of Macedonia was held. The first ten competitors of the previous championship were direct participants whereas the other 14 competitors were known after the qualification competitions.

We would also like to point out the National Championship in all-around athletics and table tennis for wheelchair competitors organized by the Federation of Sports and recreation of the Disabled of Macedonia when 14 competitors from our Association participated.

 

IX Cultural and leisure time activities

Our Association organized the 7 th National quiz competition of the physically disabled in October 2003.

It was decided this year the Association to join the common celebrations on the occasion of the 100 th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising and therefore the main topic was Macedonia , its history, geography, culture and sports. Fifteen 3 member teams took part at this competition of which ZTIL Skopje had two teams and other branch Organizations one each. Many attendants were present during these competitions, among which the students from the Primary School "Marshal Tito" from the village of Murtino .

In November 2003 the Association organized the 9 th music-literature events of the disabled persons of Macedonia .

Twenty five participants took part during these events. The general conclusion by the jury, the participants, and guests was that the organization of these traditional events was spotless as usual.

 

X City Organizations gatherings

In accordance with the 2003 timetable the Association supported financially the organization of the branch Organizations gatherings held in ZTIL Prilep and ZTIL Bitola, when representatives of other branch Organizations also took part. The Association also covered part of the costs for the organization of the New Year Gathering of physically disabled persons of Macedonia held in and organized by ZTIL Skopje.

 

XI Information activities

The Association continued its work on the publishing of its magazine "Feniks 86" including regular information on the work of the Association and its branch Organizations, regulations and many other issues of interest to the members. The general conclusion of the Editing Board members has been that the magazine achieves different and better design with each new edition, new sections have been introduced and the readers are also invited to send their contributions and make suggestions.

 

XII Regulations

The Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia in compliance with its goals and objectives, as well as its work program, both independently and in cooperation with the Federation of Disabled Persons Associations of Macedonia took active part in the amendments and supplements to the Law on Health Protection, the Law on Social Protection, the Law on Employment of the Disabled, The Law on Citizen Associations etc.

Our Association submitted to the Ministry of Finance an initiative for amending and supplementing the Personal Taxation Law and the Law on Value Added Tax. Apart from the Law on Health Protection which has been passed and is in effect, the other laws are still in the procedure to be passed in the course of 2004.

 

XIII Cooperation with other organizations

In the course of 2003 our Association continued its cooperation with similar non-government organizations.

In November 2003 an NGO Fair 3 Forum of Civil Society was held in organization of the Macedonian International Cooperation Center (MCMS), the Institute Open Society Macedonia and the Institute of Sustainable Communities . Our Association was presented through printed material and a video recording that was prepared for this special occasion. This presentation of our Association can be evaluated as very successful and the best one so far.

The Red Cross of Macedonia donated orthopedic appliances which were distributed to the Association members.

In December 2003 there was an official transfer of the income achieved by the street party entitled "I know how and I can" organized by the USAID National Entrepreneurship and Competitivness Council of Macedonia in the presence of the project supporters and the media.

As agreed with the donors the donated funds shall be used for the installation of a hydraulic ramp in the Association van.

For the purpose of making introduction and establishing contacts the Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia sent communication to numerous non-government organizations in Macedonia including brief description of our Association and an invitation for mutual meeting.

 

Association of Physically

Disabled Persons of Macedonia

President,

Miodrag Ignjatovic