Currently the Ministry of Social Solidarity is looking for a legal consultant to develop the decree law on establishing the National Council for Disability, so they can submit it to the Council of Ministers for approval.
The Director of National Assistance in the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Amandio Freitas, said they submitted a proposal to international organizations like AusAid, Plan International, and Handicap International to find support for the consultant.
“If there are no obstacles, this year the National Council for Disability could be established and we will make an effort to establish it,” said Director Freitas in Kaikoli, Dili.
Apart from this, he said they held a workshop review for the National Policy on People With Disabilities to identify priority areas to submit to all ministries, so they could integrate these points in their strategic plans and budgets.
According to him, the council will monitor and implement the National Policy on People With Disabilities, which was approved by the Council of Ministers several years ago, to ensure the rights of people with disabilities.
Meanwhile the President of the Disability Working Group Timor-Leste Joaquim Freitas Soares said the government had an obligation to create the decree law to establish the council.
“The National Council for Disability is very important for looking into the rules, laws and procedures that facilitate people with disabilities in their lives and in all sectors,” he said.
He said the structure of the council should have representatives from government, civil society, the church and people with disabilities.
Domingos Gusmao, who has a disability, said the council was very important to look into disability issues because the public treatment of disabled people is insufficient, especially in healthcare and education.
He also called on the Ministry of Health to increase their human resources, especially in services for blind people, because there are a lot of patients but only one doctor. He also said there were difficulties in the education sector.
“My opinion is they must develop an inclusive education centre after implementation, as if not, there will be resources but no equipment,” said Gusmao.
