Important days

10. 5. 2010

Equal Opportunities for All

In connection with the adoption of the National Plan for Creation of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities for 2010-2014 which the government debated and approved in its Resolution No. 253 of 29 March 2010, the Information Centre of the Government of the Czech Republic has prepared the information campaign "Equal Opportunities for All".

 

In the campaign it is also involved the Government Board for People with Disabilities the chairman of which is the Prime Minister Jan Fischer, and also the National Council of People with Disabilities, the chairman of which is Václav Krása.

In the framework of the campaign, the Information Centre of the Government of the Czech Republic has prepared for students of grammar schools and secondary schools lectures on the activities of the Government Board for People with Disabilities and on the National Plan for Creation of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities for 2010-2014. For those who are interested in the issue of people with disabilities, there is a competition for books of the publishing house of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic prepared at the web-sites of the Information Centre of the Government.

For 12 May it is planned a meeting of people with disabilities at the villa of Hana and Edvard Beneš in Sezimovo Ústí. At the press conference, which will be a part of the meeting and where the National Plan will be officially presented, will give a speech the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and the Chairman of the Government Board for People with Disabilities Jan Fischer, the Chairman of the National Council of People with Disabilities Václav Krása and the Head of the Secretariat of the Government Board for People with Disabilities Pavel Ptáčník.

The National Plan for Creation of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities for 2010 - 2014

The National Plan for Creation of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities for 2010 - 2014 (hereinafter referred to as "National Plan") is submitted following the Resolution of the Government No. 273 of 9 March 2009 on the Report on the Individual Concept Measures of the Medium-Term Strategy of the State Policy towards People with Disabilities implemented in the period 2007 – 2008. The Minister for Human Rights and the acting Deputy Chairman of the Government Board for People with Disabilities were charged with a task to work out and to submit to the government by 31 March 2010 the draft of a new national plan for people with disabilities for 2010 – 2014 which would respect objectives and tasks of the Medium-Term Strategy.

In the last two decades the Czech Republic ranked among those states which realized an increasing responsibility for removing barriers preventing people with disabilities from full participation and involvement in the society. It was systemically striving for gradual solution of particular spheres which concerned people with disabilities and aimed its activities on improving conditions and quality of their lives.

For that purpose four national plans had been already gradually worked out, approved by the government, and implemented in the past period. These plans formulated the national policy towards people with disabilities and particular measures for the individual ministries were set as important or priority ones. It is possible to state that in the course of the implementation of the National Plan the approach of the state towards people with disabilities has been demonstrably improved which was positively reflected in number of areas which are important for ensuring conditions for high-quality and dignified life of this group of persons and which support their integration into the society.

An important event which influenced the preparation and content of the National Plan is the fact that the Czech Republic ratified in September 2009 the Convention on Right of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter referred to as "Convention"), which had been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The Convention reflects seven already existing UN conventions of the human rights sphere. It does not define any new rights, it just insists on consistent enforcement of the existing rights and freedoms from the point of view of people with disabilities. It acknowledges their dignity and equal position, right to individual autonomy and independence, free deciding, it supports involvement of people with disabilities into all policies which concern them. The Convention regards as the most important matter to ensure access of people with disabilities to the physical, economic, social and cultural environment, to education, rehabilitation, information and communication.

The basic version of the National Plan corresponds in its content and structure to the general principles which the Convention is based on. Only those articles of the Convention, which were the most important and the most topical for creation of the equal and non-discriminating environment for people with disabilities in the next five-year period, had been selected for the preparation of the document.

The National Plan is divided into the separate chapters corresponding to the individual articles of the Convention. Each chapter, apart from the quotation of the respective article of the Convention, contains a brief description of the existing state and objectives which are to be achieved through the measures, as well as the list of all the measures with deadlines and responsible ministries.

Among the most important topics of the National Plan belong in particular measures aimed at equal treatment, ban of discrimination, accessibility of buildings and transport, access to the cultural heritage and such like.

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