Fair and responsible society should provide conditions for all people to have dignified living and even possibilities to equally participate in social, economy, political and cultural life of community, stressed Commissioner for the Protection of Equality at the opening of the first regional conference „ Political and Electoral Participation of Persons with Disabilities“, organized by Balkan Independent Disability Network (BIDF) and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Commissioner Jankovic stated that even with the great progress made in the past several years, the discrimination of persons with disabilities is still present, because of prejudices, inaccessibility of buildings and information, and also because adequate assistance services and assertive technologies that should provide full inclusion in all social processes are missing. It is also confirmed by data about complaints filed to Commissioner, which show that disability was among the most frequently stated grounds of discrimination, while it was in the first place last year. She stressed that participation of persons with disabilities in political decision making process is extremely important for the improvement of their position and that participation in political life does not only mean exercising of electoral right, but also participation in creation and implementation of policies.

Commissioner stressed that greatest number of recommendation from the Regular Annual Report of Commissioner for the Protection of Equality for 2017, aimed to carriers of public authority for their future activities, is related to achievement of equality of persons with disabilities – from adopting of new strategy, implementation of universal design in all areas, deinstitutionalization and providing of adequate supporting services, active employment policy measures to amending of deprivation of legal capacity and custody procedure, as well as efficient approach to justice, emphasized Jankovic.

Conference was opened by Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia Andrea Orizio, and other speakers at the opening beside Commissioner Jankovic were also Program Manager of EU Delegation in Serbia Ekmel Cizmecioglu, BDIF President Zoran Dobras, Chief of Democratic Governance and Gender Unit of ODIHR Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah and member of BIDF Management Board Suvad Zahirovic.