Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Jankovic, met with the representatives of the Initiative for the Rights of Persons with Mental Disabilities – MDRI-S, with whom she discussed the possibilities of joint action to improve the position of children with disabilities and adults with intellectual disabilities.

It was agreed that there are not enough services at the level of local communities, both in terms of scope and diversity, in accordance with the needs of persons with disabilities. It was pointed out that the family environment is always the best for all children and that greater support should be provided to biological and foster families. It was assessed that it is necessary to provide continuous training for acquiring knowledge and skills, international exchange of experiences and the implementation of the latest methods for working with children in order to follow world trends. It is imperative to contribute to the maximum development of children, which is impossible without improving capacity and developing adequate services, as a prerequisite for continuing the process of deinstitutionalization.

In anticipation of the announced amendments to the Law on Social Protection, the necessary recommendations of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality were discussed in order to increase the availability and coverage of social protection services for persons with intellectual disabilities. They also discussed the need to improve access to health care and new generation medicaments and therapies that would be put on the positive list at the expense of the RHIF. Special attention in the conversation was paid to the right to education. The COVID-19 pandemic has especially shown the necessity of continuous stay of children with disabilities in schools, which is confirmed by the practice of European countries.