Though Moldova ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this social group remains outside the decision-making process, the representative of the representative group of persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities from Cimislia Ruslan Carlan said in an informal dialogue organized by Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the organization SOMATO, IPN reports.
“We do not have the right to decide on our life. We are perceived as people who lack the capacity to understand and act rationally. The negative stereotypes are promoted further by the press and by some of the state officials,” said Ruslan Carlan.
UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova Dafina Gercheva said that the persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities continue to be profoundly discriminated in the daily life owing to the deep-rooted social stigma. “Today’s event lays emphasis on the fact that the persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities must be treated correctly, with respect and dignity, and must benefit from confidentiality and have the right to decide on their life,” stated Dafina Gercheva.
According to official reports, there were over 184,000 persons with disabilities in Moldova at the start of this year. This is 5.2% of the population. Of these, more than 13,000 were children. Statistics show the number of persons with disability certificates and experts say this social category of people is actually larger.
