GYLA submitted comments and opinions to the Parliament of Georgia regarding the Draft Law on Persons with Disabilities. The draft law, prepared by the Ministry of Justice and initiated by the Government of Georgia, though contains some positive changes, but does not substantially change the legal status of persons with disabilities, in some cases, it contradicts the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and worsens standards for the protection of the legal status of persons with disabilities.
It is also noteworthy that the Ministry of Justice failed to ensure active and effective involvement of persons with disabilities and organizations working on the protection of their rights and people with disabilities were not allowed to get acquainted with the final version of the draft law and submit their recommendations to the relevant state agencies before registering in parliament.
Therefore, we believe that on the stage of review of the draft law maximum participation of persons with disabilities and organizations working on disability issues should be ensured. It is important to ensure that the text of the declarative document of the draft law is modified so that it becomes a real instrument of protection for persons with disabilities. Develop effective legislative guarantees for the provision of services, create a relevant normative framework for the implementation of specific services for persons with disabilities and bring them into compliance with the Convention on Persons with Disabilities.