Effectiveness of representation of the interests of persons with disabilities trough the activities of non-governmental organisations

Abstract

Relevance of the research is determined by the fact that there presentation of the interests of people with disabilities in Lithuania is governed by regulating laws, its legal base issufficiently developed, the process of representation of the people with disabilities in society is regulated by one of the internaitonal laws – the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to encourage, protect and ensure versatile and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people with disabilities, as well as to promote a respect for their inherentdignity. The empirical research has revealed that NGOs effectively satisfy socioeducational, socio cultural needs of the people with disabilities. We have established that there presentation occurs both on an individual level and a group level. There search has revealed that the managers of NGOs face with various challenges, such as the lack of social sensitivity to the people with disabilities, the lack of powers of the people with disabilities and the bureaucracy. The efficiency of representation of the interests of people with disabilities, as anadequate organisation, is determined by the important factors – the ability of the people with disabilities to cooperatein NGOs‘ activities, towards cooperation / communication with the social policy makters and related to more close relationship between the NGOs and governmental authorities. It should be stressed that the necessity to foster human rights is one of the most sensitive and important problems of the representation of interests of the people with disabilities. To protect the rights of the people with disabilities, not as if designing of their weaknesses, but as the expression of sensitiveness that allows highlighting of the strengths of the people with disabilities, there by emphasizing that the disabled may feel dignified.

Keywords

• Disability
• Non-governmental Organizations
• Interests Representation