THE QUESTIONS?
Should having a disability exclude anyone from equal opportunities and quality of life?
Should children and adults with special needs be excluded from every day activities?
Should parents of children and adults with special need struggle to provide much needed care for their loved ones?
Should the governmental assistance for these disadvantaged citizens be limited or close to none?
If you answered NO to these questions, please ACT NOW and SIGN!
Gandhi once said, “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.”
THE ANSWERS!
The promise of a better tomorrow begins today, with our collective support. Children and adults with special needs in Macedonia need all the support they can get, not only by the local community, but also by the engagement of the global community, by us. Let’s begin by showing our special needs friends in Macedonia that we stand with them in this battle for a better tomorrow. Reassure them that their long wait is close to an end. Show solidarity and stand together, because united we can make the world a better place with equal opportunity for all.
Each disability requires a unique approach and treatment, which exponentially increases the cost for both care and a caregiver in Macedonia. More often than not, we witness the failed healthcare system forcing parents to seek desperate help from the local and global communities, resorting to “Go Fund Me” or alternatives of that kind to provide adequate care to their loved ones. They are left to fend for themselves as a result of Macedonia’s so desperately underfunded current healthcare system.
THE CHANGE WE SEEK!
Currently, there are three laws that we are advocating to be amended:
ONE … Special Supplement - every parent of a child or an adult with special needs receives a monthly stipend of 4,366 Macedonian dinars, or a little less than $100.00 US dollars without any increments for several years. This amount is far from sufficient to cover the monthly needs of a child or an adult with special needs. This type of supplement must be categorized by diagnosis and increased accordingly.
TWO … Mobility - this supplement is granted only to physically disabled adults once they reach 26 years of age. This stipend is 7,000 Macedonian dinars, or close to $180.00 US dollars per month. It is immoral that an age limit is imposed with this law, given that many children are born with disabilities, and yet are subject to laws that are not inclusive and must be amended to remove all age limits.
THREE … Retirement/Pension Eligibility - in most of the cases a parent or a caregiver must provide 24/7 care, which prevents them from employment, thus making them ineligible for retirement pension benefits. The age of the child with special needs should be recorded as employment experience, which will provide eligibility for retirement and pension for every parent or a caregiver.
THE BATTLE FOR INCLUSIVITY!
Additionally, creating an inclusive infrastructure such as handicaps ramps, elevators, and handicap accessible restrooms, as well as securing funds for school grants and provide more inclusive programs for children with disabilities is of the utmost necessity. It is a basic need for the equal opportunities deserved to have a better quality of life.
Furthermore, laws must be in place, which will protect and guarantee employment by the government for parents and caregivers alike.
DOESN’T EVERYONE DESERVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AT LIFE?
Let’s make a difference in someone’s life today, because we at United Macedonian Diaspora believe, United We Can.
Please ACT NOW and Sign!
Click HERE to sign the Petition.
