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Description
There is rather poor civic engagement in Lithuania and insufficient progress in implementing human rights standards, in particular – implementation of UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disability does not meet the needs of the disability community.
Therefore, it is important to address the needs of the following target groups: people with disabilities, constituting up to 8,2 percent of the population; disability NGOs representing people with disabilities and their family members; decision-makers acting in the field of social policy (both municipal and national) and the media.
To ensure changes in the field, evidence-based monitoring of decisions in the field of disability policy will be compiled into an alternative (shadow) report on progress of implementation of Convention (since 2016); strategic litigation will bring visibility to systemic flaws and support advocacy. During communication campaign evidence-based findings and situations of discrimination and successful advocacy cases will be depicted, as well as the progress of strategic case. Civic activity promotion campaign is planned to support advocacy goals.
The impact result is expected to manifest via skillful monitoring of disability policy: evidence-based advocacy seeking implementation of the UN People with disabilities Convention will be performed, issuing a shadow report on implementation of Convention in Lithuania, as well as the Recommendations for implementation of Convention, prepared by disability experts.
On the operational level, legislative proposals on disability policy (1 initiated strategic case, 3 positions / legislative proposals) will be developed and submitted; accountability of public authorities responsible for disability policy being stimulated (implemented an advocacy campaign).
Summary of project results
Lithuanian disability organisations, including those under the LNF umbrella, lack the competences and resources to engage in disability rights advocacy, as the current funding model biases their activities towards the service delivery sector. The LNF, which brings together organisations representing different disability groups, has the potential to mobilise members for joint and coordinated advocacy activities. This project aimed to strengthen the advocacy capacity of members by coordinating the monitoring of disability rights and engaging in advocacy campaigning. It also addressed the low level of civic engagement of the disability community through a communication campaign on successful initiatives of people with disabilities fighting for their rights.
The project enabled the implementation of a planned chain of advocacy activities, which strengthened the competences of the members and resulted in the creation of a framework or strategy for further advocacy activities - the shadow report. This document will remain the essential basis for disability advocacy until it is presented to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its recommendations to Lithuania. The advocacy campaign has been implemented with 4 proposals for legislative correction and service provision as well as with 5 meetings with different institutions on individual issues of the shadow report. This campaign initiated a process of change in disability policy issues which is ongoing and will likely lead to some form of outcome in the future. A strategic iligation case was won which resulted in the restoration of legal capacity. This activity is of strategic importance and will be used for further advocacy on the issue of legal capacity. Communication campaign #KovotiVerta was implemented, which educated the community of people with disabilities about their rights, ways to defend those rights, and encouraged them to believe in the possibility of change and to seek help from organisations providing assistance.
The project''s impact is focused on three target groups: members of the LND Association, the community of people with disabilities and their relatives, and decision makers.
Target group 1: Members of the Association and Secretariat staff. This group was involved to the maximum extent possible - in gathering information, preparing reports, preparing presentations, presenting reports, drafting letters, being involved in international advocacy delegations, working groups on specific issues, receiving a lot of advocacy advice from the international organisations (partners), and receiving competency training (strategic litigation, storytelling (presenting your organisation), using google tools for administration). The project experience gave them the competences, experience, confidence and partnerships to continue their advocacy activities both within their own organisation and to contribute to joint initiatives of the association. The unique beneficiaries of this group during the project were at least 45 representatives of the organisations, secretariat staff, members of delegations (volunteers).
Target group 2: people with individual needs caused by disability. This group makes up a large part of the followers of the communication channels we control, as well as actively attending our events and getting involved in our campaigns. All project communications reached a proportion of this group, but especially the Kapmania #FightVerta messages and the live delivery events. More than 20,000 social media users have viewed the campaign messages and live streams of the events, and these messages have been actively shared on the regional accounts of the organisations belonging to our association. The information on the main issues of disability policy and solutions reached the disability community and strengthened their awareness of their rights, encouraging them to take action in the face of discrimination.
Target group 3: Lawmakers and decision-makers in the field of social policy. This group, mainly politicians at the national level, members of the Parliament, ministers, deputy ministers, advisors, were informed about the results of the monitoring of the implementation of the rights of people with disabilities, as well as about the recommendations that disability NGOs have developed to address the problems, and were given the necessary advice from representatives of disability civil society in the process of solving the problems. The project has thus contributed to a better understanding of disability rights and good practices among policy makers, as well as reinforced the perception that disability-related decisions cannot be taken in without disability representatives involvment.