Disability issues in hungary
- 2. The Hungarian laws include people who are bodily or mentally handicapped or whose work and workplace - keeping chance reduce after a medical rehabilitation (because an accident or a disease or an other a bodily or mentally damage) Disabled persons: persons with limitation in work caused by longstanding (for at least half a year long) health condition or disease, or/and difficulties in basic activities.
- 3. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) identifies and defines the following categories of disability: Physical - affects a person's mobility or dexterity Intellectual - affects a person's abilities to learn Psychiatric - affects a person's thinking processes Sensory - affects a person's ability to hear or see Neurological - results in the loss of some bodily or mental functions
- 4. According to the data of the 2001 census, 577,000 persons with disabilities live in Hungary (5.7% of the population). By 2011 census, this number has decreased to 457,000, representing 4.6% of the population. As a rule approximately 10% of the total population have some kind of disability; consequently, it is probable that the actual number of persons with disabilities is close to 1 million in Hungary.
- 5. Disability according to disability type and gender Disability type Number % of total Male Female Physically disabled 251 560 43,6 121 715 129 845 Visually impaired 83 040 14,4 34 947 48 093 Mentally disabled 56 963 9,9 31 408 25 555 Hearing impaired 60 865 10,5 31 636 29 229 Else 124 578 21,6 63 162 61 416 Total 577 006 100 282 868 294 138
- 6. With age, health problems and limitations in work tend to occur more frequently. Over four fifths (621 thousand persons) of disabled persons are aged 45–64, and two thirds of them are 55–64 years old.
- 7. The low level of education is a serious drawback in the labour market. There is a big difference between the education level of disabled and non-disabled people.
- 8. Nearly three fourths (71.1%) are in an especially difficult situation when wanting to find a job. 38.2% of them have only primary education or less, and another third have vocational and apprentice school. Hardly more than one fourth of disabled persons have a General Certificate of Education or higher education and as few as every fifth of them have a higher education degree.
- 9. Economic activity of disabled persons are very bad, and there is a great difference between the employment rates of non-disabled and disabled people.
- 10. Fewer than one fifth of disabled persons (139 thousand) aged 15– 64 work and nearly two thirds of them (63.3%) have only income from work. About 51 thousand receive social payments in addition to income from work, and 42 thousand of them receivea disability pension or an allowance on account of their health condition.
- 11. The prospects for people with disabilities in Hungary of finding a job in the open labour market have traditionally been poor. This table shows that their employment rate is currently 18.1%, which is higher than 10 years ago but still lags behind the EU average, as does overall employment.
- 12. the key international document is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Hungary was among the first countries to ratify the document in July 2007.
- 13. Hungary ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention as well. When individuals or groups feel that the Hungarian state breached the Convention and they have already used all legal remedies available in Hungary, they may turn to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- 14. With regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, the key piece of Hungarian legislation is Act XXVI of 1998 on the Rights and Equal Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities (Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). At the time of its adoption, this act was a unique piece of legislation and was one of the principal reasons why the UN honoured Hungary with the Roosevelt International Disability Award in 2000. The main aim of the act is to guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities, and promote their equal opportunities, independent living and active involvement in social life.
- 15. the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities created a basis for the organisation of disability policies as the Parliament must create a long-term strategy: a National Disability Programme for a period of seven years. A law prescribed by the Constitution of the Republic Hungary is the right for every Hungarian citizen to freely choose a profession/job as well as to receive equal pay for equal work. According to these regulations a disabled person has to be given the equal compensation for equal work at a workplace like other workers without disabilities.
- 16. The creation of Act CXXV of 2009 on Hungarian Sign Language and the use of Hungarian Sign Language was a major step forward. It recognises sign language as an independent, natural language and people with hearing disabilities as a language minority community. The state must operate a national network of sign language interpretation services, and guarantee free sign language interpretation services for people with hearing disabilities and for the deaf.
- 17. The current Hungarian government has set up rules to help people with disabilities into employment, and the system of state subsidies has been restructured. The measures include: rules obliging business associations employing more than 25 people to ensure that at least 5% of them are workers with disabilities; legislation imposing a penalty on companies that fail to hire their quota of workers with disabilities of HUF 964,500 (€3,234 as at 23 September 2013) for every unfilled place as a rehabilitation contribution to the state; rules stating that businesses employing workers with disabilities may claim tax benefits, and will be exempt from the 27% social contribution tax; a pledge from the Ministry of Human Resources to support the employment of people with disabilities with funding of HUF 35 billion (€117 million). Figures released on 1 January 2013 show that this scheme’s government funding has brought 30,300 people with disabilities into employment.
- 18. A discount of 90 percent is available for people with disabilities and a person accompanying them on the vehicles of National Railway and National Coach Company. Cars parking in disabled parking spaces must display the blue disabled parking card or a European Community blue badge.
- 19. A further very important regulation passed by the Government in the recent years is that in some metro stations in Budapest there have to be special tracks provided on the floor to help the transportation of blind people by showing them how get to the metro lines and find the traps, exits. Furthermore the Government passed regulations regarding providing low-floor busses which are wheelchair accessible.
- 20. To help handicap people live their life in an easier way the Government passed rules which states that shopping malls, businesses, doctors' offices and other public spaces must offer handicapped parking places where handicapped people might wish to park. Furthermore every public building like schools, universities, business offices have to provide a safe incline for anyone with a handicap to enter a building. Besides building an elevator these buildings usually provide a special ramp for handicap people.
- 21. It’s a succes for them and they can prove themselves they are useful like a healthy person. It’s good for the company’s image and there are financial advantages too.
- 22. You should turn to these foundations mentally handicapped: Kézenfogva (foundation),Salva Vita(foundation) bodily handicapped: : Motiváció (foundation),MEOSZ, Hátrányok Dacára( foundation) eyesight damaged or blind people: Fehérbot (foundation) hearing dameged of deaf people: Sinosz
- 23. Integration should be implemented at all levels: Integrated nursery school Integrated kindergarten Integrated schools Integrated workplaces
- 24. In higher education handicapped people can learn if they are not mentally handicapped. Colleges and universities offer different help to the handicapped students. Deaf students can write the exams and can have interperters on classes. Blind or visually impared students can take exams verbally, can use their special machines. Disabled students can have special tools. etc. Speech disabiled people can write the exams.
- 25. National Disability Council : An official council, maintained by the government. Members are made up of government representatives, disability organisations and other stakeholder organisations. National Federation of (Physically) Disabled Persons' Associations : Association representing the interest of people with physical disabilities in Hungary. Hungarian Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability: The umbrella body for the various organisations concerned with the care and rehabilitation of people with intellectual disability in Hungary.
- 26. National Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing : Association providing support and assistance for deaf and hard of hearing children, adults, and their families. Down Foundation: Organisation seeking to ensure that as many children with Down Syndrome as possible are brought up within their own families and live an independent life. National Autism Association (: An umbrella body for the various organisations representing the interests of autistic people and their families. The Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted : An umbrella body representing the interests of blind and partially sighted people, providing support, assistance and a range of resources. National Deafblind Association (: Association representing the interests of people with deafblind disability. Offers training for sign language interpreters and special education teachers, as well as education and therapy for deafblind children.
- 27. Foundation for the Disabled ( Sérültekért Alapítvány): The Foundation for the Disabled has been working for the mental, physical handicapped and multiple disabled people for about 20 years. Right now they provide 29 individuals with their every day supplies, development and education, prepare them for integration in a working environment, ensure their emp loyment, and help their integration in society.
- 28. the Forum of Parents Organisation- (Szülők Fóruma Egyesület): this organisation has been operating since 1991 with the aim of the complex rehabilitation of disabled children and children with development difficulties and their integration into healthy environment.
- 29. While we can go shopping or just climb stairs without any obstacle, people who live with disability have difficulty with these things. That’s why we must help them with several devices.
- 30. They need to learn varius signs if they want „talk” with the others. The blind people scan special characters so they understand what is written in one place.
- 31. Hungarian champions of.. Some of the sports: Alpine Skiing table tennis athletics Judo Canoe Wheelchair basketbal Wheelchair tennis Wheelchair Fencing bicycle Riding swimming Swimming: Pásztory Dóra Sors Tamás Table tennis: Pálos Péter Tauber Zoltán Wheelchair fencing: Szekeres Pál