Montenegrin disability rights group launches petition for legal protections

The Union of Paraplegic Associations of Montenegro has collected 3,660 signatures toward a goal of 6,000 for a petition seeking to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The group is demanding that individuals who have already received legally binding decisions regarding their disability status, percentage of disability, and employment capacity be exempt from undergoing mandatory re-evaluation under a new methodology.

The petition, launched through the Parliament of Montenegro website on October 5, aims to urge the Parliamentary Committee for Health, Labor, and Social Welfare to initiate legislative amendments. Specifically, the group seeks to delete Article 61 of the Law on Unified Disability Assessment and amend Article 48d of the Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities to guarantee the preservation of existing statuses.

The Law on Unified Disability Assessment, passed last October, introduced changes to the assessment system intended to address a significant increase in disability certifications, particularly in municipalities like Berane and Rožaje. While implementation was originally set for July 1, the Ministry of Social Welfare proposed delays until December 1 due to pending sub-legal acts.