North Macedonia marks International White Cane Day

International White Cane Day was observed in North Macedonia with a panel discussion at the Assembly focused on the rights of visually impaired individuals to live independently and access inclusive environments.

Education Minister Vesna Janevska announced government efforts to improve inclusivity within the educational system. This includes the engagement of 1,602 educational assistants in primary schools and 176 in secondary education, alongside ongoing processes to hire additional staff. The government is also working to enhance school accessibility through the installation of ramps and specialized toilets, and has introduced two new categories of student scholarships for students with disabilities or rare diseases.

In addition to educational reforms, advocacy groups such as the 'Menuvame' Coalition highlighted significant infrastructure barriers in Skopje. They called for a revision of pedestrian infrastructure, noting that parked cars on sidewalks, non-functional acoustic traffic lights, broken tactile paths, and a lack of audio announcements in public transport hinder the mobility and dignity of visually impaired citizens.