First Kosovo Identification Cards Issued to People with Disabilities
Three members of local advocacy groups for people with developmental disabilities were among the first citizens of Kosovo to receive identification cards. On October 10, 2008, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued identification cards to nine people from a cross-section of Kosovo society. The inclusion of people with mental disabilities is an acknowledgement of the efforts of local advocacy groups working to promote human rights and full participation of people with mental disabilities in Kosovo society.
Minister of Internal Affairs Zenun Pajaziti remarked, "we will do all that is possible to have better, easier and faster services, in the first plan for persons with disabilities, for members of minority communities who have special needs, and for all citizens of Kosovo."
Both the Kosovo Mental Disability Rights Initiative (KMDRI) and Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) have been lobbying the Ministry of Internal Affairs to institute equitable procedures for Kosovo citizens with disabilities applying for identification cards, thereby helping to build an inclusive society accessible to all. K-MDRI and MDRI are partnering on the USAID-funded Strengthening the Participation of People with Mental Disabilities in Kosovo Society activity.
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| Arjeta, member of an advocacy group for people with development disabilities, shows off her Identity Card. |
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