Persons with disabilities may face additional challenges in enjoying their health rights. The State must ensure that special support measures are in place to counter them.
What is disability?
The Law on Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines ‘disability’ as:
“a long-term functional disorder of a person's organism (innate and/or acquired characteristics of a person), which, due to environmental factors, prevents a person from fully and effectively participating in society on an equal footing with other persons.”
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities specifies that disability may take different forms – ‘physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments’.
Non-discrimination in health care
Persons with disabilities should be able to access health care without discrimination based on their disability or any other ground.
Accessibility and suitability of health care
Medical institutions should be accessible and suitable for persons with mobility difficulties – e.g., having a wheelchair ramp, spacious elevators, bathrooms suitable for persons in a wheelchair, etc.
Special support
In Lithuania, persons with disabilities:
- are entitled to rehabilitation to help them integrate into society
- can get secondary state legal aid for free
- can get general and specialised social services
note A lot of the time the special support for persons with disabilities depends on their disability so it is advised to check the particular terms of the support before applying.
Disability is a challenge for any person. Rehabilitation programmes should not only address the physical state of a disabled person but also support their mental state.