WBU Country Reports on the UN Standard Rules

Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
World Blind Union - WBU

Congo

Download 'WBU Reports on the UN Standard Rules' as a PDF file (195 KB)
© Dimitris Michailakis 1997
Association Nationale des Aveugles et Deficients Visuels du Congo, Congo
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Congo Government, ILSMH

General policy
There is no officially recognized disability policy. According to the Government, disability policy is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the Government and in policy adopted by NGOs. The emphasis is on: anti-discrimination law, rehabilitation, individual support, prevention and accessibility measures.

Since the adoption of the Rules, the government has not done anything to convey the message of full participation.

Legislation
The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by general legislation. According to the Government, the rights of persons with disabilities are protected by a combination of general legislation and special legislation.

Accessibility
There are no rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment. No responsible body exists to observe accessibility in the built environment. The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are economic/budgetary factors, technical factors, geographical and climatic factors, lack of legislation and regulations, lack of planning and design capacity, lack of knowledge, research and information, lack of user participation, lack of co-operation form other organizations/institutions and lack of enforcement mechanism. There is no disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

There are no government measures to encourage media to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities.

Organizations of persons with disabilities
There is a national umbrella organization. There are no legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making or to work with governmental institutions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are never consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. According to the Government, organizations of persons with disabilities are sometimes consulted, when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared.

Co-ordination of work
There is no national co-ordinating committee or any similar body.

Contents of the WBU Report | Compare with the following Country Report(s): the Congo Government, ILSMH