People with disabilities seek accessible services and steady support

People with disabilities in North Macedonia say everyday access to public services remains limited despite some signs of progress. Interviewed advocates, service users and organisations point to gaps in communication, transport, education and long-term support that prevent many from using services on an equal footing.

Deaf people highlighted barriers when dealing with institutions because of a shortage of sign-language interpreters and the lack of clear regulation for their engagement. In one comment cited for this report they said: "From the perspective of deaf people we still have a barrier in communication with institutions, there is still a lack of interpreters and their engagement is not regulated."

Advocates note that restricted communication makes it harder to explain needs and to fully understand institutional responses — in other words, physical entry to a building does not equal usable access to the service offered. At the same time, there are positive changes: information in sign language is increasingly available. "The public is increasingly informed and people are more receptive to deaf people. We still need to work on this if we want to boast of being an inclusive society," the same statement added.

Daily obstacles and varied experiences

Muarem Pesočani, who has visual impairment and leads the Association of the Blind – Struga, described problems people encounter when finishing everyday obligations. He said people who cannot stand for long periods do not always find understanding when asking for help at banks, and that signing documents remains an additional hurdle for blind and severely visually impaired people. "We as an association of the blind constantly fight equally for all members to realize their rights and interests," Pesočani said.

Not every person with a disability has the same experience. Another interlocutor told reporters that when they explain their needs they have generally received assistance: "As a person with a disability I have so far managed well. From institutions I see support they give me and when I say that I am a person with a disability, they help me," the person said.

The National Union of the Blind of Macedonia is asking the state for accessible transport, safe crossings, tactile paths to ease orientation and simplified access to the white cane and other aids. Their demands also include legal recognition of facsimile as a method of signing, accessible digital services and educational materials. "We demand conditions to exercise our rights, to live independently and with dignity and to contribute equally in society," the Union said.

Organisations working with young people stress that access often depends on family support, the place of residence, the type of impairment and the availability of appropriate services. The Center for Youth Activism KRIK pointed to progress in some areas but drew attention to the difference between what laws promise and what happens in everyday life. They singled out Ministry-funded supported-living services that help people build independent-living skills, and a cooperation with the Municipality of Kisela Voda which provided space for the occupational therapy centre "Krikni" under the project "Inclusive Skopje", supported by the City of Skopje.

A December 2025 analysis of services for children with disabilities — carried out by the Association of Special Educators and Rehabilitators with UNICEF and the Service for Functional Assessment at the Skopje Health Centre — covered more than 1,700 functional assessments. Its findings point to a shortage of specialist staff and unequal regional availability of services: fewer than half of the children who needed personal assistance and counselling received those services, and that statistic refers only to the children included in the assessments, not all children with disabilities in the country.

KRIK warns that support often drops after school, reducing opportunities for socialising, developing life and work skills and active participation in community life. The organisation also noted that many additional inclusion programmes depend on project funding, which creates uncertainty over long-term operation. "Sometimes the environment decides in advance what a person can or cannot do, without giving them a chance to try, learn or decide independently," KRIK said.

Photo: press material from the event