countries - Bulgaria

The information contained on this page was compiled in April 2009 by our country team. 

Contact: Kapka Panayotova and Teodor Mladenov
Centre for Independent Living

www.cil-bg.org
kapkap@mail.orbitel.bg

The full text can be downloaded here.

The key national bodies with responsibility for disability law and policy implementation include:

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is the key policy making body with legislative initiative and law enforcement responsibilities.

Without any further commitments for ratification Bulgaria has signed the United Nations Convention on the 27^th September 2007. More than a year later - on the 18^th December 2008) Bulgaria signed also the Optional Protocol.

Key features of the national system include (including adapted items from the MISSOC database December 2008):

Disability benefits

Disability pensions and related top-ups constitute the main disability benefits package. Disability status brings 25% of the social disability pension on top of any retirement payments due to time spent working and age.

Data on population indicate that:

The last national census of 2001 indicates that 263,143 Bulgarians had a medically identified disability (3.3% of the population).

There is currently no academic research network on disability studies in Bulgaria.

The Centre for Independent Living (CIL) is a disability NGO focusing on policy monitoring, advocacy and empowerment of disabled people. It is the key research setting for systematic analysis of disability policies from a social inclusion perspective

The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee is engaged in monitoring mental health institutions.

The national organisation representing disabled people at the European level (European Disability Forum) is:

National Council of Organisations of and for Disabled People - Bulgaria is comprised of seven nationally represented NGOs of and for disabled people (email  ncpdb@abv.bg)

Useful sources of more detailed information about the situation of disabled people, and the policies and support available, include:

Information on accessible institutions and businesses from the Agency for Disabled People

http://ahu.mlsp.government.bg/cat/store/listclass.asp

All legislation referring to disabilities

Centre for Independent Living, Sofia: for current developments in disability policies from human rights perspective