Compensation (and)/or Inclusion? Disabled-Concerned Public Policies in Romania

Abstract

Romania experienced a short period of constitutional development in the inter-war period, when social and educational services for disabled people started to develop. The communist system, based on a total disregard for legal norms, forcefully interrupted  nascent institutional-legal preoccupations about human rights and the protection of rights.
After 1989 there was an almost completely new beginning and enormous work to be done. However, as the pluralistic institutional framework started to take shape, the voice of disadvantaged groups did not seem to be heard very much. The impact of the process of European integration sparked positive development in human rights protection and the development of social services aimed at improving the opportunities of persons living with disabilities. Despite such progress, European standards are integrated within internal legislation rather selectively and primarily in response to pressure from international monitoring bodies.
The country entered the European Union in a period when the possibility of implementing the common European policy concerning people living with disabilities has largely improved in the EU Member States. Yet, the pace of change towards a new outlook and political practice concerning disability and the rights of disabled persons is too slow. After a discussion of the possible causes leading to this situation, our paper is examining potential solutions and ways for improvement.