The first public interest message for the right to inclusive education of children with disabilities published in the Audiovisual Code as a result of the CEDCD’s efforts

Bucharest, July 15^th 2019. For the first time in Romania, as a result of the European Center for the Rights of Children with Disabilities (CEDCD), it was introduced in the National Audiovisual Code a public interest message that promotes the right to inclusive education of children with disabilities:

“For equal opportunities, children with disabilities have the right to study in any school”

The public interest message was introduced in the Audiovisual Code at the proposal of CEDCD and following the efforts of the president of the organisation, Mrs. Maria Madalina Turza.This was approved unanimously by the members of the National Audiovisual Council at the beginning of 2019 and at 25^th of June 2019 it was published in the Official Journal no. 517, 1^st Part, respectively the no. 220/2011 Decision of the National Audiovisual Council in the updated form, art. 120, paragraph (2), letter j).

As a consequence, according to the actual legal provisions, our message will be broadcasted on all the TV and radio stations as a public interest campaign.

  “I do believe that this is a historical moment because we legitimize and we put on the public agenda the fundamental right to inclusive education for children with disabilities. It was absolutely necessary to have this type of proactive message, eventhough this right already existed by law, because the Romanian society still bears deep traces of judgement which built barriers in our children’s path to education. It is urgently needed that we all understand that these kids have the right to learn in any school amongst typical children. When judgement or fear are pushing us to react negatively, we should seriously consider that we violate a right provided by law. It is indeed true that the Romanian education system still has to take important measures of structural reform to ensure inclusion, yet we have the moral and legal duty to support this process, not to raise additional barriers. The children with disabilities ARE NOT the problem, the unprepared system is”, declares Maria Mădălina TURZA, the president of the CEDCD.

  We welcome, again, the decision that the National Audiovisual Council has made and we express our hope that in the shortest amount of time the local and national media actors will follow this decision.

Contact person:

Madalina TURZA

Email: madalina.turza@cedcd.ro

Mob: 0737545955

Fax: 021/7952465