“Recently began a public debate on the model law”, Pesic said, noting that this act will allow greater inclusion of deaf and hard hearing in all spheres of society, such as access to services and services that people without hearing problems use.
The Law institutionalises offices for character interpretators, which the Ministry began to open two years ago and has since developed a network of 40 offices in all major cities of Serbia.
“With the sign interpreter in the office, the deaf and hard hearing can provide access and easy communication with everyone in the local community “, said Pesic. “We have created a service, as a good form of government cooperation with civil society, and ensured that through the budget of the Ministry of Labor, the Department for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the offices are not only financed via projects, but also sustainable. Drafting the model law was preceded by a long process of standardization of sign language, which was recently completed, and the law on sign language will also regulate the status of sign language interpreters.
Pesic also said that, according to the Association of the Deaf and Hard Hearing, in Serbia there are about 30,000 deaf and around 90,000 hard hearing people. Budget for 2013. to finance the services for persons with disabilities have been allocated with more than 353 million dinnars. According Pesic, the funds, however, are arranged in the way to enable all services to people with disabilities to function smoothly
