In June-August 2022, representatives of the Public Defender of Georgia held 28 informational meetings in 22 municipalities, the purpose of which was to raise public awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The meetings were attended by persons with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities and representatives of their organizations, as well as members of the councils working on the rights of persons with disabilities; officials of local self-government bodies, persons employed in the territorial services of state care and social service agencies, providers of services under the state programme of social rehabilitation and child care, employees of kindergartens, preschool institutions and educational resource centers, doctors of primary health care institutions – outpatient clinics (308 persons in total).

Employees of the Department of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and regional divisions of the Public Defender’s Office introduced the mandate of the Public Defender and the challenges identified within the scope of their activities to the participants in the meetings. They also discussed issues stipulated by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and national legislation, including problems related to the realization of accessibility and inclusive education, identification of violence, implementation of programmes operating at the central/local level, peculiarities of the functioning of councils of persons with disabilities at the local level, importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in the decision-making process and existing guarantees in this regard.

With the support of the European Union Delegation to Georgia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), meetings were held in Kvareli, Akhmeta, Sagarejo, Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Khoni, Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, Keda, Khulo, Shuakhevi, Batumi, Tetritskaro, Tsalka, Ambrolauri, Oni, Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni, Borjomi, Kazbegi and Gardabani municipalities.