Since the 2010 budget adopted by the socialist government then in office, state grants awarded to organisations representing persons with disabilities have more than doubled, appointee of the Prime Minister Zsolt Nyitrai stressed on Friday in Budapest.

At a press conference, the politician said while in 2010 HUF 522 million was available to organisations representing persons with disabilities, in 2021 their  grants will amount to HUF 1.2 billion.

“Additionally, in the budgets of recent years, there has been a continuous year-to-year rise of around 10 per cent,” he pointed out, saying thank you to organisations representing persons with disabilities and experts working in the field. In Hungary there are more than 600,000 persons with some kind of disability whom the government regards as allies and partners, and this is why they increase the grants of organisations representing persons with disabilities year after year, he highlighted.

Mr Nyitrai said providing access to the labour market for as many persons with altered working capacity as possible is an important aspiration. “There appears to be significant progress in this area as well, we have common achievements,” he said, reporting that since 2010 employment among people with altered working capacity has risen from 18 per cent to 42 per cent. While in 2010 around 60,000 persons were in employment, at present more than 150,000 persons with altered or reduced working capacity have jobs, “performing high-quality work,” he said.

He also highlighted that the Hungarian government’s policies are based on dialogue; before important decisions, they consult citizens. “This is what the national consultation is about,” he stressed, pointing out that it is important that those people should also be part of the process who may have difficulties completing the questionnaire. He mentioned as an example that the Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted asked the government to provide access to the completion of the questionnaire for the blind and partially sighted, a project which has been completed since.

Member of Parliament Gergely Tapolczai, President of the Hungarian Deaf Sport Federation said, outlining the latest amendments to the sign language legislation adopted in 2009 using sign language, it is a unique achievement that from July 2021 it will be possible to take a state-accredited language examination in sign language. He added that in the future only those will be allowed to teach sign language who are recorded in the register of sign language teachers. Another provision, he continued, “makes clear” the funding of interpretation in health care. These amendments are unique “in Europe, and perhaps also in the world,” he pointed out, saying thank you for the fact that all parties in Parliament unanimously supported the legislative amendments.

Member of European Parliament Ádám Kósa, President of the Hungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing said – also using sign language – that thanks to the increased state grants, interest representations are able to extend their services, and the quality of interest representation is also improving.

He thanked the government for providing sign language interpretation and subtitles for the press conferences which were held during the state of danger declared due to the coronavirus epidemic, and so the deaf and hard of hearing, too, were able to access all information.

In his view, the amendment of the sign language legislation was timely, and then drew attention to the fact that sign language is a living, visual language with its own grammar which must be developed. He recalled that Hungary’s Fundamental Law recognises it as part of Hungarian culture, something which only seven countries in the world have done.

In the context of the sign language examination, Mr Kósa highlighted that with this sign language and spoken languages will be elevated to the same level in every respect. As regards the popularity of sign language, he observed that every year 1,000 to 1,200 persons learn it.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)