Study visit to UK Parliament

Strengthening Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities Project Team, supported by Dubravka Filipovski, MP, Maja Pejčić, Republic Election Commission Member, and Tijana  Milošević, Commissioner for Equality Protection completed a study visit to the United Kingdom.   

The purpose of the visit was to exchange experiences with UK counterparts with regards to political participation of persons with disabilities.  In the UK Parliament, the Serbian delegation met with House of Lords representative Baroness Hollins, House of Commons representatives Dr Lisa Cameron, MP – Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability, and Karen Lumley, MP, member of All Party Parliamentary Group for Serbia.   

Representatives of Electoral Commission headed by Ana Doncic, Head of Policy and Policy Adviser presented their outreach and consultation strategies targeting persons with disabilities and their organizations. Local authorities were represented by the 3 boroughs, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham.  A civil society side of the story was kindly shared by Disability Rights UK, a lead policy organization in the field, Disability Action Islington, Alliance for Inclusive Education, and Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea.   

The Serbian delegation found many points in common with its’ UK counterparts and, more importantly, it was inspired by the experiences shared for yet more persistent policy and practice activity conducive to full participation of persons with disabilities in political and election processes.