assistants or freely choose using various service providers) Personal assistant 24-hour service. The There are ‘Personal ‘personal users can Provided both in currently 2,639 (личeн assistant’ assistant’ only be: cities and rural adult users and - requires that the асистент) areas. It is 1,001 children provided under the user’s will and - Children under particularly users. National preferences are the age of 18 with important for rural Programme established in permanently areas, small towns The waiting lists Assistants for advance and reduced work and villages where for personal People with included in the capacity or type there are few or assistance services Disabilities. user’s personal and level of no other CBSs. are long due to The aim of the plan and taken disability that Providers can be the lack of is to into consideration requires for them municipalities, sufficient funding provide by the provider. to have NGOs and private for personal employment for The plan is written assistance; companies assistance services unemployed - Children or registered with the in plain language to meet the needs adults leaving an Social Assistance of people with people in order to comprehensible to institution for Agency, and the disabilities relieve the the user. The user people with Regional throughout the situation of has the right to disabilities; Directorates of the country. families with a make a justified - Adults of low Social Assistance person with and reasoned Agency. disabilities who request for their status with 90 % needs constant personal assistant and above reduced care. to be changed. work capacity or The personal type and level of assistant is disability that necessarily an requires for them unemployed
assistants or freely choose using various service providers) ‘Personal assistant’ (личeн асистент) - provided under the National Programme Assistants for People with Disabilities. The aim of the is to provide employment for unemployed people in order to relieve the situation of families with a person with disabilities who needs constant care. Personal assistant users can only be: - Children under the age of 18 with permanently reduced work capacity or type and level of disability that requires for them to have assistance; - Children or adults leaving an institution for people with disabilities; - Adults of low status with 90 % and above reduced work capacity or type and level of disability that requires for them 24-hour service. Provided both in cities and rural areas. It is particularly important for rural areas, small towns and villages where there are few or no other CBSs. Providers can be municipalities, NGOs and private companies registered with the Social Assistance Agency, and the Regional Directorates of the Social Assistance Agency. The ‘personal assistant’ requires that the user’s will and preferences are established in advance and included in the user’s personal plan and taken into consideration by the provider. The plan is written in plain language comprehensible to the user. The user has the right to make a justified and reasoned request for their personal assistant to be changed. The personal assistant is necessarily an unemployed There are currently 2,639 adult users and 1,001 children users. The waiting lists for personal assistance services are long due to the lack of sufficient funding for personal assistance services to meet the needs of people with disabilities throughout the country.
bulgaria-services-mapping-independent-living-bg.docx