A panel discussion addressing the need to safeguard the rights of children with disabilities took place in Batumi on June 14, 2023. Organized by the Legal Aid Service (LAS) with support from the USAID Rule of Law Program, the event brought together prominent speakers and experts in the field to shed light on the challenges faced by children with disabilities and explore strategies for protecting their rights.

Gela Beradze, Head of the Zestaponi Bureau of the LAS and a mentor lawyer specializing in the rights of persons with disabilities, moderated the panel discussion. Mr. Beradze emphasized the significance of fostering an inclusive society in which children with disabilities can fully participate and have equal opportunities.

Giorgi Chkheidze, Chief of Party at the USAID Rule of Law Program underscored the importance of legal frameworks and policies in safeguarding the rights of children with disabilities. Davit Simonia, Director of the LAS, provided insights into his organization's efforts to offer legal support to children with disabilities and their families. He emphasized the empowering role of legal aid in enabling families to advocate for their children's rights and navigate the complex legal landscape.

Iamze Zandaradze, Head of the Batumi Bureau of the LAS, shed light on local initiatives in place to address the rights of children with disabilities in Batumi. Ms. Zandaradze discussed the challenges faced by the community and the services provided to help families access justice and support systems.

Khatuna Bolkvadze and Irma Togonidze, judges from Batumi City Court, shared their perspectives and highlighted the issues of physical accessibility of infrastructure, availability of adaptive forms of documents, and communication support. They stressed the importance of educating notaries about their role in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities, which would contribute to reducing the caseload in the courts.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education of Adjara, the Department of Child Rights Protection and Support of Batumi City Hall, the local representative of the Public Defender, and the Batumi branch of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association also participated in the discussion.