MEDPAK: Defending the Rights of People with Disabilities


MEDPAK is a non profit organization. It was founded in 1993 in Librazhd by parents of children with disabilities to defend the rights of children in Albania.

In 1994, we opened a day care center for children with disabilities in Librazhd.

In 1996, we trained teachers on integrated special education and in September 1996 we designated a classroom intended to provided integrated special education to children with disabilities in the middle school "Genc Leka" in Librazhd.

In October 1998, twenty teachers in the district of Librazhd were trained on special education by the organization "Children’s Aid Direct"

In September 1999, we cooperated with the local "Education Department" in Librazhd and the "Ministry of Education and Sciences" to open a classroom for special education of children with disabilities in the city of Prrenjas.

In 2000, we conducted a study and evaluation of the needs of all people with disabilities in the district of Librazhd. After completing this study in September 2000-2003, founded by UNICEF, we began educating children with disabilities through integration in schools near to their homes in the district of Elbasan. Nearly 315 children aged 6-10 years benefited from this progam.

In December 2002, in the city of Librazhd, we partnered with the local municipality and the organization "Save the Children Albania" to educate heavily disabled children, by opening a day care in Librazhd, which is now used by children from Librazhd and some children from Elbasan.
The purpose of this day care is to satisfy the rights of disabled children by educating and integrating them in the community.

In 2003, our organization opened a "Information Center" for disabled individuals in Librazhd, which also helped parents in the nearby city Elbasan.

MEDPAK actively contributes in building the "National Strategy for Disabled People" and advocates the rights of disabled people by opposing lobbing against approval of laws for people with dissabilities.

MEDPAK is an active organization in the "Children’s Alliance" in Albania and promotes the rights of children in the region by contributing its experience in maintaining and developing the ROA network, a group of organizations whose activities are related to education.