Life of the Persons With Disabilities in the Republic of N. Macedonia - Challenges They Face From Birth to Old Age

Abstract

The theoretical framework for studying the life course of persons with disabilities through the prism of the social model is characterized by two basic approaches. On the one hand, we can conceptualize the life course in terms of individual biographies and unique life experiences. On the other hand, we can imagine the life course more generally, as a kind of generation system that functions on the macro level in societies, based on the common cultural rules and structural boundaries that define what a "normal life" should be. In this sense, the life course approach helps us understand how societies organize life transitions in an institutionalized or structured way. From the perspective of a social model, the value of this approach lies in the possibility of determining the existing challenges and barriers to determine the different impacts of disabling barriers and social meanings attributed to disability in different generational periods: childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. The main goal of this study was to determine the most frequent challenges and obstacles faced by persons with disabilities and their families in their everyday lives in the Republic of North Macedonia. The research is analytical, retrospective, and qualitative, correlating the situation in our country with countries around the world through the analysis of documentation: strategic and political documents, laws, scientific research, and project activities. Although efforts have been made in the Republic of North Macedonia for decades to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, the number of barriers they face from birth to old age is large in every domain. Collective work and cooperation among individuals are fundamental to the establishment of interpersonal relations and bonds, the creation and functioning of organizations, and the development of society.