physiotherapy experts and technicians from each region have been trained, to improve the resources available in production centers. With regard to national elections, the election law stipulates that voters with disabilities should be given support to reach voting stations and, in cases where voters cannot cast their ballots in ballot boxes, persons of their choice will assist them as needed. This process has been implemented in all the elections held so far. The government has prepared and is implementing a special needs education program. The rehabilitation action plan stipulates that, in order to create extensive employment opportunities for citizens with disabilities to participate, to the extent of their abilities, preferences and capacity, special needs education coverage should be enlarged and necessary support should be given to increase their enrollment. In order to eliminate any form of discrimination against persons with disabilities and prevent them exercising their socio-economic rights, the government issued a directive to implement the Right to Employment of Persons with Disability Proclamation No 568/2007. The directive prohibits employers discriminating with others due to his/her physical disabilities, or discriminating at the time of recruitment. In order to encourage applicants with physical disabilities, the directive says that should they fulfill the required minimum qualifications, those with disabilities can proceed directly to examination without undergoing preliminary screening process. It adds that priority should be given to an applicant with physical disability if other differences amount to no more than 3%. In order o reduce the impact of the wrong perceptions of society about persons with disability, especially after the accession to the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the government has worked to develop public awareness, and delivered training on its implementation. The convention has been translated into different national languages and distributed. A National Council is also established to oversee the implementation of the Convention. The most recent celebration of the International Day of Disabled Persons and the International Day of People with Leprosy were held country-wide and the opportunity was taken to raise citizen‟s awareness. 76 76 NHRAP 98