Protesters, many of them in wheelchairs, gathered in Warsaw on Thursday calling for an increase in benefits and changes to the benefit system for caregivers.
Armed with banners with slogans such as "Disability touches all of us" and "PiS (the ruling Law and Justice party) politicians - you kicked disabled people aside," the protesters marched through the centre of the Polish capital.
Demonstrators said they wanted the government to treat them seriously and to implement a consistent policy to help those with disabilities.
On Sunday (May 19) Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that people over the age of 18 who are unable to be independent will receive 500 zloty a month. Demonstrators said that this does not cover care costs.
The eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party won power in 2015 in part because of wide public support for its expansive welfare programs and promises of more economic equality.
However, campaigners said that the welfare program does not extend to helping those with disabilities or their carers. They also said there is a lack of resources and access to rehabilitation in the country.
In 2018 parents with disabled children staged a sit in protest in the Polish parliament, campaigning for more state aid. Despite the government agreeing to increase payments, the families said it fell short of their expectations.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters