People with visual disabilities were discriminated against in housing aid applications

People with visual disabilities seeking state support to buy their first home were placed at a disadvantage by Lithuania’s online application system, according to an investigation by the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson.

Applicants said SPIS repeatedly stalled, forcing them to log in again and re-enter information. They also said navigating the system with screen-reading software took considerably longer than it did for people without disabilities. The application window lasted only 10 minutes.

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The current procedure, in which the decisive criterion for receiving a subsidy is the speed of submitting an application, essentially deprives us of the opportunity to compete for state support.

The Social Security and Labour Ministry said applicants could submit forms through municipalities or by email and regular mail. It said the SPIS intake was stopped after all funds for the measure had been reserved, with about 1,400 applications submitted in 10 minutes. Some applications could not be funded because of limited resources.

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Submitting an application through SPIS provided significantly greater opportunities to compete for the subsidy, so people who, for objective reasons such as a disability, could not use the system as effectively were placed in a less favourable position.

The ministry acknowledged that the arrangement was not ideal and said it was considering ways to improve future applications for first-home support. Ombudsperson Birutė Sabatauskaitė said alternative submission methods did not provide equal access. Of 359 applications submitted in person or by email, only 58 were registered for support, a rate of 16%.

She said the system that offered applicants the best chance of obtaining a subsidy had not been made equally accessible to people with disabilities. The investigation concluded that the ministry violated the Equal Opportunities Law.

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When assessing accessibility, it must be considered which method of service provision gives the greatest opportunity to exercise the right to a subsidy.