In Albania, out of a total of 2.2 million people over 15 years old, 137,000 (6.2%) have declared themselves as disabled and 489,000 have physical limitations (22%) including identified disabilities, temporary impairments and the elderly.
Before the introduction of ADISA service centers and their adaption to the needs of those persons the situation in public service delivery in with special reference to the delivery of administrative services to disabled persons, confronted citizens with disabilities with the following problems: absence of standards, including at a more basic sense that disabled persons were not entitled to public service; impossible or extremely difficult access to premises and information on services; a culture based on administrative prerogative/arrogance with little regards for customer service; unsystematic complaint management.
As such, missing ramps, hard to find and access offices often not accessible by elevators, no waiting space for wheelchairs, not bathrooms for disabled clients, no orientation system for blind or hearing impaired people, long queues, multiple visits, delays and unjustified denial of service for disabled clients affected persons with disabilities in need of administrative public services. These resulted in situation where it was practically impossible to receive public services for persons with disabilities.