October 18, 2010 
In Croatia there are about 6 000 blind people; in Zagreb and Zagreb County, about 1200. International White Cane Safety Day on October 15 aims to draw public attention to the problems, needs and specificities of the blind…Their problems are visible in various areas, but are often not accepted for. For example, in Europe, the lowest allowance of blindness is in Croatia, and is prescribed by the Law on Social Welfare.
As far as education, a serious problem is the availability of textbooks for the blind. In fact earlier this year, the adoption of the Law on Social Welfare left out the funding of textbooks for this population. Therefore, their purchasing is far more expensive than purchasing standard textbooks and is the burden of parents and individual donors. Also, there are still not enough experts to ease education of blind students integrated in regular schools with adequate access.
Due to the prejudices of individual employers and the need to adapt workplaces that require additional costs, prospects of employment for the blind are bad. To allow for better employment of the blind, their system of education should be changed. It turned out that education for operators and administrative secretaries which is performed at the Center for Training and Education “Vinko Bek” does not match today’s job market.
Problems are present in the mobility and housing for the blind. In solving problems important role play the Blind Association and the Croatian Association of the Blind. At the initiative of the Croatian Association of the Blind, Ministry of Transport and Communications sent to the Croatian Government amendment to the Act on public roads which is discriminative for the blind people in comparison to another one hundred percent disabled ones as they were left out of the right to release a toll by the current law.
Also, amendments to the Law on Social Welfare are required, which will regulate the allowance for blindness, so that persons with disabilities have the right to a certain amount by a certain degree of disability and not by the cause, which is the current case.
Regarding the responsible institution, the sensitivity for the problems of the blind is different. It seems that there is still not enough willingness to make specific arrangements to facilitate the integration of the blind into society.
President of the Croatian Association of the Blind, Ivica Robić, believes that the City of Zagreb made an important step for this issue by employing twenty blind people in the city administration, awarding several social housing, providing some social benefits and sound system crossing at certain points.
Some cultural institutions in Zagreb understand the problems of the blind. Thus, the Zagreb City Museum has organized a workshop for the blind and deafblind. Five years ago, first specialized guide for the blind, visually impaired and deafblind was published through the permanent exhibition in museums in Zagreb and Croatia. The realization of the production of audio guide for blind and visually impaired will be in use at the end of the year.
On the occasion of the International White Cane Safety Day, secretary of Blind Association in Zagreb, Vinko Zrinščak, told that blind people in their needs and desires are no different from others. They want to educate and work, and in collaboration with others build a better society.
Taken from: www.dayline.info Author: Ivana Vranješ