On the occasion of May 5, 2025 - the European Day of Independent Living, members and activists of the Information Center for People with Disabilities "Lotos" organized a street campaign at Trg Slobode in Tuzla.

The goal of the campaign was to emphasize the importance of the right to independent living of people with disabilities, the right to choose, the freedom to make decisions and access to support that enables them to live in an equal and dignified life in the community, as well as every other member of society.

For people with disabilities, this right means the ability to independently decide where to live, to choose what kind of support they want, and to have access to services that empower them to actively participate in all aspects of society, from education, employment, and access to cultural and political life.

Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clearly defines the obligations of the signatory states to ensure the conditions for independent living of persons with disabilities, but reality shows that these rights are often neglected and that the Convention is not adequately implemented. Lack of support services, inaccessible environment, institutionalization and exclusion from decision-making are still daily obstacles for many people with disabilities.

Activists of I. C. "Lotos" show through their own experiences that with the support provided in supported housing and with personal assistance and necessary conditions, people with disabilities can live with dignity and independently.

That's why, on the occasion of May 5th, together with activists, fellow citizens and the media, we once again sent a call to the responsibility of institutions to implement laws and policies and ensure conditions that enable full inclusion, as well as the responsibility of all members of society to support the fight for equality for people with disabilities.

The street campaign at Trg Slobode was an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of creating a society in which people with disabilities will have a real chance to live freely, independently and with dignity, through conversation and socializing with activists, students and citizens, in addition to highlighting key messages and distributing informative material.

The celebration of May 5 was realized with the support of MyRight, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Government of TK.