The entire operation of the Information Center for Persons with Disabilities "Lotos" is based on advocating for the human rights of persons with disabilities through various activities.

Participation in legislative and other strategic processes in the country

• Participation in the development of the BiH Poverty Reduction Strategy;
• Participation in the creation of a Unified Policy for Persons with Disabilities in BiH;
• Influence on the creation of more favorable legal solutions that would result in equal opportunities for people with disabilities (e.g. the Construction Law, which sanctions contractors who do not take into account architectural barriers, etc.)
• Creating and participating in the work of a network of organizations of persons with disabilities in order to work on resolving issues of interest to the movement of persons with disabilities at all levels of government: municipal, cantonal, entity and state.

Designing and implementing educational activities

• Organizing training and other types of education for representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities on various issues of interest to persons with disabilities;
• Organizing training and other types of education for representatives of public institutions and authorities and other representatives of civil society so that they are familiar with issues of importance and interest to persons with disabilities and how to address them and include them in the mainstream of current policies.

Organizing campaigns

• Organizing a campaign to raise the awareness of all road users about people with disabilities as equal road users;
• Organizing a campaign to promote 2003, which was declared the Year of Persons with Disabilities by the EU, and the messages that year conveys to society.
• Organizing a campaign to include the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in the legislative framework of state policy.
• Organizing a campaign to promote the importance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the need for its signing and ratification by the BiH authorities.

Conducting research

Conducting various types of research related to disability issues for the purpose of objectively defining problems and proposing solutions.

• Research on the status of persons with disabilities in BiH society;
• Survey of citizens' attitudes towards persons with disabilities;
• Research into the existence of architectural barriers in certain municipalities of FBiH;
• Research on the employment status of persons with disabilities in BiH.

Organizing national and international conferences

• Organizing the first international conference on the human rights of persons with disabilities in Tuzla in 1999 in cooperation with the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities "Threshold" from Helsinki, Finland.
• Organizing 3 national conferences with the theme "United Voice of Persons with Disabilities", where national policies towards persons with disabilities were discussed and conclusions were drawn for future actions and relations with government representatives.
• Organizing a national conference on "Universal Design" in Tuzla in 2004.
• In partnership with the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia and the Catholic Relief Service, an international conference "Step towards Europe" was organized in Sarajevo in 2005, at which the creation of specific conditions in the field of disability as an integral part of the general conditions for accession to the European Union of the countries of Southeast Europe was discussed for the first time.
• In partnership with the World Bank, a national conference was organized in Sarajevo in 2005 with the topic "Disability and Poverty", which presented the cause-and-effect relationship between poverty and disability.
• In partnership with the European Disability Forum, a National Conference "National Information Seminar" was organized on the status and capacities of organizations of persons with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ways of cooperation and influencing the creation of more favorable legislation.
• In partnership with the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia and Handicap International, the second conference "A Step Towards Europe - Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Policies in Southeast Europe" was organized in Sarajevo in 2008 as a continuation and a kind of assessment of achievements since the time when the first conference was held and conclusions were reached on the future directions of action of the movement of persons with disabilities in order to harmonize policies on disability issues in the countries of Southeast Europe with the standards of the European Union.
• Organizing a national conference in Sarajevo at the end of 2008 on the topic "Consultation on cooperation between organizations of people with disabilities in improving disability policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina"

Projects

The Center carries out its activities through the implementation of various projects, the most important of which are:

• "Universal Design", a project to introduce and promote the principles of universal design in all spheres of life and for the entire community; Canadian Urban Institute (CUI);

• SHARE – SEE, a regional project to strengthen the capacity of disability organizations in partnership with Handicap International, CIL Serbia, Polio Plus Macedonia and the Association of Students with Disabilities Belgrade; International Trust Fund (ITF); DFID; EIDHR;
• "Advocacy and Leadership", a project to acquire knowledge and skills for activists in the disability movement; in partnership with CIL Serbia, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funded by DCI.
• "Coordination of the project for capacity building of organizations of people with disabilities and umbrella organizations for Bosnia and Herzegovina"; EDF-CARDS,
• "Feasibility Study for the Establishment of Vocational Retraining Centers for Persons with Disabilities in the Northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina Region", EURED-European Commission;
• "Universal values of artistic expression of persons with disabilities" - activities to promote the artistic abilities of persons with disabilities in BiH; Swiss Cultural Program in BiH - PRO HELVETIA

Publishing activity

Over the past twelve years, "Lotos" has developed a publishing activity that has contributed to the exchange of information and the advancement of the movement of people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to the creation of previously non-existent analyses and documentation from various areas of the lives of people with disabilities.

Among the numerous publications of different content, either translated or independently published, there are:

• Brochures – “Assistance or how to assist persons with disabilities”; “Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities”; “Managing Disability in the Workplace; “Universal Design – Resolutions and Declarations”; “Madrid Declaration”; etc.
• Books - "Universal design - Designing for people of all ages and abilities"; "No Pity - People with Disabilities Creating a New Civil Rights Movement"; "DAA Manuals for capacity building of organizations of persons with disabilities", etc.
• Study – “Feasibility Study for the Establishment of Vocational Retraining Centers for Persons with Disabilities in the Northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina Region”;
• Research – “Equality or special need – results of research on the status of persons with disabilities in the Tuzla Canton and research on the attitudes of other community members towards persons with disabilities”; “Disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Results based on research measuring living standards”.

In addition to these publications, "Lotos" has been regularly preparing, creating, editing and publishing the magazine INICIJATIVA for eleven years, which is published quarterly in techniques accessible to people with disabilities. The content of the magazine is diverse, with texts of an informative, legislative and advisory nature to texts of an entertaining nature. The magazine is distributed to readers throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and in smaller circulation to all neighboring countries of the same language area.

"Lotos" has also launched its own website www.ic-lotos.org.ba, which, in addition to information about its own work and cooperation with other organizations and institutions, provides information about activities and events in the movement of people with disabilities in neighboring countries, European Union countries and the world.

Organizing services

In its efforts to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities so that they can be educated, move independently, communicate unhindered and have access to information, IC "Lotos" has enabled the provision of basic services for people with disabilities in the Tuzla Canton and beyond, such as:

• Acquisition and distribution of necessary orthopedic aids (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, etc.) for those who cannot otherwise obtain them or repair of existing aids.
• Establishing a continuous translation into sign language of the news program "Vijesti" on local television;
• Raising the educational level of persons with disabilities through organizing various trainings on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, including: basic knowledge about the importance and ways of using modern technology; knowledge about the work and management of an organization; knowledge about the importance of the media and relations with the media; etc.
• Printing books and scripts for visually impaired students in Braille or recording in electronic media;
• Providing necessary information and advice in various areas: legislative, technical, economic, social, family, etc.

Based on previous experiences and the basic services it offers to persons with disabilities, IC "Lotos", in cooperation with local authorities, other organizations of persons with disabilities, international non-governmental organizations and international donors, plans to create opportunities for the development of more advanced types of services that would enable persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible, which would contribute to greater equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and a significant improvement in the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

International cooperation

Through its many years of activity, IC "Lotos" has developed cooperation with many organizations beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, starting with its closest neighbors such as the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia, then with the European Disability Forum (EDF), the International Organization of Persons with Disabilities (DPI), the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Finland "Threshold", and representatives of "Lotos" have participated in many international conferences dedicated to disability issues.

Strategic goals

• Together with other organizations of persons with disabilities in BiH, work on harmonizing legislation with European Union standards and realizing the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Full participation of women and men with disabilities in all areas of life.
• People with disabilities included in decision-making processes.
• Local and national policies have been adopted to ensure the independence and social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
• Introducing the community to and working on developing a system of services that support independent living for people with disabilities.

Partners and donors

IC "Lotos" carries out its activities in partnership and/or with the financial support of various institutions, donor agencies and non-governmental organizations, both domestic and international, starting from the Government of Tuzla Canton, the Government of Great Britain, the Government of the Republic of Finland, the European Commission, and international agencies such as Oxfam GB, CRS and Handicap International.