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CHILDREN AND DISABILITY IN CROATIA

Co-ordinator: Senka Bosner Central Bureau of Statistics

MONEE Country Analytical Report 2002

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily

reflect the policies or views of UNICEF

UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Piazza SS. Annunziata, 12 50122 Florence, Italy webs i te : www.unicef- i cdc.org

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CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Senka Bosner,

Head of Department

January 2003

"Children and Disability in Croatia"

Introduction

In the Republic of Croatia the term children with disabilities comprises children with

disorders in their physical or psychical development.

Croatian laws protecting persons with disabilities are in line with appropriate

international laws, resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO and EU).

Bearing in mind these international documents and in line with contemporary democratic

principles and achievements, the Republic of Croatia incorporated appropriate provisions

into its Constitution. Among others, the Constitution includes numerous personal,

political, economic, social and cultural rights for inhabitants. A component part of these

rights are provisions that define a special form of protection of people with disability.

These provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia are defined by numerous

acts and regulations concerning social care, health care, education, employment etc.,

which provide for children and adults with disabilities a series of rights and benefits that

help them have a more quality life.

In the Republic of Croatia there are many associations to which persons with disabilities

come together. The membership in them is voluntary based. They offer a wide range of

activities, for example, helping persons with a particular disability to gather and socialise,

providing them help and support in various situations and rising public consciousness

about the life and problems of persons with disabilities aimed at their better social

integration. As they are founded, as a rule, in large centres, a number of members are

dislocated and can realise only a “distant participation”. The finances for the operation of

such associations are obtained from the state budget, donations etc.

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Here are some of these associations:

1. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH HEARING

IMPAIRMENTS

2. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH VISUAL

IMPAIRMENTS

3. ASSOCIATION OF DYSTROPHY SUFFERERS

4. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH BOTH HEARING AND

VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

5. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM CEREBRAL PALSY

AND POLIOMYELITIS

6. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

7. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MYASTHENIA

GRAVIS

8. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH PARAPLEGIA AND

AMPUTATIONS

9. ASSOCIATION FOR HELPING OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL

RETARDATION

10. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM AUTISM

etc.

Members of these associations are mostly persons having a particular disability and

members of their families. In spite of their undoubtedly important positive role in the life

of disabled persons, unfortunately, they somehow encourage the isolation of persons with

a particular disability, having in mind that persons with the same disability will

presumably socialise among themselves and thus make their own closed little circle.

Another type of associations for rendering aid to persons with disabilities are those that

gather like-minded persons, with or without disabilities, whose aim is to help their co-

inhabitants with disabilities through their activities, such as:

IDEM (Croatian word meaning I go), whose basic task is giving support to the

implementation of educational integration in the Republic of Croatia;

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Association for Promotion of Inclusion, whose basic task is to help adults with mental

retardation to have an independent life;

etc.

Generally, it needs to be said that children and adults with disability have a very good

legal protection and social support in the Republic of Croatia.

Although, there are certain difficulties in practice when it comes to implementation of

these positive provisions, which is specially true in the domain of employment, necessary

educational equipment etc., due to a generally difficult situation in the economy of the

Republic of Croatia in which aftermaths of the last-decade devastating war are still

present.

There are very positive initiatives aimed at improvement of the general status of persons

with disabilities, as for example:

- the foundation of the Government Board for Persons with disabilities, which made, in

co-operation with the State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and

Youth, the National Strategy of Uniformed Policy for Persons with disabilities, 2002 -

2006.

- the Croatian Institute for Public Health is just designing the uniform Register of Persons

with disabilities, which will enable a complete insight into the number of persons with

disabilities and the severity of their impairments.

1. Children with disabilities: who are they?

In general, in the Republic of Croatia children with disabilities are classified to children

with mental retardation, visual impairments, hearing impairments, voice pathology and

physical impairments. In addition, this classification is extended by some competent

agencies to children with autism, severe chronic diseases, psychical diseases, behavioural

disorders etc, depending on the criteria and purpose of observation.

A law that would define characteristics of children with disabilities does not exist in the

Republic of Croatia. The exact number of children and adults with disabilities is not

known either. Various acts, rule books and regulations protect the rights of children and

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adults with disabilities. Therefore, definitions of children and adults with disabilities also

vary, depending of what is the purpose of a particular act, rule book or regulation.

For example, health care institutions register needs (if any) for further treatment or more

intensive health care. In such cases the criterion is the needed health care itself and not its

cause.

The domain of social care comprises children with disabilities from the point of view of

social care, that is, rights and services rendered by social care institutions. It should be

mentioned that these rights are very well elaborated in the Republic of Croatia and they

fulfil the purpose of protecting children with disabilities and their families. Thus, the

social care service has got data on how many persons or families were granted with some

kind of social support or some services on the basis of disability, but they do not

comprise all children with disabilities in the same way.

The Ministry of Education and Sports observes children with disabilities from

educational point of view and has its own criteria for including such children into regular

education or a certain kind of adjusted education.

It is especially difficult to define marginal cases. Then the definition of the term disability

very often depends on its purpose, which is particularly true when it comes to a light

mental retardation, where it is not easy to draw a strict line between “retarded” and

“normal”. For example, a child with severe diabetes, haemophilia or another chronic

disease is considered a child with disability from the medical point of view, but not from

the educational point of view.

As it was already mentioned, there are no uniform data in the Republic of Croatia on

children and adults with disabilities, which would offer all necessary information.

Therefore, there are only data collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and

Disability Insurance until 1999 and those collected by the Ministry of Work and Social

Welfare since 2000.

The following table presents data as collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and

Disability Insurance, on the number of children with disabilities (up to 21 years of age)

that were registered with them and granted (on the basis of disability) support for

schooling, professional rehabilitation and employment.

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Table 1

Children included in the rehabilitation and employment programme

Insured children

Year Total Rehabilitation Employment

Total Profession

al

rehabilitati

on

Adjusted

basic

education

Waiting

for

employme

nt

Employed

during the

year

1 2(3+6+7) 3(4+5) 4 5 6 7

1989 5610 3285 1693 1592 2237 88

1990 5558 3339 1766 1573 2158 61

1991 5932 3490 1788 1702 2393 49

1992 5734 3258 1730 1528 2370 106

1993 5760 3010 1546 1464 2435 315

1994 5301 2928 1526 1402 2132 241

1995 5753 3151 1599 1552 2439 163

1996 6325 3535 1868 1667 2608 182

1997 6326 3312 1758 1536 2910 122

1998 6917 3571 1894 1677 3233 113

1999 6479 3192 1656 1536 3242 45

Source: the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance

Data for the years 2000 and 2001 are taken over from the Ministry of Work and Social

Welfare, on persons with disabilities who are granted a certain kind of social care.

Attachment I

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2. Government responsibilities for children with disabilities

3. Institutional and public care for children with disabilities

Croatian laws that protect persons with disabilities are harmonised with the appropriate

international laws, resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO, and EU).

The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia defines equal rights for all citizens, so

persons with disabilities are included in its provisions. Special acts concerning individual

domains provide for persons with disabilities rights for intensive and special health,

social and material care.

Health care is free of charge for all children in the Republic of Croatia.

Acts on health care provide for a necessary medical care and rehabilitation to children

with disabilities. A special care for children with disabilities is carried out by expert

teams consisting of both doctors and special teachers. Special teachers are experts

specialised for rehabilitation and education of children with disabilities.

It is well-known that the family is the best possible environment for the upbringing of

every child, which is also true for a child with disability. Therefore, the efforts of the

society focus in the first place to providing for a harmonious family life to a child with

disability, so the family is granted a continuous support. From the moment of discovering

a child’s disability (usually between a day of birth and the first year of a child’s life,

although it may happen later, up to the child’s enrolment to school), a team of experts for

a particular disability continuously work with both the child and its family, especially

mother, who is considered the most important member of a rehabilitation team. An expert

team includes a specialist doctor, family doctor, rehabilitation therapist, social worker,

psychologist, special teacher as well as other experts, if necessary.

The overall public efforts are focused to achieve the best possible integration of children

and adults with disabilities. Therefore, the idea is to leave as many children as possible in

their families, or if it is not possible, to find foster families for them.

Unfortunately, there are cases when a child with disability cannot live with his/her own

family. There are still situations when a family simply cannot accept a child with

disability. Some families just break down because they either cannot cope with the

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responsibility they have or family interrelations do not allow a child with disability an

optimal development and rehabilitation. In such cases, children with disabilities are

usually provided with a more favourable accommodation, in the first place with an

adoptive or foster family.

Foster families must meet special requirements about their educational and social status

and must become familiar with the kind of disability their foster child-to-be suffers from

as well as with how to take an active part in his/her particular education and

rehabilitation. Foster families get Government support for each foster child as well as

other benefits reserved for families of children with disabilities.

If a family of a child with disability resides in a place where there are no conditions for

his/her education and rehabilitation, it is necessary to part a child from the family. That is

when children are found foster families. If, due to the severity of a handicap or other

reasons, it is not possible to keep children either in their own family or in a foster family,

they are accommodated in specialised institutions (boarding homes). Within such

institutions there are often educational facilities as their integral parts (kindergartens,

basic schools and, rarely, secondary schools) as well as rehabilitation possibilities.

Although the results achieved in such specialised institutions are very good, it is not

possible to avoid the social isolation of children with disabilities. These children come

together only with other children with similar handicaps and they generally have very

tiny possibilities to socialise. Therefore, they are sent to their families over weekends and

holidays as often as possible.

There are also specialised institutions that offer accommodation for children with a

severe handicap, for the blind, the deaf, persons with heavy physical disabilities, persons

with mental retardation, persons suffering from severe chronic diseases, persons with

multiple disabilities etc.

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Table 3

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Data are collected in a two-year periodicity

BOARDING HOMES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUTH Homes Users Users by age groups

Total Females 10 years 11 - 17 18 - 21 21 years and over

1996 20 3 047 1 258 359 1 188 478 1 022

1998 23 2 455 1 080 214 1 037 405 799

2000 22 2 777 1 167 308 994 426 1 049

Attachment II

Concerning work rights and social welfare, the family that takes care of a child with

disability has various possibilities of realising help and support they need. The decision

on type and duration of available rights is made by social welfare services according to

valid acts, books of rules and regulations. For example, instruments of family policy,

among others, consist of various family subsidies, including child’s allowance, that is,

under certain conditions, granted to children up to 18 years of age if they regularly attend

school.

• A child’s allowance is granted to a child with disability until the completion of his/her

education and rehabilitation and not longer than turned 27 years of age. If that child is

still not capable of independent life, he or she may continue to receive a child’s

allowance.

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• Employed parent of a child with disability, on the basis of intensive care that a child

needs, has a right to paid leave until a child’s turned 7th year of age. Later on, a parent

has a right to a short-time job and a compensation for time dedicated to the child.

• If necessary, a child with disability has a right to accommodation outside his or her

own family, that is, to accommodation in foster family or specialised institution.

• A child with disability living with his or her own family has a right to temporary,

weekly, all-day or half-day accommodation in a specialised institution. That means

that children with disabilities may have a half-day, all-day or weekly accommodation

in an institution that provides for their necessary care, rehabilitation and education. In

this case, children with disabilities have a right to use organised transport as well.

Temporary stay is usually granted to parents or other tutors who are temporarily

impeded to take care of their children with disabilities.

• Children with disabilities (as well as persons with disabilities) have, under certain

conditions, the following rights:

⇒ Allowance for help and care, which is meant for persons who cannot provide for their

own existential needs.

⇒ Help and care at home, which include food delivery, doing housework, helping with

personal hygienic and other day-to-day needs.

⇒ Personal disability pay, that is, regular pay for children with disabilities (later persons

with disabilities) who are unable to work and earning and who live in their families or

on their own.

⇒ Training for independent life and work is carried out always when it is possible,

depending on the severity of a particular impairment. It includes education that is

carried out within the educational system of the Republic of Croatia. Persons who

cannot be trained for an independent life or work have the right to be trained in line

with their capabilities.

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Education of children with disabilities

Children with disabilities have, along with all other children in the Republic of Croatia,

the right to education. The educational system of the Republic of Croatia comprises pre-

school, basic, secondary and tertiary education. At all educational levels there are state

and private institutions. Education in private institutions must be paid for.

According to positive laws in the Republic of Croatia, all children have a right to

education that is in line with their capabilities. Therefore, education of children with

disabilities is organised depending on their capabilities, together with the best possible

socialisation. That is why, in general, there are three models of education of children with

disabilities:

1. Full integration, which means that children with disabilities are included in

regular educational groups and in regular or, if necessary, adjusted programme. In

addition, a team of experts work with them, most often special teachers. As a rule,

one special teacher is in charge of several kindergartens or schools attended by

integrated children/students. This type of integration is suitable mostly for

children with light impairments. The number of children/students in classes or

educational groups attended by children with disabilities is smaller than in other

classes/educational groups and is defined by various regulations. This type of

integration is considered the best for the development of children with disabilities,

therefore it is carried out at all educational levels, wherever possible. Due to the

nature of educational programmes, the full integration is best carried out at lower

educational levels, that is, in kindergartens and in lower grades of basic school.

2. Partial integration, which means that children with disabilities attend a regular

educational institution (kindergarten, basic or secondary school), but are educated

in separate groups, by either regular or adjusted programme that suits their

capabilities. Along with teachers, special teachers and other experts take care of

these children. The number of children in these educational groups is significantly

smaller than in regular educational groups. Moreover, it is the subject to special

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regulations. This type of integration is implemented wherever possible, depending

on the severity of the impairment and on actual conditions.

3. Special pedagogic and educational institutions organise upbringing, education and

rehabilitation of children with disabilities who, due either to the severity of their

impairment or physical health or other reasons cannot be integrated into regular

educational groups. Such institutions are usually specialised for a single

impairment, for example, for the blind, the deaf, persons with physical

impairments (cerebral palsy), persons with mental retardation etc. They are in

most cases also boarding homes, rendering services for children whose families

live outside the place of their education. Children are there educated by regular,

adjusted or special programmes, depending on their capabilities. The upbringing

and education of children with disabilities in these institutions are financed by the

Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare,

depending on the basis of right to upbringing and education in a particular

specialised institution.

In spite of efforts to carry out the integration wherever possible, depending of capabilities

of children with disabilities, very often there are numerous obstacles to do it properly. For

example, the transport of children with physical impairments to school is well organised,

but if a particular school is not adjusted for these children there arise numerous

difficulties, which are solved, with a great deal of good will involved, at a local level, that

is, efforts are made to help individual students attend the chosen school. Unfortunately,

very often it is not possible and, thus, a number of children with disabilities, who would

have been integrated, attend special institutions.

The educational system of the Republic of Croatia consists of the following levels:

1. Pre-primary education and programmes (ISCED 97, level 0); it is not obligatory

and users must pay for it. It must be mentioned that in cases in which there is a

reason, it may be paid by the social welfare or another institution.

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At this educational level there are all three types of education of children with disabilities,

providing that the possibilities for full or partial integration increase with the general

capability of educational programmes to be adjusted.

Unfortunately, data on the full integration of children with disabilities into kindergartens

were not available at competent institutions.

Data on the partial integration as well as on children attending kindergartens within

specialised upbringing and educational institutions are presented in the

Attachment III.

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics, providing that it has been collected these data

only since 1999. Data on types of impairments of children included in the pre-primary

education are not observed.

2. Basic education (ISCED 1 and 2A)

The basic education is obligatory for all children between 7 and 15 years of age and it is

free of charge in state schools. The basic education provides for basic general knowledge

and skills, excluding vocation. Even at this level all three types of education of children

with disabilities are implemented. Special efforts are made to create conditions for

children with disabilities to attend the basic school in their place of usual residence and in

school they regionally belong to, which means the full or partial integration wherever

possible. For children who cannot attend the basic school in the place where their family

lives, the main aim is to find accommodation in foster families in the place of their

education.

Data on types of impairments of students fully integrated are not available, but only for

partly integrated children and children situated in specialised educational institutions.

Attachment IV

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics

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3. Secondary education (ISCED 97, level 3)

The secondary education is the continuation of the basic one, it is not obligatory and it is

free of charge in state schools. All three types of education are carried out for children

with disabilities. Wherever there are conditions, it is made possible for children to be

integrated into the regular education, though it must be pointed out that there are fewer

students integrated into the secondary education than into the basic education. The

reasons are specific secondary education programmes and vocations they prepare

students to. In order to enable each child with disability for more or less independent life

and work, available are vocational guidance as well as special programmes and

rehabilitators. Data for this educational level are similar to those for the basic education.

Attachment V


Since the basic education is general and not vocational, a special care is taken that

children with disabilities continue their education at a higher level. In addition to the most

common 4-year and 3-year programmes, there are also 1-year and 2-year ones, adjusted

to children with disabilities, especially those with mental retardation.

Exceptionally, there are educational programmes (ISCED 97, level 2C) for training for

elementary occupations for which it is not necessary that a person complete a basic

school (ISCED 97, level 2A).

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4. Tertiary education (ISCED 97, level 5 and 6)

Tertiary education is organised at institutions of higher education and it is not obligatory;

it is free of charge for a certain number of students at state institutions of higher

education. Persons with disabilities have priority while enrolling and do not have to pay

for their study if they meet some basic requirements for the enrolment on a particular

institution. At this level persons with disabilities participate only if they can be fully

integrated. There are no records on how many persons with disabilities study at

institutions of higher education in the Republic of Croatia.

From all that was hitherto said is seen that children with disabilities have the basic

right to education and that the system is organised in a way to make them possible to

actualise this right. Undoubtedly, the actualisation of it is best carried out in the basic

education, which is obligatory. Nevertheless, attention must be paid to two problems that

interfere with the actualisation right to get the education in the most favourable way. The

first one concerns the territorial arrangement of schools or special classes for children

with disabilities as well as of specialised upbringing and educational institutions intended

for them. They are mostly (70% - 80%) situated in big cities (with 25 000 inhabitants or

more), in smaller towns (10 000 - 25 000 inhabitants) there are 10 –20% such institutions

and in places with less than 10 000 inhabitants there are less than 10 % of them. This

arrangement is more favourable at the lower educational levels, where it is simpler to

organise educational programmes.

It means that children with disabilities whose families live in smaller towns and places,

providing they cannot be fully integrated, have less opportunity to participate in the pre-

primary education, and for the basic and, especially, secondary education they are forced

to find accommodation outside their own families. Wherever possible, it is organised

with foster families, but very often the only option is a specialised upbringing and

educational institution.

The second problem concerns various architectural and other kinds of obstacles as well as

a lack of special didactic aids in schools children with disabilities attend (or should

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attend). That is why even children with disabilities who meet other requirements for

integration is still referred to a special class or institution.

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Education of special teachers

Conscious of the importance of education of children with disabilities, the Republic of

Croatia has a rich tradition of educating special teachers, that is, experts for upbringing,

education and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. Since 1947 special teacher have

been educated at separate departments of the Teacher’s Education Academy and the Non-

University College of Defectology. The year 1962 saw the foundation of the School of

Higher Education of Defectology, which became the Faculty of Defectology in 1973. In

1998 this faculty changed its name to the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation. It

operates within the University of Zagreb and organises a 4-year university study (ISCED

97, level 5A, first degree), a post-graduate study for getting master’s degree (ISCED 97

level 5A, research degree) as well as procedures for getting a doctor’s degree (ISCED 97,

level 6). The study has three courses: speech and language pathology, behavioural

disorders and rehabilitation. The course behavioural disorders educates social

pedagogues for the work with children that show non-organic symptoms of behavioural

disorders. The Croatian legislature and educational system consider such children as

children with disabilities as well. The course rehabilitation includes studies of all kinds of

impairments, except voice impairments, which are studied at a separate course (speech

and language pathology).

Attachment VI


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5. Summary

It must be pointed out that a great number of persons were disabled during the last-decade

war that inflicted the territory of the Republic of Croatia, so the country is faced with a

more difficulties concerning its inhabitants with disabilities than other countries.

According to all valid laws in the Republic of Croatia, persons with disabilities have the

same rights as other citizens and the community is obliged to make sure that they have

equal conditions for their life and work. Also, children with disabilities have the right for

upbringing and education according to their capabilities. There are several institutions

that are in charge of children and adults with disability, of which the main ones are the

Ministry of Health Care, the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, the Ministry of

Education and Sports, the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance and the

Croatian Employment Service. Each one of these institutions is in charge of its own

domain. It is usually focused on a part of responsibility of a particular institution, that is,

the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare is in charge of keeping data on the number, kind

and the amount of paid off social benefits or other services; the Ministry of Health Care

of the medical aspects of disability; the Ministry of Education and Sports of difficulties in

education; the Croatian Employment Service on persons with disabilities that need to be

employed etc. In that way, one person may be registered with only one institution, but

with several ones as well. It is considered that data on the education of children with

disabilities are the most though ones, since every single child (except the extremely

severe cases) is included in obligated education.

The Government of the Republic of Croatia has founded the Government Board for

Persons with disabilities, consisting of a representative of associations that take care of

persons with disabilities, relevant ministries and scientific institutions. The Croatian

Institute for Public Health is presently preparing a project for establishing a uniform

register of persons with disabilities that would bring together all necessary information on

persons with disabilities. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Government is

conscious of its great responsibility towards persons with disabilities and takes various

measures for the improvement of their status.

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Various associations of persons with disabilities and other citizens are very active in

giving impetus to various kinds of obstacles, the results of which are lowered catwalks in

many towns, building of lifts for disabled persons in many public buildings, adjusted

public traffic etc. in order to make it easier for persons with physical impairments to

move around; traffic lights have sound signalisation for the blind; a number of TV

programmes introduced a “translator” for the deaf etc.; the employment of persons with

disabilities are stimulated through bonuses and tax relief for employees etc.

In general, it may be concluded that the care for children and adults with disabilities is

well organised in the Republic of Croatia and that everybody in charge continues to work

on its improvement.

Data sources:

Central Bureau of Statistics

State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth Ministry of

Education and Sports

Ministry of Work and Social Welfare

Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance

Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation

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Attachment I

Source: the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare

Table 2.1.

Persons with disabilities by age and type of handicap (on 31st December 2000)

Type of handicap Total

Age of user

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology

Physical impairments

Mental retardation

Behavioural disorders

Organic mental health disorders

Psychosis Multiple handicaps

Total number

%

0 - 3 17 16 10 572 103 1 23 0 547 1289 3,1 4 - 7 31 278 86 644 268 10 25 3 1123 2468 6,0 8 - 14 101 379 106 713 726 52 96 28 1775 3976 9,6 15 - 16 36 78 35 256 511 47 61 9 1027 2060 5,0 17 - 18 67 59 15 396 458 41 39 16 875 1966 4,8 19 - 21 93 100 50 524 872 66 107 107 1324 3243 7,8 Children - total

345 910 302 3105 2938 217 351 163 6671 15002 36,3

% 22,00 63,1 50,8 27,4 35,9 24,7 23,8 8,1 48,4 36,3 22 - 45 262 197 113 2431 3339 345 404 777 2988 10856 26,3 46 - 65 335 156 86 2191 1387 188 395 690 2495 7923 19,2 66 and over

628 180 94 3613 523 127 327 393 1623 7508 18,2

Total 1570 1443 595 11340 8187 877 1477 2023 13777 41289 100 % 3,8 3,5 1,4 27,5 19,8 2,1 3,6 4,9 33,4 100

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Table 2.2.



Age of user

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology


Mental retardation




Total number

%

0 - 3 20 24 11 830 96 5 4 0 508 1498 2,9 4 - 7 35 97 102 844 268 7 25 6 1114 2498 4,9 8 - 14 100 201 134 844 842 34 75 42 1933 4205 8,2 15 - 16 43 71 42 303 610 42 86 7 903 2107 4,1 17 - 18 39 63 27 314 516 63 54 47 912 2035 4,0 19 - 21 113 97 40 456 911 70 96 82 1311 3176 6,2 Children - total

350 553 356 3591 3243 221 340 184 6681 15519 30,4

% 20,0 49,7 54,8 26,3 33,6 26,1 18,6 7,5 35,0 30,4 22 - 45 287 214 108 1867 4102 357 406 965 3598 11904 23,4 46 - 65 392 172 98 2716 1639 174 654 837 3533 10215 20,1 66 and over

717 173 88 5470 655 95 432 480 5269 13379 26,2

Total 1746 1112 650 13644 9639 847 1832 2466 19081 51017 100 % 3,4 2,2 1,3 26,7 18,9 1,7 3,6 4,8 37,4 100

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Attachment II

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Table 4 Children with disabilities in boarding homes

Type of handicap

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology


Mental retardation




Total number

1996 157 167 76 215 1491 956 0 0 917 39791998 65 115 29 128 1169 1114 42 3 904 35692000 102 134 8 17 1873 1116 48 4 591 3893

Data are collected in two-year periodicity. In 1996 data on organic mental health disorders and psychosis are presented together with data on mental retardation.

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Attachment I

Source: the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare

Table 2.1.



Age of user

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology


Mental retardation




Total number

%

0 - 3 17 16 10 572 103 1 23 0 547 1289 3,1 4 - 7 31 278 86 644 268 10 25 3 1123 2468 6,0 8 - 14 101 379 106 713 726 52 96 28 1775 3976 9,6 15 - 16 36 78 35 256 511 47 61 9 1027 2060 5,0 17 - 18 67 59 15 396 458 41 39 16 875 1966 4,8 19 - 21 93 100 50 524 872 66 107 107 1324 3243 7,8 Children - total

345 910 302 3105 2938 217 351 163 6671 15002 36,3

% 22,00 63,1 50,8 27,4 35,9 24,7 23,8 8,1 48,4 36,3 22 - 45 262 197 113 2431 3339 345 404 777 2988 10856 26,3 46 - 65 335 156 86 2191 1387 188 395 690 2495 7923 19,2 66 and over

628 180 94 3613 523 127 327 393 1623 7508 18,2

Total 1570 1443 595 11340 8187 877 1477 2023 13777 41289 100 % 3,8 3,5 1,4 27,5 19,8 2,1 3,6 4,9 33,4 100

24

Table 2.2.



Age of user

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology


Mental retardation




Total number

%

0 - 3 20 24 11 830 96 5 4 0 508 1498 2,9 4 - 7 35 97 102 844 268 7 25 6 1114 2498 4,9 8 - 14 100 201 134 844 842 34 75 42 1933 4205 8,2 15 - 16 43 71 42 303 610 42 86 7 903 2107 4,1 17 - 18 39 63 27 314 516 63 54 47 912 2035 4,0 19 - 21 113 97 40 456 911 70 96 82 1311 3176 6,2 Children - total

350 553 356 3591 3243 221 340 184 6681 15519 30,4

% 20,0 49,7 54,8 26,3 33,6 26,1 18,6 7,5 35,0 30,4 22 - 45 287 214 108 1867 4102 357 406 965 3598 11904 23,4 46 - 65 392 172 98 2716 1639 174 654 837 3533 10215 20,1 66 and over

717 173 88 5470 655 95 432 480 5269 13379 26,2

Total 1746 1112 650 13644 9639 847 1832 2466 19081 51017 100 % 3,4 2,2 1,3 26,7 18,9 1,7 3,6 4,8 37,4 100

25

Attachment II

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Table 4 Children with disabilities in boarding homes

Type of handicap

Visual impairments

Hearing impairments

Voice pathology


Mental retardation




Total number

1996 157 167 76 215 1491 956 0 0 917 39791998 65 115 29 128 1169 1114 42 3 904 35692000 102 134 8 17 1873 1116 48 4 591 3893Data are collected in two-year periodicity. In 1996 data on organic mental health disorders and psychosis are presented together with data on mental retardation.

26

CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Senka Bosner,

Head of Department

January 2003

"Children and Disability in Croatia"

Introduction

In the Republic of Croatia the term children with disabilities comprises children with disorders in their

physical or psychical development.

Croatian laws protecting persons with disabilities are in line with appropriate international laws, resolutions

and recommendations (UN, UNESCO and EU).

Bearing in mind these international documents and in line with contemporary democratic principles and

achievements, the Republic of Croatia incorporated appropriate provisions into its Constitution. Among

others, the Constitution includes numerous personal, political, economic, social and cultural rights for

inhabitants. A component part of these rights are provisions that define a special form of protection of people

with disability. These provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia are defined by numerous acts

27

and regulations concerning social care, health care, education, employment etc., which provide for children

and adults with disabilities a series of rights and benefits that help them have a more quality life.

In the Republic of Croatia there are many associations to which persons with disabilities come together. The

membership in them is voluntary based. They offer a wide range of activities, for example, helping persons

with a particular disability to gather and socialise, providing them help and support in various situations and

rising public consciousness about the life and problems of persons with disabilities aimed at their better social

integration. As they are founded, as a rule, in large centres, a number of members are dislocated and can

realise only a “distant participation”. The finances for the operation of such associations are obtained from the

state budget, donations etc.

Here are some of these associations:

11. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

12. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

13. ASSOCIATION OF DYSTROPHY SUFFERERS

14. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH BOTH HEARING AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

15. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM CEREBRAL PALSY AND POLIOMYELITIS

16. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

17. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MYASTHENIA GRAVIS

18. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH PARAPLEGIA AND AMPUTATIONS

19. ASSOCIATION FOR HELPING OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

28

20. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM AUTISM

etc.

Members of these associations are mostly persons having a particular disability and members of their families.

In spite of their undoubtedly important positive role in the life of disabled persons, unfortunately, they

somehow encourage the isolation of persons with a particular disability, having in mind that persons with the

same disability will presumably socialise among themselves and thus make their own closed little circle.

Another type of associations for rendering aid to persons with disabilities are those that gather like-minded

persons, with or without disabilities, whose aim is to help their co-inhabitants with disabilities through their

activities, such as:

IDEM (Croatian word meaning I go), whose basic task is giving support to the implementation of educational

integration in the Republic of Croatia;

Association for Promotion of Inclusion, whose basic task is to help adults with mental retardation to have an

independent life;

etc.

Generally, it needs to be said that children and adults with disability have a very good legal protection and

social support in the Republic of Croatia.

Although, there are certain difficulties in practice when it comes to implementation of these positive

provisions, which is specially true in the domain of employment, necessary educational equipment etc., due to

29

a generally difficult situation in the economy of the Republic of Croatia in which aftermaths of the last-decade

devastating war are still present.

There are very positive initiatives aimed at improvement of the general status of persons with disabilities, as

for example:

- the foundation of the Government Board for Persons with disabilities, which made, in co-operation with the

State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth, the National Strategy of Uniformed

Policy for Persons with disabilities, 2002 - 2006.

- the Croatian Institute for Public Health is just designing the uniform Register of Persons with disabilities,

which will enable a complete insight into the number of persons with disabilities and the severity of their

impairments.

1. Children with disabilities: who are they?

In general, in the Republic of Croatia children with disabilities are classified to children with mental

retardation, visual impairments, hearing impairments, voice pathology and physical impairments. In addition,

this classification is extended by some competent agencies to children with autism, severe chronic diseases,

psychical diseases, behavioural disorders etc, depending on the criteria and purpose of observation.

A law that would define characteristics of children with disabilities does not exist in the Republic of Croatia.

The exact number of children and adults with disabilities is not known either. Various acts, rule books and

30

regulations protect the rights of children and adults with disabilities. Therefore, definitions of children and

adults with disabilities also vary, depending of what is the purpose of a particular act, rule book or regulation.

For example, health care institutions register needs (if any) for further treatment or more intensive health care.

In such cases the criterion is the needed health care itself and not its cause.

The domain of social care comprises children with disabilities from the point of view of social care, that is,

rights and services rendered by social care institutions. It should be mentioned that these rights are very well

elaborated in the Republic of Croatia and they fulfil the purpose of protecting children with disabilities and

their families. Thus, the social care service has got data on how many persons or families were granted with

some kind of social support or some services on the basis of disability, but they do not comprise all children

with disabilities in the same way.

The Ministry of Education and Sports observes children with disabilities from educational point of view and

has its own criteria for including such children into regular education or a certain kind of adjusted education.

It is especially difficult to define marginal cases. Then the definition of the term disability very often depends

on its purpose, which is particularly true when it comes to a light mental retardation, where it is not easy to

draw a strict line between “retarded” and “normal”. For example, a child with severe diabetes, haemophilia or

another chronic disease is considered a child with disability from the medical point of view, but not from the

educational point of view.

31

As it was already mentioned, there are no uniform data in the Republic of Croatia on children and adults with

disabilities, which would offer all necessary information. Therefore, there are only data collected by the

Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance until 1999 and those collected by the Ministry of Work

and Social Welfare since 2000.

The following table presents data as collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance,

on the number of children with disabilities (up to 21 years of age) that were registered with them and granted

(on the basis of disability) support for schooling, professional rehabilitation and employment.

32

Table 1

Children included in the rehabilitation and employment programme

Insured children

Year Total Rehabilitation Employment

Total Professional

rehabilitatio

n

Adjusted

basic

education

Waiting for

employment

Employed

during the

year

1 2(3+6+7) 3(4+5) 4 5 6 7

1989 5610 3285 1693 1592 2237 88

1990 5558 3339 1766 1573 2158 61

1991 5932 3490 1788 1702 2393 49

1992 5734 3258 1730 1528 2370 106

1993 5760 3010 1546 1464 2435 315

1994 5301 2928 1526 1402 2132 241

1995 5753 3151 1599 1552 2439 163

1996 6325 3535 1868 1667 2608 182

1997 6326 3312 1758 1536 2910 122

33

1998 6917 3571 1894 1677 3233 113

1999 6479 3192 1656 1536 3242 45

Source: the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance

Data for the years 2000 and 2001 are taken over from the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, on persons

with disabilities who are granted a certain kind of social care.

Attachment I

34

2. Government responsibilities for children with disabilities

3. Institutional and public care for children with disabilities

Croatian laws that protect persons with disabilities are harmonised with the appropriate international laws,

resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO, and EU).

The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia defines equal rights for all citizens, so persons with disabilities are

included in its provisions. Special acts concerning individual domains provide for persons with disabilities

rights for intensive and special health, social and material care.

Health care is free of charge for all children in the Republic of Croatia.

Acts on health care provide for a necessary medical care and rehabilitation to children with disabilities. A

special care for children with disabilities is carried out by expert teams consisting of both doctors and special

teachers. Special teachers are experts specialised for rehabilitation and education of children with disabilities.

It is well-known that the family is the best possible environment for the upbringing of every child, which is

also true for a child with disability. Therefore, the efforts of the society focus in the first place to providing for

a harmonious family life to a child with disability, so the family is granted a continuous support. From the

moment of discovering a child’s disability (usually between a day of birth and the first year of a child’s life,

although it may happen later, up to the child’s enrolment to school), a team of experts for a particular

disability continuously work with both the child and its family, especially mother, who is considered the most

35

important member of a rehabilitation team. An expert team includes a specialist doctor, family doctor,

rehabilitation therapist, social worker, psychologist, special teacher as well as other experts, if necessary.

The overall public efforts are focused to achieve the best possible integration of children and adults with

disabilities. Therefore, the idea is to leave as many children as possible in their families, or if it is not possible,

to find foster families for them.

Unfortunately, there are cases when a child with disability cannot live with his/her own family. There are still

situations when a family simply cannot accept a child with disability. Some families just break down because

they either cannot cope with the responsibility they have or family interrelations do not allow a child with

disability an optimal development and rehabilitation. In such cases, children with disabilities are usually

provided with a more favourable accommodation, in the first place with an adoptive or foster family.

Foster families must meet special requirements about their educational and social status and must become

familiar with the kind of disability their foster child-to-be suffers from as well as with how to take an active

part in his/her particular education and rehabilitation. Foster families get Government support for each foster

child as well as other benefits reserved for families of children with disabilities.

If a family of a child with disability resides in a place where there are no conditions for his/her education and

rehabilitation, it is necessary to part a child from the family. That is when children are found foster families. If,

due to the severity of a handicap or other reasons, it is not possible to keep children either in their own family

or in a foster family, they are accommodated in specialised institutions (boarding homes). Within such

36

institutions there are often educational facilities as their integral parts (kindergartens, basic schools and, rarely,

secondary schools) as well as rehabilitation possibilities. Although the results achieved in such specialised

institutions are very good, it is not possible to avoid the social isolation of children with disabilities. These

children come together only with other children with similar handicaps and they generally have very tiny

possibilities to socialise. Therefore, they are sent to their families over weekends and holidays as often as

possible.

There are also specialised institutions that offer accommodation for children with a severe handicap, for the

blind, the deaf, persons with heavy physical disabilities, persons with mental retardation, persons suffering

from severe chronic diseases, persons with multiple disabilities etc.

Table 3

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Data are collected in a two-year periodicity

BOARDING HOMES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Homes Users Users by age groups

Total Females 10 years 11 - 17 18 - 21 21 years and over

37

1996 20 3 047 1 258 359 1 188 478 1 022

1998 23 2 455 1 080 214 1 037 405 799

2000 22 2 777 1 167 308 994 426 1 049

Attachment II

Concerning work rights and social welfare, the family that takes care of a child with disability has various

possibilities of realising help and support they need. The decision on type and duration of available rights is

made by social welfare services according to valid acts, books of rules and regulations. For example,

instruments of family policy, among others, consist of various family subsidies, including child’s allowance,

that is, under certain conditions, granted to children up to 18 years of age if they regularly attend school.

• A child’s allowance is granted to a child with disability until the completion of his/her education and

rehabilitation and not longer than turned 27 years of age. If that child is still not capable of independent

life, he or she may continue to receive a child’s allowance.

38

• Employed parent of a child with disability, on the basis of intensive care that a child needs, has a right to

paid leave until a child’s turned 7th year of age. Later on, a parent has a right to a short-time job and a

compensation for time dedicated to the child.

• If necessary, a child with disability has a right to accommodation outside his or her own family, that is, to

accommodation in foster family or specialised institution.

• A child with disability living with his or her own family has a right to temporary, weekly, all-day or half-

day accommodation in a specialised institution. That means that children with disabilities may have a half-

day, all-day or weekly accommodation in an institution that provides for their necessary care, rehabilitation

and education. In this case, children with disabilities have a right to use organised transport as well.

Temporary stay is usually granted to parents or other tutors who are temporarily impeded to take care of

their children with disabilities.

• Children with disabilities (as well as persons with disabilities) have, under certain conditions, the following

rights:

⇒ Allowance for help and care, which is meant for persons who cannot provide for their own existential

needs.

⇒ Help and care at home, which include food delivery, doing housework, helping with personal hygienic and

other day-to-day needs.

39

⇒ Personal disability pay, that is, regular pay for children with disabilities (later persons with disabilities)

who are unable to work and earning and who live in their families or on their own.

⇒ Training for independent life and work is carried out always when it is possible, depending on the severity

of a particular impairment. It includes education that is carried out within the educational system of the

Republic of Croatia. Persons who cannot be trained for an independent life or work have the right to be

trained in line with their capabilities.

40

Education of children with disabilities

Children with disabilities have, along with all other children in the Republic of Croatia, the right to education.

The educational system of the Republic of Croatia comprises pre-school, basic, secondary and tertiary

education. At all educational levels there are state and private institutions. Education in private institutions

must be paid for.

According to positive laws in the Republic of Croatia, all children have a right to education that is in line with

their capabilities. Therefore, education of children with disabilities is organised depending on their

capabilities, together with the best possible socialisation. That is why, in general, there are three models of

education of children with disabilities:

4. Full integration, which means that children with disabilities are included in regular educational groups

and in regular or, if necessary, adjusted programme. In addition, a team of experts work with them, most

often special teachers. As a rule, one special teacher is in charge of several kindergartens or schools

attended by integrated children/students. This type of integration is suitable mostly for children with

light impairments. The number of children/students in classes or educational groups attended by

children with disabilities is smaller than in other classes/educational groups and is defined by various

regulations. This type of integration is considered the best for the development of children with

disabilities, therefore it is carried out at all educational levels, wherever possible. Due to the nature of

41

educational programmes, the full integration is best carried out at lower educational levels, that is, in

kindergartens and in lower grades of basic school.

5. Partial integration, which means that children with disabilities attend a regular educational institution

(kindergarten, basic or secondary school), but are educated in separate groups, by either regular or

adjusted programme that suits their capabilities. Along with teachers, special teachers and other experts

take care of these children. The number of children in these educational groups is significantly smaller

than in regular educational groups. Moreover, it is the subject to special regulations. This type of

integration is implemented wherever possible, depending on the severity of the impairment and on

actual conditions.

6. Special pedagogic and educational institutions organise upbringing, education and rehabilitation of

children with disabilities who, due either to the severity of their impairment or physical health or other

reasons cannot be integrated into regular educational groups. Such institutions are usually specialised

for a single impairment, for example, for the blind, the deaf, persons with physical impairments

(cerebral palsy), persons with mental retardation etc. They are in most cases also boarding homes,

rendering services for children whose families live outside the place of their education. Children are

there educated by regular, adjusted or special programmes, depending on their capabilities. The

upbringing and education of children with disabilities in these institutions are financed by the Ministry

42

of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, depending on the basis of right

to upbringing and education in a particular specialised institution.

In spite of efforts to carry out the integration wherever possible, depending of capabilities of children with

disabilities, very often there are numerous obstacles to do it properly. For example, the transport of children

with physical impairments to school is well organised, but if a particular school is not adjusted for these

children there arise numerous difficulties, which are solved, with a great deal of good will involved, at a local

level, that is, efforts are made to help individual students attend the chosen school. Unfortunately, very often it

is not possible and, thus, a number of children with disabilities, who would have been integrated, attend

special institutions.

The educational system of the Republic of Croatia consists of the following levels:

5. Pre-primary education and programmes (ISCED 97, level 0); it is not obligatory and users must pay for

it. It must be mentioned that in cases in which there is a reason, it may be paid by the social welfare or

another institution.

At this educational level there are all three types of education of children with disabilities, providing that the

possibilities for full or partial integration increase with the general capability of educational programmes to be

adjusted.

43

Unfortunately, data on the full integration of children with disabilities into kindergartens were not available at

competent institutions.

Data on the partial integration as well as on children attending kindergartens within specialised upbringing and

educational institutions are presented in the

Attachment III.

Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics, providing that it has been collected these data only since 1999. Data

on types of impairments of children included in the pre-primary education are not observed.

6. Basic education (ISCED 1 and 2A)

The basic education is obligatory for all children between 7 and 15 years of age and it is free of charge in state

schools. The basic education provides for basic general knowledge and skills, excluding vocation. Even at this

level all three types of education of children with disabilities are implemented. Special efforts are made to

create conditions for children with disabilities to attend the basic school in their place of usual residence and in

school they regionally belong to, which means the full or partial integration wherever possible. For children

who cannot attend the basic school in the place where their family lives, the main aim is to find

accommodation in foster families in the place of their education.

Data on types of impairments of students fully integrated are not available, but only for partly integrated

children and children situated in specialised educational institutions.

44

Attachment IV


7. Secondary education (ISCED 97, level 3)

The secondary education is the continuation of the basic one, it is not obligatory and it is free of charge in state

schools. All three types of education are carried out for children with disabilities. Wherever there are

conditions, it is made possible for children to be integrated into the regular education, though it must be

pointed out that there are fewer students integrated into the secondary education than into the basic education.

The reasons are specific secondary education programmes and vocations they prepare students to. In order to

enable each child with disability for more or less independent life and work, available are vocational guidance

as well as special programmes and rehabilitators. Data for this educational level are similar to those for the

basic education.

Attachment V


Since the basic education is general and not vocational, a special care is taken that children with disabilities

continue their education at a higher level. In addition to the most common 4-year and 3-year programmes,

45

there are also 1-year and 2-year ones, adjusted to children with disabilities, especially those with mental

retardation.

Exceptionally, there are educational programmes (ISCED 97, level 2C) for training for elementary

occupations for which it is not necessary that a person complete a basic school (ISCED 97, level 2A).

46

8. Tertiary education (ISCED 97, level 5 and 6)

Tertiary education is organised at institutions of higher education and it is not obligatory; it is free of charge

for a certain number of students at state institutions of higher education. Persons with disabilities have priority

while enrolling and do not have to pay for their study if they meet some basic requirements for the enrolment

on a particular institution. At this level persons with disabilities participate only if they can be fully integrated.

There are no records on how many persons with disabilities study at institutions of higher education in the

Republic of Croatia.

From all that was hitherto said is seen that children with disabilities have the basic right to education and

that the system is organised in a way to make them possible to actualise this right. Undoubtedly, the

actualisation of it is best carried out in the basic education, which is obligatory. Nevertheless, attention must

be paid to two problems that interfere with the actualisation right to get the education in the most favourable

way. The first one concerns the territorial arrangement of schools or special classes for children with

disabilities as well as of specialised upbringing and educational institutions intended for them. They are

mostly (70% - 80%) situated in big cities (with 25 000 inhabitants or more), in smaller towns (10 000 - 25 000

inhabitants) there are 10 –20% such institutions and in places with less than 10 000 inhabitants there are less

than 10 % of them. This arrangement is more favourable at the lower educational levels, where it is simpler to

organise educational programmes.

47

It means that children with disabilities whose families live in smaller towns and places, providing they cannot

be fully integrated, have less opportunity to participate in the pre-primary education, and for the basic and,

especially, secondary education they are forced to find accommodation outside their own families. Wherever

possible, it is organised with foster families, but very often the only option is a specialised upbringing and

educational institution.

The second problem concerns various architectural and other kinds of obstacles as well as a lack of special

didactic aids in schools children with disabilities attend (or should attend). That is why even children with

disabilities who meet other requirements for integration is still referred to a special class or institution.

48

Education of special teachers

Conscious of the importance of education of children with disabilities, the Republic of Croatia has a rich

tradition of educating special teachers, that is, experts for upbringing, education and rehabilitation of children

with disabilities. Since 1947 special teacher have been educated at separate departments of the Teacher’s

Education Academy and the Non-University College of Defectology. The year 1962 saw the foundation of the

School of Higher Education of Defectology, which became the Faculty of Defectology in 1973. In 1998 this

faculty changed its name to the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation. It operates within the University of

Zagreb and organises a 4-year university study (ISCED 97, level 5A, first degree), a post-graduate study for

getting master’s degree (ISCED 97 level 5A, research degree) as well as procedures for getting a doctor’s

degree (ISCED 97, level 6). The study has three courses: speech and language pathology, behavioural

disorders and rehabilitation. The course behavioural disorders educates social pedagogues for the work with

children that show non-organic symptoms of behavioural disorders. The Croatian legislature and educational

system consider such children as children with disabilities as well. The course rehabilitation includes studies

of all kinds of impairments, except voice impairments, which are studied at a separate course (speech and

language pathology).

49

Attachment VI


50

5. Summary

It must be pointed out that a great number of persons were disabled during the last-decade war that inflicted

the territory of the Republic of Croatia, so the country is faced with a more difficulties concerning its

inhabitants with disabilities than other countries. According to all valid laws in the Republic of Croatia,

persons with disabilities have the same rights as other citizens and the community is obliged to make sure that

they have equal conditions for their life and work. Also, children with disabilities have the right for upbringing

and education according to their capabilities. There are several institutions that are in charge of children and

adults with disability, of which the main ones are the Ministry of Health Care, the Ministry of Work and

Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability

Insurance and the Croatian Employment Service. Each one of these institutions is in charge of its own domain.

It is usually focused on a part of responsibility of a particular institution, that is, the Ministry of Work and

Social Welfare is in charge of keeping data on the number, kind and the amount of paid off social benefits or

other services; the Ministry of Health Care of the medical aspects of disability; the Ministry of Education and

Sports of difficulties in education; the Croatian Employment Service on persons with disabilities that need to

be employed etc. In that way, one person may be registered with only one institution, but with several ones as

well. It is considered that data on the education of children with disabilities are the most though ones, since

every single child (except the extremely severe cases) is included in obligated education.

51

The Government of the Republic of Croatia has founded the Government Board for Persons with disabilities,

consisting of a representative of associations that take care of persons with disabilities, relevant ministries and

scientific institutions. The Croatian Institute for Public Health is presently preparing a project for establishing

a uniform register of persons with disabilities that would bring together all necessary information on persons

with disabilities. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Government is conscious of its great responsibility

towards persons with disabilities and takes various measures for the improvement of their status.

Various associations of persons with disabilities and other citizens are very active in giving impetus to various

kinds of obstacles, the results of which are lowered catwalks in many towns, building of lifts for disabled

persons in many public buildings, adjusted public traffic etc. in order to make it easier for persons with

physical impairments to move around; traffic lights have sound signalisation for the blind; a number of TV

programmes introduced a “translator” for the deaf etc.; the employment of persons with disabilities are

stimulated through bonuses and tax relief for employees etc.

In general, it may be concluded that the care for children and adults with disabilities is well organised in the

Republic of Croatia and that everybody in charge continues to work on its improvement.

Data sources:

Central Bureau of Statistics

State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth Ministry of Education and Sports

52

Ministry of Work and Social Welfare

Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance

Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation

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