LocationsRemoving physical barriers
Ensuring equal rights and inclusive decision-making for All
December 10, 2024
Adisa Kišić
Foto: Sulejman Omerbašić
The renovation of the Citizen Service Center in the City of Tuzla, along with the construction of all necessary accesses, tactile paths, two elevators and an adapted counter, has enabled better quality services for citizens and easier access to public services for everyone. Adisa Kišić, Public Relations Officer at the Information Center for Persons with Disabilities “Lotos” Tuzla, says that for her this does not only mean the removal of physical barriers and easier access to all services, but also the message that everyone, regardless of disability or difficulty, can equally exercise all guaranteed rights.
“The dignity and quality of life of persons with disabilities largely depends on accessibility conditions. The City of Tuzla has made a very important and significant step towards creating a more accessible environment for all citizens of our city. By respecting our needs as persons with disabilities, access to all services and facilities has been made equal for everyone. Now we will be able to perform everyday tasks more easily, exercise all our rights more freely, and participate in meetings, initiatives, and agreements that are important for our entire community," says Adisa Kišić, adding that this step will contribute to improving inclusivity and accessibility of services and content, equally for everyone:
"I would especially emphasize the importance of complying with legal regulations, first of all the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 9 of which guarantees accessible environments, enabling conditions and access to all facilities and institutions. This is a very positive example and a positive practice, but it is very important that we must always continue to work, that we have access and access to all institutions, facilities and streets in our city, in order to be equal members of our community, which in essence we are."Adisa Kišić
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was also respected
The Citizen Service Center in the City of Tuzla was renovated through the Project for Improving the Efficiency of Local Services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PIPLS), funded by Sweden, and implemented and co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH), with the support of three cantons and 22 local government units (LGUs).
Director of the IC “Lotos” Suvad Zahirović emphasizes the commitment of the City of Tuzla to partnering in key activities through defining strategic frameworks in relation to individual groups of citizens, as well as the establishment of the Council for Persons with Disabilities, which consists of representatives of key city administration services and representatives of the most active organizations of persons with disabilities.
“The project was fully prepared in cooperation with the Council for Persons with Disabilities, and we are proud that during its implementation all standards of accessibility, architectural, information and accessibility of services were respected. We believe that this is just the beginning of changes that, in partnership, will ensure that Tuzla becomes a place where all people can live with quality, because what is good for people with disabilities is good for everyone”.
Adapted counter further improves accessibility, with an elevator to the City Administration
The renovation of the Center and interventions within the Administration building, including the adaptation of a toilet adapted for people with disabilities, have also made everyday arrival and work easier for Sabina Brkić, who has been an intern at the City Administration for six months:
"Now it is much easier to access for everyone, especially those with mobility difficulties like myself. The installation of an adapted counter for people with disabilities is particularly commendable, which makes it easier for them to access independently and exercise all their rights, produce personal documents and everything they need for a normal life. The purchase of a larger elevator has enabled us to access all other services in the City Administration. The toilet for people with disabilities is also very useful, which greatly facilitates our stay in the building."Sabina Brkić
Counter employee Jasmina Helezović says that after the renovation, everyone who comes or works there has a pleasant and modernized environment:
Sabina Brkić
Foto: Sulejman Omerbašić
Jasmina Helezović
Foto: Sulejman Omerbašić
"I have been working here for 32 years, and after the last adaptation I felt a great improvement, both for us employees who were enabled to work more efficiently, and for the citizens who, I believe, also noticed and felt these great changes. The center is very busy and has a large influx of citizens every day, I am especially glad that along with all the improvements, a counter for people with disabilities has been built, which is very important to provide them with adequate access".Jasmina Helezović
Mubera Brkić from Tuzla says that she often visits the Center for the provision of services:
"During my first visit after the renovation, I noticed that the rooms are new, modern, very nicely furnished, and that I, as a customer, and the staff who work there, feel much better in that tidy space. I noticed that now customers come more often on their own in wheelchairs, where they have access to an adapted counter. I had the opportunity to use the elevator, which is very modern, and I'm glad that Tuzla got such finely equipped premises".Mubera Brkić
1000 citizens visit the Service Center daily
Asja Kravić, the coordinator of the PIPLS Project for the City of Tuzla, says that she is both personally and professionally satisfied with the implemented project, the functionality and the very appearance of the new Customer Center.
Mubera Brkić
Foto: Sulejman Omerbašić
Asja Kravić
Foto: Sulejman Omerbašić
“The significance of the project for the City of Tuzla is even greater when considering that the Citizen Service Center and the administration services receive around 1,000 of our citizens every day. The aforementioned project improved services and modernized the Citizen Service Center and the counter hall. Access for people with disabilities and visually impaired people has been facilitated, and the new elevators in the City Administration building have been adapted for users in wheelchairs and other people with mobility difficulties. We are proud to have been part of the Project, and the implemented activities and results of the PIPLS project represent an incentive for us to continue our work and development with long-term benefits for all citizens of the City of Tuzla.”Asja Kravić
The Project for Improving the Efficiency of Local Services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PIPLS) aims to improve access to key public services through better governance and increased investment in local infrastructure.
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