We are publishing the first impressions of the expert consultation Ljubljana – a city accessible to people with deafblindness, which took place on May 22, 2025 in the large conference hall of the City of Ljubljana.
The event was organized by the Deafblind Association of Slovenia DLAN in cooperation with the City of Ljubljana, which is also a co-financier of the event.
The expert consultation is an important step on the path to improving accessibility, including people with deafblindness, and strengthening a deeper understanding of their unique needs.
The conference was facilitated by senior lecturer Maja Povše, univ. dipl. lecturer, senior physiotherapist, URI Soča, for which we thank her from the bottom of our hearts – with her calm presence, professionalism and respectful address, she created warmth and concentration among all participants.
Sincere thanks to all speakers, participants and respected experts who supported the efforts for a more inclusive society with their presence, thoughts and knowledge.
A big thank you goes to:
– Mr. Zoran Janković, Mayor of the City of Ljubljana,
– Luka Omladič, State Secretary of the Ministry for a Solidary Future,
– Vesna Marinko, Director General of the Directorate for Public Health, Ministry of Health,
– Assoc. Prof. Dr. Branko Gabrovec, Director General of the National Institute of Public Health – NIJZ,
– Ms. Simona Pirnat Skeledžija, Representative of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia,
– Dr. Jože Ruparčič, Deputy Human Rights Ombudsman,
– Asst. Dr. Simona Gerenčer, Secretary General of the Association of the Deaf-Blind of Slovenia DLAN,
– Boštjan Vernik Šetinec, Independent Advisor to the Advocate of the Principle of Equality,
– Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nataša Vidović Valentinčič, Dr. med.,
– Urša Muznik, Univ. dipl. psych., spec. clin. psych.,
– Špela Purgartnik, Mag. soc. del.,
– Asst. Eva Škrlec Velkavrh, mag. prof. spec. and reh. ped. and typhloped., team of the National Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired,
– Radivoj Pribaković Brinovec, dr. med., spec., National Institute of Public Health – NIJZ,
– Mojca Trček, dipl. m. s., mag. social gerontology,
– mag. Barbara Kobal Tomc, director of the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Social Welfare,
– Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matjaž Debevac, national expert for Accessible EU,
– Prof. Dr. Saba Battelina, specialist in otolaryngology,
– Prof. Dr. Zvezdan Pirtošek, neurologist,
– Dr. Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik, specialist in psychiatry and
– Ana Hribar Podkrajšek, forest therapy practitioner, Arboretum Volčji Potok.
A heartfelt thank you to persons with deafblindness and their families who shared their life stories and experiences with invaluable courage. With their stories, they opened the door to a world that we rarely see, hear, and therefore need to understand all the more.
A big thank you also goes to all the Dlanovke and Dlanovci, volunteers, and everyone who contributed to the successful implementation of the event. A special heartfelt thank you to my colleague Vlasta Hojan, who persevered.
The event brought together representatives of the profession, public institutions and the wider community in a joint effort to realize a fundamental social responsibility – co-creating a space that will be truly accessible to all.
Additional images (from the second part of the expert consultation) and a video follow.
Thank you for contributing to a more humane society.
Photo: Miha Fras
