The Republic of Slovenia: Striding towards social inclusion

The Republic of Slovenia is dedicated to promoting the development and equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities, creating an environment that supports independent living and social integration within the community.

Inclusion services for persons with disabilities

Slovenia provides inclusion services for persons with disabilities with the aim of fostering their independence and social integration. The services encompass:

Training for independent living.
Lifelong learning processes.
Support in daily life.
Maintaining social connections, especially for older individuals with disabilities above 65 years of age.

Additionally, services such as personal assistance, institutional care, family/caregiver support, and long-term care are offered. Access to these services and the number of hours are determined by the social work center based on professional assessment. Slovenia focuses on supporting people with disabilities for greater independence and societal inclusion.

Providers of inclusion services include:

Institutions under the authority of the ministry.
Institutions with contracts from the competent ministry for disability care.
Associations, lay helpers, and family members can also be service providers.

Employment support

Forms of employment support for the employment of individuals with disabilities include:

Entitlement to wage subsidies (applicable only if it’s determined that, despite job accommodation and the provision of appropriate support services, they are unable to attain expected job performance outcomes).
Providing assistance to employers, employees, and individuals with disabilities in adapting to new circumstances.
Covering the costs of adapting workplaces and providing necessary tools for individuals with disabilities.
Covering the expenses of employment support services for individuals with disabilities.

An individual with a disability can be hired only if they fulfill the following criteria:

Possess the ability to carry out tasks required by the specific job.
Demonstrate motivation and qualities that enable successful job performance.
An individualized support plan has been tailored for both the individual and the employer.
The employer collaborates and demonstrates a willingness to adjust the work environment.
Adaptations to the workplace and environment are implemented in accordance with the personalized plan.

Regulatory bodies for the employment of persons with disabilities include:

The Fund, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the quota system for employing persons with disabilities and making decisions regarding the rights and obligations of both persons with disabilities and employers, in accordance with the Law on Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
The Law on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, which addresses equal opportunity matters for individuals with disabilities, aiming to promote their employment and job preservation.

Support in the higher education system

Slovenian universities, like the University of Maribor, offer assistance and accommodations to students with disabilities, including:

increased scholarships,
extra support,
priority in dormitory placements, and
psychological counseling services.

Rights	Instructional accommodation	Knowledge Assessment
Reduced percentage of mandatory lecture attendance. Justified absences from lectures in agreement with the professor. Adjusted deadlines for submitting and presenting seminar papers and other academic obligations in consultation with the professor. Opportunity for extraordinary exam dates in accordance with the institution’s regulations. Adaptation of environment and working methods.	Use of special aids (e.g., laptops, Braille devices, specialized pens, etc.). Presence of an assistant – reader, note-taker, Slovenian sign language interpreter. Adjusted methods of fulfilling obligations, such as attending classes, task substitutions, working in pairs, etc. Adjusted deadlines, formats, and methods of delivering written materials, presentations, and performances, etc.”	Right to extraordinary exam sessions, partial exams, and extended exam durations. Right to take exams with the assistance of adapted equipment or an aide. Right to adapted exam material. Right to customized exam formats, such as oral instead of written, etc.”

Furthermore, the university library offers students with disabilities a variety of benefits aimed at enhancing their academic experience. Some of these benefits include:

extended borrowing periods,
home delivery of materials,
assistance in locating resources, and
borrowing materials with the assistance of a student aide.

It’s important to highlight that students with disabilities are entitled to exceptional enrollment in successive academic years, provided they have successfully completed all mandatory courses as stipulated by the curriculum and attained a minimum of 40 points in the preceding academic year.

Networking

The National Council of Disabled People’s Organizations of Slovenia (NSIOS) is a non-governmental organization that voluntarily brings together representatives and other disabled organizations operating at the national level in the Republic of Slovenia. NSIOS unites 24 disabled organizations that connect more than 210 local societies. Through its work, it advocates for the interests of over 115,000 individuals with disabilities. NSIOS holds the status of a full member of the European Disability Forum (EDF).

In the Republic of Croatia, there exists a legal framework that regulates the field of persons with disabilities.

The law on the Register of persons with disabilities establishes the method of collecting data on the cause, type, degree, and severity of health impairments of persons with disabilities, as well as the method of the processing, utilization, and protection of this data recorded in the Register.”

Furthermore, there are diverse national legislative documents governing the status of individuals with disabilities in society, and detailed information can be found on the website and other relevant platforms.

Additionally, the Republic of Croatia enacts The law on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, which defines the rights of individuals with disabilities in relation to employment. Moreover, Croatia provides various support mechanisms to employers in order to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities, as we discussed in our previous blog post.

Rights of students with disabilities

Each university town in the Republic of Croatia has an organized Office for Students with Disabilities. The offices for students with disabilities aim to provide assistance and support to students with disabilities, their professors, and other teaching and non-teaching staff. All rights and opportunities can be found in our national Guide for students with disabilities (audio version), and for any uncertainties and additional questions, you can contact The office of the ombudsperson for persons with disabilities.