On February 8 and 10, the President of the Association of the Blind of RS, Branko Suzić, visited the Sarajevo-Romania region and the Upper Podrinje and Eastern Herzegovina regions.
In the premises of the City Organization of the Blind and Visually Impaired in East Sarajevo, a meeting was organized with representatives of the Inter-Municipal Organization of the Blind in Foča and GOS I. Sarajevo. The second meeting was held at the Leotar Hotel in Trebinje with the participation of representatives of MOS Trebinje and MOS Bileća.
Consultative talks and information on the situation in local organizations and associations of the blind in both regions were held at both meetings. Work plans for 2022 were discussed and priorities were determined. It was stated that local associations are not satisfied with the level of support from the majority of local communities and at the Republic level. Expectations were expressed that the status of local associations would be defined by a decision of the RS Government. It was pointed out that the pandemic significantly hindered the functioning and work of the Alliance and its members. Membership has been further passivated, and the work of organizations has been reduced and reduced to the minimum necessary. The organizations from Foča and Trebinje especially pointed out the problem of lack of financial resources to cover the basic costs of the work of the organizations. Expectations were expressed that through the amendments to the Rulebook on medical devices, access to orthopedic and typhlotechnical aids will be improved, procedures for exercising the right to them will be simplified, deadlines for use will be shortened, and the list of aids will be updated and expanded. Expectations were expressed that the amendments to the Law on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons will improve the conditions for stimulating employers in employing LSI, provide reserved jobs for LSI with severe disabilities and strengthen the Fund for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons. Given that a significant number of members live on the edge of poverty, there is a need to ensure a minimum of social security for socially disadvantaged blind and partially sighted people by increasing the average social benefits and introducing subsidies and benefits that would partially improve living standards. The presence of journalists and correspondents of agencies and public RTV services, private and local electronic and written media was used at both meetings to invite representatives of local institutions and members to respond and support program and project activities of organizations of blind and partially sighted people from Sarajevo-Romania and East Herzegovina. The president of the Association and the leaders of local organizations, Jovica Mijatović, Dara Đajić, Milutin Manović and Dušan Babić, gave statements at short press conferences that were faithfully interpreted and published in electronic and print media.