Contemporary Definition of the Concepts of Diversity and Inclusivity in the Context of Persons with Disabilities

5. Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities

Despite numerous laws, regulations, rulebooks, guidelines, and similar documents adopted at both international and national levels, which should ensure an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities (PwD), they continue to face many difficulties in daily life as a result of non-compliance with the regulations governing their rights. This is also evident from the 2024 Report on the Work of the Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities of the Republic of Croatia (POSI, 2024).

Buljevac (2024) highlights the following: "(...) The World Bank Group (2023) states that barriers to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities include an inaccessible physical environment and transport, unavailability of assistive technologies, information and communication inaccessibility, shortcomings in the support system, and discrimination and stigmatisation... The community's lack of awareness and education regarding the needs, rights, capabilities, wishes, and obligations of persons with disabilities forms the basis for generating new obstacles to inclusion. This lack of education is most often the responsibility of the formal support system, which should work not only with persons with disabilities but also for their benefit. Finally, it must not be forgotten that sometimes barriers can also be related to persons with disabilities themselves, and that sometimes the responsibility lies with persons with disabilities, individually and collectively, to fight for a more inclusive society."