The ID: CITIZEN project will foster inclusivity and accessibility for people with disabilities in Macedonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia.
Through a joint project for positive practices involving institutions, policymakers, stakeholders, published Recommendations, creating empowered advocacy groups and awareness campaign, it will drive lasting impact in accessibility and strengthen disability rights.
Focus area/objective: Social Development, Promoting an inclusive mindset in society and addressing protection and empowerment of minorities
Through these targeted actions, ID: CITIZEN project aims to reduce cultural, societal, and architectural exclusion, ensuring PwD in the CEE 4 countries to participate in social and cultural life. The project’s outcomes align with the Social Development Focus Objective in promoting inclusive mindset in societies and addressing protection and empowerment of minorities, EU’s objectives of fostering equal opportunities and empowering marginalized groups.
The project’s implementation include:
Sustainable Joint Program Development: Crafting architectural sytemic solutions and inclusive design standards.
Project period
August 2025-July 2026
Nothing About Us Without Us
Recommendations for Improving Accessibility – ID:CITIZEN Online Conference
On May 27, the international online conference titled “How to Create an Accessible Society?” was successfully held on the Zoom platform within the framework of the ID:CITIZEN project. The aim of the event was to improve accessibility, promote universal design, and support systemic solutions that ensure the equal participation of persons with disabilities in public life and communities in North Macedonia, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
As the closing event of the project, the conference brought together relevant stakeholders from all four countries. The event was organized by the KézenFogva Foundation in Hungary, led by Ákos Pordán. The conference provided a platform to present the results of study visits to Poland and Slovakia, share personal experiences, and showcase best practices that can be applied in other countries and local communities.
A key conclusion was that, although no country has a fully comprehensive model, each offers valuable experiences that can contribute to the development of more effective accessibility systems in the Central European region.
Key Publication: Policy Recommendations for Strengthening Inclusion
At the center of the conference was the publication “Policy Recommendations for Improving Inclusion”, presented by:
This publication serves as a practical guide for:
The document provides recommendations on:
The publication is based on international cooperation, the experiences of study visits, consultations with stakeholders, and the analysis of European and international best practices.
It is available in Macedonian, English, Polish, Hungarian, and Slovak on the project’s official website:
👉 https://citizen.equality.agency/en/
The Need for Systemic Change
As Gere Tripkov emphasized:
“Accessibility is often implemented in a fragmented and inconsistent way, or depends on institutional commitment. Stronger coordination, monitoring, funding, and accountability are needed to make accessibility a measurable reality in everyday life, rather than merely a declarative commitment.”
The publication highlights that creating accessibility must be a consistent process embedded in all stages—from planning and financing to implementation and monitoring—rather than relying on isolated, reactive solutions.
Conclusion
The conference reinforced the need for accessibility to become a measurable standard in:
Partners
Coordinator: EQUALITY NGO (North-Macedonia)
Integracja (Poland)
Tenenet NGO (Slovakia)
Kézenfogva Alapítvány (Hungary).
Website of the project
The ID:CITIZEN project, supported by the International Visegrad Fund, continues to build partnerships and promote systemic change toward a more inclusive and accessible society.
The project is funded by the Visegrad Fund.
