Students with disabilities on the Fund's support: 'It's much easier when you have good conditions'

(Patria) - Knowledge changes lives, but for many persons with disabilities, the path to education is often filled
with numerous obstacles, from financial to infrastructural and social. That is precisely why the Professional Rehabilitation program, implemented by the Fund for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents one of the key mechanisms of systemic support for the education and employability of this population.

Professional rehabilitation encompasses a set of measures and activities aimed at training persons with disabilities for suitable jobs, their employment, job retention, professional advancement, or career change. It is a process that does not end with obtaining a diploma but aims at long-term empowerment and active participation of persons with disabilities in the labor market.

In accordance with the Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, the Fund, through public calls announced twice a year, implements the Professional Rehabilitation program (LOT 3), within which up to 7,000 KM can be awarded per person with a disability. The program includes financing and co-financing of tuition fees in secondary, higher, and tertiary education, including retraining and upskilling, extraordinary schooling, as well as first, second, and third cycle studies.

The concrete results of this program are confirmed by data according to which 1,432 persons with disabilities have been covered by professional rehabilitation programs so far, while 729 of them have gone through retraining, professional development, and further education programs in appropriate educational institutions.

One of the program beneficiaries is Harun Birdžo, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Business Informatics, who emphasizes how much institutional support meant to him on his educational journey.

"The support was extremely important to me. It gave me motivation and a feeling that society believes in me. I have been studying for the fourth year now and I feel very useful," said Birdžo, adding that with the Fund's support, everything is easier.

Adna Ibrahimović has similar experiences. With the co-financing from the Fund, she enrolled in the third cycle of doctoral studies at the Faculty of Law, specializing in criminal law. Speaking about her experience, she emphasizes the importance of understanding and equal treatment.

"I have experienced both difficulties and facilitations, but it is much easier when you have good conditions for studying, good communication, and mutual understanding. At the faculty, I was never seen as a person with a disability, but as an equal colleague," Ibrahimović explained.

Bojana Ljubajević, a third-year student of Finance and Accounting, also decided to participate in the professional rehabilitation program, believing that higher education is crucial for more secure employment.

"The Fund helped me a lot. After high school, I had a great desire to enroll in college, and now, after five years, that wish has come true," said Ljubajević, emphasizing that the Fund helped her improve her life.

The experiences of the beneficiaries confirm that educated persons with disabilities directly contribute to universities, institutions, and the economy, and that investing in their knowledge is an investment in the entire society.

This, as stated by the Fund, is the essence of the Professional Rehabilitation program: creating equal opportunities and enabling every individual to learn, progress, and contribute to the community.