AWARDS GRANTED TO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
On 10 March, 2011, in the central hall of the Government Building of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Centre Living Upright, in cooperation with the APV Secretariat of Architecture, Urban Planning and Building, and its partners, organized a celebration on the occasion of the end of project "Network of Cities and Municipalities for All". TAwards were distributed to the representatives of ten Municipalities and Cities from Vojvodina, that successfully completed all their planned obligations related to creating an accessible environment for all their citizens. The public was also presented a new publication containing the basic elements of Strategic and Action Plans of Cities and Municipalities of Vojvodina in the area of accessibility. You can download the publication Network of Cities and Municipalities for All here.
On this occasion, project results were briefly presented, highlighting the significance and need to endeavour in creating an accessible environment for all people.
Along with the representatives of the Centre Living Upright and their partner institutions and organizations - South Backa District, Provincial Institute for Social Protection, Accessibility Audit Association, the celebration was attended by the Provicnial Secretary for Architecture, Urban Planning and Building, Ms. Dusanka D. Sremački, the representatives of cities/municipalities that currently compose the network, and the representatives of project donors: Embassy of USA in Serbia, and Fund for Open Society. The Centre’s President, Ms. Milica Mima Ruzičić - Novković, stressed - After four years of the existence of our Accessibility Programme, this is the first visible project, whose benefits are going to be felt not only by the population of today, but also by those who will come after us. That is why all effort, work and investment yield good results. She also mentioned that she would like to see this model of cooperation with cities and municipalities expand to other municipalities in Vojvodina, and also the rest of Serbia.
- After two years of work and effort, it is a great honour and pleasure, to be able to say today that the project Network of Cities and Municipalities for All has been successfully completed - highlighted Ms. Dusanka D. Sremački. - Ten municipalities and cities of Vojvodina have taken part in it, and the training on the basics of accessibility and the training for Accessibility Team Coordinators were attended by a total of 262 participants. The goal of this project is to draw the attention of all, not only the ten per cent of the population that live with some type of disability, that everything we design, build, and produce today will some day make easier access to a facility. That is why it is important to understand that accessibility standards have not only been present for a long time in the European Union in designing buildings, but it has become a part of social responsibility towards a certain category of population. Finally, I can say that thanks to the numerous donors and participants involved in this project, the Provincial Secretariat for Architecture, Urban Planning and Building will continue to help and support this type of actions, because the results are visible to all and accessible - stated the Secretary, Ms. Sremački.
Representing the Embassy of USA in Serbia, as one of the project donors, Media and Culture Advisor, Mr. Conrad Turner addressed the assembly, expressing his pleasure that Serbia will reach American standards in this area. - Not even today are such projects easy to carry out in the USA, because accessibility standards are a process of implementing various economic and administrative barriers. That is why I congratulate you on the speed and efficiency of your work - stated Mr. Turner.
Fund for Open Society Serbia Coordinator Mr. Mihajlo Čolak stated that besides protecting human rights and discrimination the Fund is involved in disability issues. Mr. Čolak stressed that there are often people who are educated, talented and dynamic, whose capacities are not noticeable at first sight, and this project is one of such, a proof of these capacities.
The Accessibility Programme Coordinator in the Centre Living Upright, Mr. Miodrag Počuč, also spoke about the project results. He reminded the assembly that all that has so far been achieved in the framework of the project "Network of Cities and Municipalities for All" is indeed only the first step in creating an environment for all. He also pointed out that during project implementation ten multidisciplinary municipal accessibility teams have been created in ten cities and municipalities and he expressed his hope that these newly created teams will succeed in overcoming the practice that has been present in the field so far, consisting in lack of professionalism and invention in that sphere.
You can view and download the photographs from the celebration here.