Croatia's Ombudswoman for Persons with Disabilities, Anka Slonjsak, called on the media to be "the voice of persons with disabilities" and ask candidates running in the May 16 local election about topics related to their problems, and urged "stakeholders in the elections process" to make access to polling stations possible for them. 

In a statement issued ahead of the local election and carried by state news agency Hina, Slonjsak said that in addition to enabling persons with disabilities to access polling stations and “other facilities related to elections,” it is also necessary to make sure messages and information on participation in elections is “available and understandable for everyone,” including deaf and blind persons as well as persons with intellectual disabilities.

She called on persons with disabilities and parents of children with developmental disabilities to go to the polls and in doing so take part in the process of decision making that affects their lives, and also “to get informed about how individual political parties plan to deal with the challenges encountered by persons with disabilities.”

“The life of persons with disabilities, just like the life of all other citizens, takes place at the local level. That is why the coming election is of great importance for more than 500,000 persons with disabilities and children with developmental disabilities who live in Croatia,” Slonjsak said.