Association of Students with Disabilities (ADS) is a non-government, non-partisan, non-profit organization addressing improvement of the position of young people and studens with disability and their inclusion in society.
ADS is one of the first organizations in Serbia and Montenegro to assemble young persons with various types of disability (regardless of their medical diagnoses), as well as young people without disability (an inclusive, cross-disability approach).

ADS Vision

Equal opportunities for everyone.

ADS Mission

ADS struggles for realization and respect of the human rights and equalizing opportunities for young persons and students with disability through creating conditions for inclusive formal and informal education and application of the social model .

Nowadays, the ADS represents a growing network of partner organizations in Belgrade, Nis, Podgorica and Kragujevac, and numbers over 250 members. Each of the partner organizations is independent and registered at the state bodies in charge. The association is also active at a regional level in the South Eastern Europe through Network of youth and students with disability of South East Europe and SHARE SEE project.

 

ADS works on realizing their mission through:

·        Media campaigns (five successful ones so far)

·        Counseling (medical, psychological and psycho-social support)

·        Educational seminars, trainings, workshops, summer schools…

·        Equal opportunities scholarship program (lasting for over three years with over 120 users)

·        Employment empowerment program for young persons with disability (computer skills and foreign languages courses, training in various skills)

·        Altering legislation, aiming at creating optimal legal living and education conditions for persons with disability,

·        Adapted transportation projects and those relating to services for young persons with disability

·        Services for students with disabilities (assistances in education,info service, representaton infront the administration of the faculty, university and Ministry of education and sport of Republic of Serbia, scholarship program for equaling the opportunities, which already lasts for 5 years with over 200 beneficiaries,accessible transportation,accessible literature,etc.)

(Please find the list of realized and ongoing projects at the end of this text)

 

Road to inclusion of the persons with disabilities

Society and the surroundings are responsible for their own acts towards their citizens, hence also to those who posses some disability. Society should accept all persons, no matter the differences, and create the same opportunities for upbringing, education, employment and other aspects of one’s life, no matter whether that person has disability or not. Person with disability should be responsible for his/her own life and his/her own actions by the pure fact that he or she is included into the society and equal with others who don’t have disabilities. Accepting the responsibility, person with disability is enabled to implement his or her human rights, to lead the life of his or her own choosing, because he/she will have a chance to organize himself/herself, but also accept the assistance which is directed towards his/her needs.

Association of Students with Disability advocates social model, that sees disability and position of persons with disability in a social framework. According to the social model, a person with disability is defined as a person with no opportunities to function equally to others in everyday life, due to physical and social barriers. Disability is defined as a loss or limitation of a person’s ability to take an active part in everyday life. Application of the social model leads to equal opportunities, inclusive education, full and adequate use of intellectual capacities of persons with disability, employment, starting family and realizing other human rights of persons with disability.

Why is it important to advocate social model of approach to disability?

Environment is responsible for its actions with regard to all its citizens, and thus also those with disability. Society should accept all persons regardless of their differences, and create equal opportunities for growing up, schooling, education, employment and all other aspects of a person’s life, whether they have disability or not.

By accepting the social model, a person with disability is responsible for their life and their actions by the very fact that they are included in society, equal to others with no disability. By accepting their responsibility, a person with disability is presented with opportunities to realize their human rights, to lead a life they choose for themselves, because they have a chance to be organized, but also to accept assistance aiming at addressing their needs.

 

Principals and values

that guide the work and all of the activities of ASD are:

·        Social model of approach to disability

·        Anti-discrimination;

·        Respecting the differences and human rights;

·        Building the civil society;

·        Equal opportunities and equality;

·        Social integration and responsibility;

·        Inclusive formal and informal ediucation;

·        Employemnetnt of persons with disabilities on the open employement market;

·        Nonviolent comunication and non-violence;

   

Who has supported the work of the Association?

 

ADS has been realizing its activities thanks to the support from donor organizations, foundations, ministries and embassies:

·        Royal Embassy of the Netherlands

·        Royal Embassy of  Norway

·        Democracy Committee of the USA Embassy

·        European Youth Foundation – EYF

·        Embassy of Finland in Belgrade

·        Open Society Fund in Belgrade

·        Hilfswerk Austria – Government of the Republic of Austria

·        Handicap International

·        Institute for Open Society – HESP (Higher Education Support Program)

·        Canadian International Development Agency – CIDA

·        Ministry of Social Affairs of Republic Serbia (Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Policies)

·        Rotary Club Stari Grad – Rotary Foundation

·        RUI Fondazione

·        Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.

In its activities and projects, ADS cooperates with Ministry of Education and Sports of Republic Serbia and Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Affairs of Republic Serbia, whereas other relevant ministries at republic and federal level also support the work of the ADS. ASD participates in the work of the Council of the Government of Republic of Serbia for the issues of persons with invalidity (representative of ASD is the part of the team that prepares the members of this body and proposes the agenda), in the team for creating the Strategies for the situation improvement for the persons with disability, whith is made by Ministry of labour, employment and asocial policy with the support for UNDP, in the team for implementation of Strategy for poverty reduction, and when called in the work of Board for labour, combatants and social issues, and Board for poverty reduction of Parliament of Republic of Serbia.

ADS has organized a large number of successful and internationally recognized projects, the most significant of these being International Conference with the subject of “Persons with Disability in Higher Education” and “Promotion of Inclusive Higher Education in South Eastern Europe” through the Network of young persons and students with disability of Southeastern Europe etc. Since October 2004 ASD is the associate member of European Disability Forum, the largest network of presons with disability in Europe.

     

Cooperation with local and international NGO

 

ADS has established contact and cooperation with numerous non-government organizations in Serbia, Montenegro, Europe and the United States (students’ organizations, associations of persons with disability etc.) The most successful cooperation has been achieved with: ‘Hajde da…” (‘Let’s…”), Students’ Union of Serbia, Citizens’ Initiatives, Center for Independent Life of Invalids of Serbia, Group 484, Volunteers’ Center from Belgrade, ‘Iz kruga’ (From the circle…), Polio+ from Macedonia, Information Center Lotos from Tuzla, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA – Oakland, USA), Swedish Organizations of Disabled Persons International Aid Association (SHIA), European Disability Forum (EDF), European Youth Forum (EYF)…

Members of the Association give lectures on the position of persons with disability in the region and worldwide, and also take  part in seminars, conferences, round tables and other similar events organized in Serbia, Montenegro and internationally.

ASD in bulding of the civil society

 

During six years of fighting for rights of the persons with disabiliies and buildind civil society of equals, ASD had made partners  and cooperated with many non-govement organizations from Serbia, regon and world (student and youth organizations, associations of persons with disabilities, organizations for human rights, organizationas of minority grops members etc.). List of the organizations with whom ASD cooperates grows by the day.

ASD is the member of the Federation of the non-government organizations in Serbia (FENS) from its beginnings. Federation represents the growing network of over 500 organizations from all around Serbia.

Together with seven organizations that deal with human rights and the fight against discrimination, ASD is the part of the Coalition against discrimination which promotes the concept of anti-discriminative laws in Serbia and supports their passing.

Members of the Association plead for rights of persons with disabilities through participating in different bodies and group in the relevant ministries and parliament boards, as well as through the lectures about situation of persons with disabilities and participating in seminars, conferences, round tables and other kinds of get together in the region and around the world.

 

Civil Service

 

With the support of ministry of labour, employment and social policy and Ministry of defence, ASD became one of the organizations in which the civil service is performed. Since June 2005 when the realisation of this program started ASD began the service for assistance in education, assistances with work on the computers and courses of English language. At the beginning of service, conscientious objectors get the training about the approach, terminology and the philosophy of the Association. ASD was also been cooperating with the Office for conscientious objection of University of Belgrade in creating the program of support for students with disabilities through the civil service on the university.

More about ADS you can find here.