European inventory of
societal values of culture

Tomić-Koludrović – Inclusion through participation: The Croatian Library for the Blind

Tomić-Koludrović, I. (2023). Inclusion through participation: The Croatian Library for the Blind

This case study describes an example of successful inclusionary practices for persons with disabilities, realised through participative governance and employment in special format book production for ‘a small European language’ audience. From a cultural policy point of view, the Croatian Library for the Blind can be seen as a successful example of ‘civil-public partnership’ between a civil society association (the Croatian Association of the Blind) and a government body (the Ministry of Culture and Media). It is particularly noted for its participatory governance structure and its efforts to contribute to the social inclusion of persons with visual impairment through employment. Likewise, the library, which is located in the capital city of Zagreb, offers its services to users across Croatia through digital borrowing of books and interlibrary loans. It also promotes and supports the development of sections for blind and partially sighted users in libraries across the country.