Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association

Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association (Hrvatska udruga paraplegičara i tetraplegičara) is independent, non-profit, non-government, and humanitarian association of persons with spinal cord injury and their close relatives and persons professionally and morally united by the same tasks and goals.

HUPT encourages and gives help to its members and their families for the improvement of life quality and social care and protection of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia and their interest. It also encourages self-consciousness and social, economic, cultural and other affirmation of person with disability.

HUPT generally promotes needs and legal rights of persons with spinal cord injury in the whole area of Republic of Croatia.

Trough the eight years of its activities, HUPT has become well known among the persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia as well as among experts and state and local institutions. We took part in preparation of the National Policy for Persons with Disability 2003-2006 as well the new Strategy 2007-2013, of the Act of Condition and Way of Realising the Right on Orthopaedic and other Aid, of the Law on Buildings and in the Act on Accessibility of Buildings for Persons with Decreased Mobility.

HUPT is a full member of the International Federation of Persons with Physical Disability (FIMITIC) and of the Sonnenberg Croatia. It is also one of the 16 founders of the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation (ESCIF).

HUPT has published “Yes, You Can!” – a book guide for persons with spinal cord injury, but also for many professionals, a brochure about HUPT containing a number of useful information for people with spine injuries and for broader public, two video guides – Use of the HAL 2000 and Dragon Naturally Speaking Programmes in Everyday Life of Person with Quadriplegia, and Basic Transfers from/in the Wheelchair for People with Spinal Cord Injuries. Publication of regular HUPT Newsletter (G-HUPT) was also initiated. We encourage our member to creativity (books, exhibitions etc.). In cooperation with Croatian Society for Adult Education, we are engaged in life-long education projects, projects on human rights education and preparation of a team of persons who will lead the Peer Counselling Project.

Seven of the HUPT members are participating ECDL course. In cooperation with Croatian Academy and Research Network (CARNet), one member has finished E–Learning Academy for course design programme.

HUPT web pages are, for the year of 2004, in the frame of “VIDI WEB TOP 100” competition, chosen to be among the best in Sports and Health category. HUPT members had two very prominent presentations at the CARNET international conferences about internetisation (CARNet Users Conference). In the initial setting of the HUPT web pages, HUPT was cooperating with CARNet who was the main sponsor. In other project (painting workshop), World Bank was donator.

Every year, already for the 8th time, HUPT organises a seminar - Work Weekend – a gathering held every time in another part of Croatia to contribute to better sensibility of public for persons with spinal cord injury needs and to help these persons to find out about their rights. In that way, HUPT contributes to the larger public consciousness about disability appearances in everyday living. We are organising our own educative programs on the Work Weekends.

For eight years, we are cooperating with Association of Organisations of Disabled Persons in Croatia (SOIH) on the Independent Living project and participating in direct organisation. We are part of almost each education program on independent living in SOIH organisation. We attended every SOIH symposium on standard rights, “Disabled Persons in Public Transport Symposiums (HEKUP)”, round–tables on disability social model etc.

Our members were participating, as educators and as users, in realisation of preparation for the project on personal assistant. Representatives of the sections have also passed trough the education for personal assistant users, personal assistants and independent living in general. We were part of the Ministry of the Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity’s committee while making the Bill for the Personal Assistance.

Until now, our projects have been sponsored by: Ministry of the Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship and the City of Zagreb.

HUPT is, in cooperation with Croatian Political Science Association and Croatian Society for Adult Education, organiser of a number of workshops for its members about the human rights. Psychological workshops/education for the persons who are to perform peer counselling were held. In the Week of the Persons with Paraplegia and Tetraplegia an educational - preventive action was held in order to contribute to better public sensitivity and to strong the persons with spinal cord injury and persons with any other disability. Every year, we also realise few educational activities with children and younger population about the disability and persons with disability (in cooperation with schools and kindergartens). HUPT has special cooperative relation with a Polytechnic of Health. Students of the work therapy are frequently working out their praxis with the HUPT members.