Inkluzija

LIFE STORIES

SUMMARY

This paper presents the life stories of four adult people with developmental disabilities who, after spending a part of their life residing in Croatian institutions of social welfare, were included in the program of Community Based Supported Living of the Association for Promoting Inclusion.

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Zdenka Petrovic was born on June 30th, 1965. Her mother abandoned her immediately after birth, so she was placed in a home for abandoned children. When she was little, she spent some time with a foster family to which she became very attached. In 1974, she was placed in an institution for people with disabilities in Visegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the contacts with her foster family were interrupted. The years spent in the institution were very hard for Zdenka. She wanted to go to school but she was not given a chance in the institution, so she didn't learn how to read or write. She had to work in the workshops, instead. Sometimes she worked outside of the institution, but she had to give all the earned money away. The few things that she owned were taken away from her. She didn't have any possibility to go out of the institution (except for work), or to influence the course of her life in any way. With the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992), Zdenka was transferred to an institution for people with disabilities in Sibenik, Croatia. The living conditions in this institution weren't any better.
Zdenka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in 1998.
Today Zdenka is an independent person. She works and makes decisions about her own life. She is involved in a good relationship with a man. Zdenka is a passionate fighter against institutionalization and feels responsible for those people that still live in institutions.
The Association for Self-Advocacy was established in October 2003 as the first Croatian NGO that allows people with developmental disabilities to express their needs and participate in the struggle for the equalization of their rights. As the president of the association, Zdenka has been active in the promotion of human rights of people with disabilities.

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Jasminka Zitnik was born on July 29th, 1944.
She spent most of her life living with her family. Jasminka treasures the memories of the years spent with the family and she likes to talk about them. She also has many photos that she is particularly proud of.
After her mother's death, the family apartment where she spent her whole life was taken away from her and she was placed in a residential institution for adult people with developmental disabilities in Zagreb.
Jasminka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in March 1999.
The return to the community life enabled Jasminka to regain her old lifestyle and habits (that she gained by spending her whole life with her family). Today she lives in an apartment with four other friends she gets along with very well. She likes to take care of the apartment and the people she lives with. Jasminka is also active in self-advocacy and has the need to share her experiences with other people. At the beginning of this year, she participated in a seminar in Budapest. The topic of the seminar was the reform of the system of social welfare in European countries.

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Vlatka Sirotic was born in Zagreb, on July 17th, 1960.
In 1969, Vlatka was placed in a residential institution for people with developmental disabilities in Zagreb, where she spent 32 years of her life. Since her placement in the institution, all the contacts with her family have been interrupted. She experienced the years spent in the institution as if she had been living in a cage, and often describes them as such.
Vlatka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in 2001.
Today Vlatka lives in an apartment in the center of Zagreb with 3 other friends from the institution. She is employed and paid for her work. She has a boyfriend and many plans for the future (they are planning to live together). She found her own family after so many years. Now she keeps regular contact with her sister. Vlatka sees her freedom as the greatest achievement in her new life.

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Ratko Koletic was born in a village near Velika Gorica in 1968.
He spent his early childhood with his grandmother and an aunt. After finishing the first grade of primary school, he was categorized as a person with mild developmental disabilities and transferred to a special school in Velika Gorica. He lived there during the week while, on weekends, he went home to his grandmother. It was then that Ratko's drawing talent was noticed for the first time. At the end of his schooling, he returned to his grandmothers' house.
When his grandmother died in 1990, Ratko was placed in a residential institution in Zagreb where he spent the following six years. Ratko visited his birthplace only once during the six years spent in the institution.
He joined the program of Community Based Supported Living in March 1998.

Today Ratko is an independent person who cherishes his independent lifestyle and his freedom. He lives alone and takes care of his apartment. He is attached to his hometown and keeps contact with his family and friends. During the years, Ratko developed his unique drawing technique that is known for bright colors. In October 2003 he first presented his work at an independent exhibition.



	. LIFE STORIES SUMMARY This paper presents the life stories of four adult people with developmental disabilities who, after spending a part of their life residing in Croatian institutions of social welfare, were included in the program of Community Based Supported Living of the Association for Promoting Inclusion. ______________ Zdenka Petrovic was born on June 30th, 1965. Her mother abandoned her immediately after birth, so she was placed in a home for abandoned children. When she was little, she spent some time with a foster family to which she became very attached. In 1974, she was placed in an institution for people with disabilities in Visegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the contacts with her foster family were interrupted. The years spent in the institution were very hard for Zdenka. She wanted to go to school but she was not given a chance in the institution, so she didn't learn how to read or write. She had to work in the workshops, instead. Sometimes she worked outside of the institution, but she had to give all the earned money away. The few things that she owned were taken away from her. She didn't have any possibility to go out of the institution (except for work), or to influence the course of her life in any way. With the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992), Zdenka was transferred to an institution for people with disabilities in Sibenik, Croatia. The living conditions in this institution weren't any better. Zdenka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in 1998. Today Zdenka is an independent person. She works and makes decisions about her own life. She is involved in a good relationship with a man. Zdenka is a passionate fighter against institutionalization and feels responsible for those people that still live in institutions. The Association for Self-Advocacy was established in October 2003 as the first Croatian NGO that allows people with developmental disabilities to express their needs and participate in the struggle for the equalization of their rights. As the president of the association, Zdenka has been active in the promotion of human rights of people with disabilities. ______________ Jasminka Zitnik was born on July 29th, 1944. She spent most of her life living with her family. Jasminka treasures the memories of the years spent with the family and she likes to talk about them. She also has many photos that she is particularly proud of. After her mother's death, the family apartment where she spent her whole life was taken away from her and she was placed in a residential institution for adult people with developmental disabilities in Zagreb. Jasminka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in March 1999. The return to the community life enabled Jasminka to regain her old lifestyle and habits (that she gained by spending her whole life with her family). Today she lives in an apartment with four other friends she gets along with very well. She likes to take care of the apartment and the people she lives with. Jasminka is also active in self-advocacy and has the need to share her experiences with other people. At the beginning of this year, she participated in a seminar in Budapest. The topic of the seminar was the reform of the system of social welfare in European countries. ______________ Vlatka Sirotic was born in Zagreb, on July 17th, 1960. In 1969, Vlatka was placed in a residential institution for people with developmental disabilities in Zagreb, where she spent 32 years of her life. Since her placement in the institution, all the contacts with her family have been interrupted. She experienced the years spent in the institution as if she had been living in a cage, and often describes them as such. Vlatka was included in the program of Community Based Supported Living in 2001. Today Vlatka lives in an apartment in the center of Zagreb with 3 other friends from the institution. She is employed and paid for her work. She has a boyfriend and many plans for the future (they are planning to live together). She found her own family after so many years. Now she keeps regular contact with her sister. Vlatka sees her freedom as the greatest achievement in her new life. ______________ Ratko Koletic was born in a village near Velika Gorica in 1968. He spent his early childhood with his grandmother and an aunt. After finishing the first grade of primary school, he was categorized as a person with mild developmental disabilities and transferred to a special school in Velika Gorica. He lived there during the week while, on weekends, he went home to his grandmother. It was then that Ratko's drawing talent was noticed for the first time. At the end of his schooling, he returned to his grandmothers' house. When his grandmother died in 1990, Ratko was placed in a residential institution in Zagreb where he spent the following six years. Ratko visited his birthplace only once during the six years spent in the institution. He joined the program of Community Based Supported Living in March 1998. Today Ratko is an independent person who cherishes his independent lifestyle and his freedom. He lives alone and takes care of his apartment. He is attached to his hometown and keeps contact with his family and friends. During the years, Ratko developed his unique drawing technique that is known for bright colors. In October 2003 he first presented his work at an independent exhibition.