Changes in public policies rarely happen on their own. They most often come as a result of long-term advocacy, cooperation, and trust between citizens, civil society, and institutions. A clear example of this is the initiative to expand the list of orthopedic aids in Tuzla Canton, implemented with the continuous support of PRAGG, within an advocacy campaign toward higher levels of government, with the aim of ensuring that users’ voices are included in decision-making processes that directly affect their everyday lives.

For blind and visually impaired persons, orthopedic and assistive devices are not a luxury—they are a prerequisite for independent mobility, education, employment, and a dignified life. That is why the decision of Tuzla Canton to expand the list of orthopedic and other aids in 2026 represents a significant step forward, even though it does not yet constitute a complete solution.

The new Decision on the Unified List of Orthopedic and Other Aids for 2026, adopted by Tuzla Canton, introduces an expansion compared to the previous year. The list now includes several aids whose introduction was requested by the Association of Citizens with Visual Impairment Tuzla, in partnership with the Association of Blind Citizens Gračanica, the Association of the Blind of Una-Sana Canton, and the Association of Blind Persons of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, with the support of the PRAGG project.

Partially Accepted Requests – A Concrete Step Forward After Years of Waiting

In the initiative submitted in May 2025 to the Ministry of Health of Tuzla Canton and the Cantonal Assembly, the partner associations requested the inclusion of a total of 12 aids essential for the daily functioning of blind and visually impaired persons. The 2026 Decision includes eight of these aids.

Four aids have been included on the list for the first time: a talking wristwatch, a Braille wristwatch, protective glasses, and contact lenses. At the same time, four aids that were already available and remain on the list are: a white cane for blind persons, a talking thermometer, a talking blood pressure monitor, and ocular prostheses.

On the other hand, part of the requests has still not been accepted. Aids such as screen readers, the Perkins Braille machine, a talking blood glucose meter, and electronic note-takers have not been included in the new Decision.

Although the list has not been expanded to the full extent requested by the associations, it is important to note that the number of aids available to blind persons has increased compared to 2025, when only three aids were available on the list. After years in which these aids were very limited or completely unavailable through health insurance, this step forward has real significance for users.

Aids as a Basic Right, Not a Privilege

For years, the Association of Citizens with Visual Impairment Tuzla has been warning that the issue of access to aids must be addressed systemically, as it is directly linked to equality and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.

“The issue of access to aids for all persons with disabilities needs to be addressed systemically, and this initiative is one of the steps in that direction,” emphasized Tifa Tučić from the Association of Citizens with Visual Impairment Tuzla.

The Association particularly stresses that without basic aids, a blind person remains excluded and dependent on others, which directly undermines their dignity and right to an independent life. That is why insisting on the availability of aids is not a matter of convenience, but a matter of fundamental human rights.

An Institutional Step Forward, But Not the End of the Road

The partial acceptance of the initiative shows that the associations’ messages have been recognized and that there is a willingness within institutions to address problems step by step. At the same time, it clearly indicates that there is still room for further improvement of the system.

This change confirms the importance of local initiatives grounded in the real needs of people, as well as cooperation between civil society and institutions. Although the struggle for equal rights to assistive devices is not yet over, the expanded list in 2026 represents visible progress and hope that further changes are possible.