In light of social state deterioration, Human Rights Ombudswoman Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik, PhD, pointed out the reduced accessibility of public goods in the annual report for 2009, including accessibility of education, health services, employment and legal assistance, which increasingly depends on the material state of families.

Besides this, the Ombudswoman particularly points out the importance of public access to information or communications enabling integration into the family, workplace and wider social environment, which is not only important from the perspective of social integration, but is also a pre-condition for the assertion of rights. Although it appears in information society that information is truly widely accessible, it does not apply for all social groups. Information might be available, but it is not provided or adapted in a way that it could also be accepted and understood by the blind or partially sighted, the deaf and hard-of-hearing or deaf-blind, among others.

The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia (Ombudsman) is trying to be as widely accessible as possible; therefore, in order to increase its accessibility, it responded to the invitation of the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Societies Association of Slovenia (ZDGNS) and joined this year’s project aimed at reducing the information divide between the hearing and the deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing and people with cochlear implants. From now on, the deaf, deaf-blind, hard-of-hearing and people with cochlear implants are able to obtain basic information on the Ombudsman’s mission and the forms and modes of its operation in a language adapted to them – sign language (only in Slovene).

As of this year, the Roma of Slovenia are also able to learn about the Ombudsman’s work and mission in a language adapted to them. The Ombudsman issued four variants of brochures for members of the Roma community adapted to the areas of their residence. In this way, a step forward was made to improve cooperation with the Roma.

The importance of information accessibility will be disscussed also at the round table dedicated to this year’s human rights day on 10 December. The round table’s theme will be Human Rights and Media.