Assistive technology has been provided to 59 primary schools and two centres for the development of inclusive practices in Zenica-Doboj, Herzegovina-Neretva and Una-Sana cantons, supporting learning and more active participation of 898 children with developmental disabilities included in regular education.

Equipment worth a total of BAM 107,020.26 was procured through the project “Economic Governance for Growth” (EGG2), financed by the Government of Norway and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Support to schools is part of the project’s broader activities aimed at connecting education, the labour market and research into a single system that provides young people with concrete opportunities and institutions with tools for long-term planning.

For children with developmental disabilities, inclusion in regular education often also depends on the availability of appropriate aids, teaching materials and communication tools. Assistive technology can help students follow classes more easily, use learning content and participate in school activities in a way that responds to their needs.

The procured equipment includes solutions that support children with different developmental disabilities, including communication devices and tablets with specialized applications, aids for students with hearing or visual impairments, adapted keyboards, screen readers, magnifiers and other tools that enable teachers to take a more individualized approach to learning.

This equipment provides teachers, professional associates and parents with additional opportunities to adapt the teaching process to students’ needs. In this way, it strengthens the accessibility of teaching and supports greater inclusion of children in regular education.

The support is based on the “leave no one behind” (LNOB) principle, according to which development processes should pay particular attention to the needs of those who face additional barriers in accessing services and opportunities. In education, this means creating conditions in which children with developmental disabilities have more equal access to learning, digital tools and the school environment.

Through the EGG2 project, UNDP in BiH supports the education system in moving from individual solutions towards a more sustainable approach, in which schools, teachers and institutions have better tools to respond to the different needs of students. The project is implemented in cooperation with education authorities and partners, with a focus on digital education, entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as on creating equal opportunities for students. It is important to note that these three cantons have made significant progress in inclusive education reform by adopting the necessary legal regulations and establishing expert bodies for the assessment of children according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Investing in assistive technology contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of quality education, reduced inequalities, decent work and economic growth, and innovation. At the same time, it supports longer-term efforts to make the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina more accessible, modern and better adapted to the needs of children and teachers.