On 17 September 2026, an open dialogue titled “Recommendations for Improving Local Policies for Persons with Disabilities in Leskovac” was held in Leskovac. The event presented the findings of a research process, key challenges, and recommendations for the further development of inclusive local policies. The event brought together 31 participants, including representatives of local government, public institutions and service providers, organizations of persons with disabilities, and persons with disabilities themselves.

In the first part of the event, Slađana Lević, a representative of the Youth with Disabilities Forum (YDF), presented the process of developing the document “Recommendations for Improving Local Inclusive Policies for Persons with Disabilities in Leskovac.” The document was developed through a participatory process that included interviews with local stakeholders, focus groups with persons with disabilities, and two public consultations. The aim of the process was not only to examine which measures and services are available, but also to assess how they function in the everyday lives of their users.

The open dialogue provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on the presented recommendations, discuss possibilities for their implementation, and explore ways to strengthen cooperation among relevant stakeholders in order to create a more inclusive local environment.

The event was organized by the Initiative for Development and Cooperation (IDC) in partnership with the Youth with Disabilities Forum (YDF), with the support of Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) and the City Administration of Leskovac, as part of the project “Empowered – Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, Regional Cooperation and Development in the Western Balkans”, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ).