Report on the EBU delegation visit to the Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union (UNSS), Bratislava, 20–21 May 2026.
Overview and Participants
A delegation from the European Blind Union (EBU), comprising Executive Director Lars Bosselmann, Membership Officer Valérie Bertrand-Vivancos, and European Project Officer Andrea Bila, visited the Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union (UNSS) in Bratislava over two days in May 2026. They were received by UNSS President Ján Podolinský, Vice-Presidents Tímea Hóková and Michal Tkáčik, and representatives of partner organisations including Tyflocomp s.r.o., the Braille Authority of Slovakia, the Slovak Disability Forum, Pristupne s.r.o., the Slovak Association of Visually Impaired Athletes, and the One World International Documentary Film Festival.
Day 1 – Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Opening Session
The first morning opened with Lars Bosselmann presenting EBU's history, advocacy achievements, and current strategic priorities. Valérie Bertrand-Vivancos outlined EBU operational structures, key events, and communication channels. This was followed by a formal address from Zuzana Stavrovská, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, who described concrete examples of discrimination still encountered in everyday life and highlighted a landmark legal reform: the elimination of the requirement for blind people to have two physical witnesses whenever they sign a legal document.
The discussion touched on inclusive education, where the conceptual framework is in place but state financing remains insufficient, braille is largely absent from the school system, and training of support staff is inadequate.
Working Group Session: UNSS and Partner Organisations
UNSS was presented through the metaphor of a beehive: founded 36 years ago, the organisation has approximately 2,500 members across 46 local organisations and 8 regional councils, with social services delivered free of charge in all regions.
Partner organisations presented included Tyflocomp s.r.o. (Slovakia's leading assistive technology retailer, approaching its 30th anniversary), the Slovak Disability Forum (an 18-member umbrella body active in legislative advocacy and EU-level engagement), and the Braille Authority of Slovakia, which highlighted that braille is not adequately embedded in the Slovak education system.
Afternoon: City Tour and Dinner
Participants joined an accessible sensory tour of Bratislava's historic city centre, led by a guide whose commentary brought to life Slovakia's cultural and political landscape while making apparent the accessibility challenges that persist in the historic fabric of the city. The day concluded with a joint dinner near Bratislava's Castle.
Day 2 – Thursday, 21 May 2026
Para-Sports
Jakub Krako, President of the Slovak Association of Visually Impaired Athletes, presented the para-sports movement, which brings together 23 sports clubs and 365 athletes across Slovakia. Challenges include membership concentrated in cities and barriers to university sports infrastructure.
Accessibility Auditing
Peter Teplický presented Pristupne s.r.o., an accessibility auditing company created by and wholly owned by UNSS, established in October 2024. Since the European Accessibility Act entered into force, demand for audits has grown markedly.
UNSS Projects and International Cooperation
Presentations covered the Healthy Eyes in Kindergarten programme, Erasmus+ projects on leadership training for young visually impaired people, and White Pencil Day — UNSS's main fundraising event raising approximately €300,000 per year. UNSS expressed interest in future Erasmus+ cooperation with Finnish and Slovenian partners.
Inclusive Culture: One World Festival and FRAME Tactile Art
The One World International Documentary Film Festival has extended audio description to foreign-language films and incorporated a visually impaired programmer into its film selection team. FRAME, a tactile accessible art system featuring relief models of artworks paired with audio descriptions, is deployed in galleries across Bratislava and registered as a Community Design with the EU Intellectual Property Office.
Closing and Videocast Recording
After the formal programme, Andrea Bila was interviewed at the studios of TV Doktor for OKAmih s Úniou (A Moment with the Union), a programme by UNSS exploring the present and future of people with visual impairments in Slovakia.
Closing Reflection
Across both days, the visit revealed an organisation of remarkable resilience and vitality. UNSS navigates real structural challenges yet has constructed an ecosystem of services and advocacy that is, to a remarkable degree, autonomous — from early childhood vision screening and accessible cinema to digital accessibility consulting, assistive technology retail, para-sports, braille standardisation, and large-scale public fundraising. The visit left the EBU delegation with a strong sense that UNSS's experience and groundedness in the daily lives of its members are assets not only for Slovakia but for the wider European movement.