14.05.2025.
The Krka National Park proudly participated, as one of the partners, in the presentation of the results of the project “Nature for all in sign language”, which was held on May 14, 2025, at the “Imperial viewpoint” at Skradinski buk waterfall
The Krka National Park proudly participated, as one of the partners, in the presentation of the results of the project “Nature for all in sign language”, which was held on May 14, 2025, at the “Imperial viewpoint” at Skradinski buk waterfall
The project, which is implemented by the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in partnership with the Association of Croatian Hotel Entrepreneurs and all national parks of the Republic of Croatia, is co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.
“The aim of the project is to enable accessible tourism for deaf and hard of hearing people by adapting the informational content of national parks to Croatian sign language and international sign language, with subtitles. In the Krka National Park, this specifically means that deaf and hard of hearing visitors can now experience the natural features of the Park through video materials that are fully adapted to them,” emphasized Dijana Vincek, president of the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
As part of the project, Park employees were trained in communication with hearing-impaired people, and customized video content is available on the project’s YouTube channel and via QR codes that will be placed in the Park. With this, the Krka National Park confirms its commitment to international standards for human rights and an inclusive approach to all visitors.
Accessibility is not just a technical requirement – it is a fundamental human right that enables people with disabilities to fully, independently, and equally participate in all aspects of social life, including tourism. For this reason, the Krka National Park considers its contribution to this project an important step towards equality and greater visibility of the needs of all its visitors.
“The Public Institute of Krka National Park approaches the issue of accessibility for people with disabilities with great care and strives to provide accessibility wherever physically possible, both for people in wheelchairs and for the blind and visually impaired. Introducing the rich natural and cultural-historical features of our unique Park and making its contents accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing is another big step in that direction. We look forward to making the accessibility of the Krka National Park possible through videos, and in this sense we would like to thank the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing once again for recognizing the potential for the development of this project and for its successful implementation. We are especially pleased that the Krka National Park is the first protected area in which the results of such an important project have been presented”, said the director of the Krka National Park, Nella Slavica.
This project represents an important step towards equal access to natural and cultural-historical features for all citizens and visitors, regardless of their communication capabilities.
The Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HSGN) is a non-profit non-governmental organization founded long ago in 1921. It is an umbrella organization that brings together twenty-two local associations of the deaf and hard of hearing from across the Republic of Croatia and cares for around six and a half thousand members. Since its establishment, HSGN has supported programs for the rehabilitation and protection of deaf and hard of hearing people. It is particularly dedicated to the issues of communication, education, and employment of deaf and hard of hearing people. It is a member of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), the International and European Federations of the Deaf (IFHOH and EFHOH) and the European Union of the Deaf (EUD). The Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is affiliated with the national Union of Associations of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities of Croatia (SOIH).