The town of Krapina marked the two holidays with a ceremony at which a ramp for disabled persons was opened at the entrance to the local public health agency, with a march of disabled persons and a programme at the local community hall.
Opening the ramp, Family, War Veterans and Inter-Generational Solidarity Minister Jadranka Kosor said that the ramp was part of a project of accessibility intended for disabled persons, called "Together for Accessible Croatia".
The minister recalled that disabled people make up 10 percent of the country's population and that the project of accessibility had been launched in 22 towns.
Budgetary funds amounting to KN20 million will be set aside next year to cover road tolls for persons with the highest degree of disability, Kosor said, adding that a test project was under way involving personal assistants for 78 disabled persons.
Zagreb marked the two holidays with a programme in the city's Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall.
The UN Development Program for Croatia last Friday issued a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, citing a message by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who said that the General Assembly was expected to adopt a convention on the rights of disabled persons in mid-December.
Countries which adopt the convention will be bound to provide disabled persons with timely access to information in formats and technologies suiting different types of disability, without additional costs. The convention appeals to the private sector and mass media to do the same with their services.
There are some 5,800 disabled persons registered with employment offices throughout Croatia.