The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first legally binding international instrument on human rights; it was adopted by the EU in 2006 and ratified in Slovenia in 2008. In doing so, Slovenia has undertaken to adopt certain measures at the national level that would ensure equal access and treatment to persons with disabilities. This includes ensuring access to information and communications technologies and design of products, environments, programmes and services in accordance with the universal accessibility principle. Following the principle of universal accessibility, information, products, services, programmes, environments and communications channels will be, if possible accessible to everybody without any further adaptations or special measures. However, this should involve the use of personal assistance devices that allow some categories of disabled persons to function more autonomously.
The European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 focuses on the mitigation of obstacles and on universal accessibility. The Strategy stipulates measures based on the renewed Europe without Barriers pledge and focusing on a number of priority aspects: accessibility, collaboration, equality, employment, education and training, social protection, healthcare, and external measures. Its aim is to provide persons with disabilities with access to goods and services, including public services, as well as to personal assistance devices.
The Accessible Slovenia strategy was created in 2006; it outlines the seven principal accessibility objectives. The strategy represents Slovenia’s policy of improving the accessibility of buildings, information and communications for persons with disability, with various aspects of the strategy to be gradually implemented from 2006 to 2025.
The Equality of Disabled Persons Act aims to define the basic terminology, to prevent and fight disability-based discrimination against disabled persons and to provide disabled persons with equal opportunities in all walks of life.
Slovenian Sign Language Act gives deaf persons the right to use sign language in all interactions with national and local authorities, holders of powers conferred by public law and public service contractors. Additionally, the Act gives deaf people the right to receive information in formats adapted to their disability.
The Action Programme for Persons with Disabilities 2014–2021 aims to encourage, protect and ensure integral and equal application of human rights to persons with disabilities and to foster respect of their personal dignity. The Programme encompasses 13 fundamental goals and 91 measures that comprehensively regulate all aspects of the lives of disabled persons and covers the period from 2014 to 2021.
The EU Directive on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (Directive 2016/2102/EU) focuses on the importance of online accessibility of public information and services. Thanks to accessible websites and mobile applications, citizens can have better access to public services and can receive services and information that can make their everyday lives easier and simplify their exercise of their rights within the EU. Online accessibility principles are translated into performance criteria against which individual websites and mobile applications can be judged. They are the basis of the EN 301 549 V1.1.2 European standard.