According to the Act on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (ZIMI), only one month remains to make all public-use buildings fully accessible. The 15-year transitional period ends on December 11, 2025, by which time every public building must be universally accessible – including for persons with mobility, sensory, and communication impairments.
Despite the long transition period, many buildings are still not properly adapted. Field inspections reveal that the most common barriers for persons with reduced mobility include inaccessible entrances, unbridged stairs (without ramps or elevators), and inadequate or missing accessible restrooms. Construction works required to remove these barriers are often financially and logistically demanding.
Shorter, simpler, and more cost-effective improvements can significantly enhance accessibility for deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, and visually impaired persons. These include installing high-contrast markings on glass doors, tactile guidance paths from entrances to reception desks, hearing loops at service counters, and accessible information materials for users with various sensory disabilities.
Every owner or manager of a public building is responsible for ensuring accessibility. The deadline will not be extended – after its expiry, all non-compliant buildings will be considered in violation, and enforcement will be carried out by the Building Inspectorate.
Without a systematic approach and better understanding of legal obligations, adaptations will not be completed on time or correctly. The most problematic cases are incorrect or poorly designed adaptations – such as ramps that are too steep or narrow – which, despite significant cost, fail to ensure access and make proper future corrections even harder, as the “ramp” technically already exists.
For assistance in assessing the current state of your building or planning the necessary improvements, you can contact the National Information and Advisory Point for Accessibility free of charge at +386 1 420 13 49 or via email at info@dostopnost.si