Zagreb - A proposal by the Croatian parliament’s Health Committee to designate 12 May as the National Day of Persons with Physical Disabilities received unanimous support from lawmakers in the Sabor on Wednesday.
The initiative was put forward at the request of the Croatian Federation of Associations of Persons with Physical Disabilities, with the aim of raising public awareness about the need for greater care and support for people with physical disabilities, as well as preventing discrimination.
HDZ MP Ljubica Lukačić said that 12 May was chosen in remembrance of Saint Leopold Bogdan Mandić, a Catholic saint of the Croatian descent, who was born on 12 May in 1866. She noted that Mandić was of very short stature and was considered a person with a disability, yet devoted his life to helping the poor and the marginalised, making him a role model for the federation.