FIMITIC

Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association (CPTA)  - Who we are?

Janko Ehrlich-Zdvoøák, Executive Board Member

ABOUT HUNDRED SPINAL CORD INJURIES RESULTING WITH PARAPLEGIA OR QUADRIPLEGIA ARE OCCURING YEARLY IN CROATIA.

CAUSES

• 44% traffic accidents
• 24% violence or arms
• 22% falling
• 8% sport
• 2% other

What are paraplegia and quadriplegia?

Paraplegia is a result of a spinal cord injury in thoracic, lumbar and sacral part of the spine that is characterised by partial (paraparesis) or complete (paraplegia) loss of function below the level of an injury.

Quadriplegia is a result of a spinal injury in cervical (neck) part of a spine that is characterised by partial (quadriparesis) or complete (quadriplegia) loss of functions below the level of an injury.

The remaining motor and sensor function, below the level of the spinal cord injury depend on whether the damage of the nerve structures is complete or partial.

Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association (CPTA) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit association of person with paraplegia and quadriplegia, primarily of paraplegics and quadriplegics themselves and their close relatives, but also of persons who are professionally and/or morally united by same goals and tasks.

Our goal is strengthen persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia to be able to rich necessary and desired level of life quality, together with rising of level of consciousness of “healthy” persons about paraplegia and quadriplegia and consequences and problems linked with spinal cord injury.

Recognising of needs, cooperation and solidarity may contribute to this cause.

Since 2002 Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association is full member of the International Federation of Persons with Physical disability (FIMITIC).

The Goals of the HUPT

• Expressing of mutual interests and specific needs of persons with spinal cord injury (problems with mobility, incontinency, sexuality, children, skin sensibility, problems linked with urinary tract, etc.).

• Helping persons with spinal cord injury in early stage of their rehabilitation and developing their level of consciousness of themselves as equal to other people in community.
• For better and more complex rehabilitation and following of the most recent medical and other achievements about spinal cord injuries we are pleading for establishing the Croatian Spinal Centre.

• We want to raise awareness of the whole community that solving specific needs of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia are necessary.

• Cooperation in international, national and regional programmes and projects of common interests for persons using wheelchairs.
• To establish the network of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia aspiring to make a connection with injured individuals at the time of their first rehabilitation, so that they can ease their integration into the life of the community.
• Organising consultation managed and led by persons with first-hand experience, in order to provide timely information to newly injured persons.
• Establishing group support in the community.
• Initiating and giving complete assistance (material, moral, employment, legal, etc.) to our members and their families with purpose to enhance the quality of life, social care and protection of interests for paraplegics and quadriplegics.
• Improving the sense of identity of individuals with paraplegia and quadriplegia, raising the awareness in the society and making them more recognisable.
• Recognising and articulating the interest of as much members possible in solving problems and implementation of programs, projects and actions of common interest.
• Promoting the needs for appropriate education, employment, habitation, modern aids for disabilities, public transport and other communications, keeping in mind integration of so-called handicapped and healthy.
• Promoting social model and views on disabled where the community has to adapt itself to an individual and not individual to the community.
• To initiate establishment of a register for persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia. At the same time this register has to help for a realistic planning as well for economic approach in solving many problems of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia.
• We are pleading for emphasis of specific needs of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia in relation to other persons with disabilities.

The Activities of the HUPT

• Creating, organising and implementing programs adequate to the needs of the HUPT members, also fund-raising for realisation those programs.
• Register the persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia and their voluntary membership.
• Working on developing of consciousness of individuals with paraplegia and quadriplegia so that they themselves can take leading role in programs for common interests.
• Working on improvement of quality of life of our members through organising workshops, lecturing, meetings and similar activities for which interests, needs and feasibility exist.
• Support community based programmes for people with paraplegia and quadriplegia.
• Support of other programs that are of interest for people with specific needs.
• To use all available means for promotion of Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (UN Resolution 48/96, 1993).
• To monitor human rights and their implementation for people with disabilities (paraplegia and quadriplegia), especially putting in focus institutions and governmental bodies responsible for that.

Messages

The majority of disabilities are caused by the technology of the civilisation. This is why the community has duty to think and care for those who are or who will become disabled.

Disabled persons are mostly handicapped by society that is not adjusting itself to the needs of its every individual!