Boris Sustarsic

National Council of Disabled People’s Organisations (NSIOS)

Boris Sustarsic was born in 1945 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He registered at the University of Ljubljana, where he studied English and French for two years. In 1966, he was appointed chairman of the newly founded Muscular Dystrophy Association of Yugoslavia, and three years later of the Slovenian Association as well.

All his work has ever since been subjected to the organized activities in the Slovene association and to co-operation with other groups and associations of disabled people. For many years he has been forming a system of a strong and branched out, economically strong and humane policy of taking care of people with special needs.

He has strengthened cooperation among groups of Slovene persons with disabilities which now represents the strongest voice in the civil dialogue with the government. He was one of the initiators of the principle of functional uniting of national disability organisations which now has a more than 40 years-tradition in Slovenia.

He was equally successful in uniting companies employing the most severely disabled persons not having the possibility to work in the ususal non-accommodated work environment. He founded two companies which are owned by the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Slovenia. Through this Association, he has always been advocating independent living for persons with disabilities.

Since 1992, he has been active, first as a member, then as Vice President and in 2007 as national concillor of the National Council of Republic of Slovenia for the Disabled.

He also build experience in the field of legislation. In 2004, he succeeded to amend Article 14 of the Slovenian Constitution by which disability discrimination is now prohibited in Slovenia. Since 2009, he is member of the Commission responsible for the preparation of the Personal Assistance of Disabled People Act within the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.

In 2005, he was elected Board member of EDF. In 2007, he was elected President of the National Council of Disabled People's Organisations in Slovenia (NSIOS). In 2008, he actively encouraged the Slovenian government to ratify the UN Convention and participated in the Committee working on the translation of the Convention into the Slovenian language.