Being blind or deaf should not prevent anyone from getting a job, according to Ozara, a Slovenian firm specialised in the training, employment and social inclusion of people with disabilities. Guided by the Enterprise Europe Network, Ozara is leading an EU-funded pilot training project for disabled individuals in the ceramics sector.

Through the ACtrain project, Ozara and its European partners will develop more than 40 computer-based lessons for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as blind and partially sighted.

In its search for funding Ozara turned to the Enterprise Europe Network, based in the Chamber of Craft and Small Business in Ljubljana. With more than 3 000 experts on the ground in 50 countries, the Network is ideally placed to help small businesses tap into EU funding programmes and connect them with the right partners.

After identifying the EU’s Leonardo da Vinci programme as the right one for Ozara, Network expert Larisa Vodeb helped the company identify potential partners and put together a successful proposal.

“Throughout the process Larisa has given us practical advice, tips and suggestions,” notes Alen Kočivnik, Ozara’s managing director. “She was available to us all the time, and even the last Sunday before deadline we spent the whole day fine-tuning the text and preparing the budget.”

The hard work paid off, “For the first time, our company is leading a European project with partners in Greece, Italy and Austria, thanks to the Enterprise Europe Network,” Kočivnik says.

Eventually, the training programme should be available to disabled persons worldwide via any computer. “This project demonstrates the huge and hidden potential of people who are not as fortunate as most us are in terms of health,” says Vodeb. “It is truly inspiring to see what disabled people can achieve if they receive just a tiny bit of understanding and support.”