My name is Anđelina Trifić (41) from Trstenik. I completed my primary and secondary education in Trstenik and graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Kragujevac. I worked for four years as a procurement officer at the company Prva Petoletka Trstenik until it went bankrupt. My first steps in civil activism were made through my involvement in the Society for Cerebral Palsy and Children’s Paralysis in Trstenik, the Association of Students with Disabilities in Kragujevac, the Iz Kruga Network, and the Center for Independent Living of People with Disabilities in Kragujevac. After returning to my hometown, I wanted to transfer the knowledge and experience I gained to our small community, considering I am a person with a disability (cerebral palsy). In 2017, by my initiative, the Center for Independent Living of People with Disabilities was founded in Trstenik, and I have been its president since its inception. Some of the most significant activities we have carried out or are still carrying out include: painting a mural in the city center, which is the first and only one in Serbia created by people with disabilities, organizing a hanging bowling competition, and holding workshops with students titled “Let’s be equal, let’s defeat prejudice”. Through my work in the association, I have dedicated myself to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, advocating for their equality, inclusion, and empowerment. This is the mission I wish to continue through this program. It is crucial for people with disabilities to be visible and equally included in all areas of social life. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness in the broader community about the rights and possibilities of people with disabilities, focusing not on what a person cannot do, but on what they can do and their abilities.
