CIL – Sofia started the “Equal Opportunities Info Bus Tour” on the first week of August. It stopped in Sozopol, Pomorie and Burgas, informing an interested and abundant audience about disability issues. The Tour will further take place in Vratsa on August 15th and then throughout Bulgaria until May 2007.

The Accessibility and Inclusion Info Bus tour, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, with our accessible Peugeot “Boxer” donated by Sofia France Auto and Transforma, is part of our countrywide Equal Opportunities Campaign started last year at the 3rd of December. The tour is designed to raise the awareness of disability rights in Bulgaria, as well as to run local disability actions in the field of accessibility, inclusive education and community services as preconditions for inclusion of disabled people in their communities’ life.

In the actions, disabled persons, representatives of local authorities, and local businesses (service providers) are invited to participate as well as all other interested persons. Local events will include the distribution of information and presentation material, films shows, round table discussions with local authorities and service providers, open-air performances in the city center that demonstrate themes related to inclusion and disabilities, as well as mainstream school visits to initiate a diversity related dialogue between the different communities. Demonstrations of the accessible vehicle combined with promotion materials will also contribute to a better understanding of disabilities in Bulgaria. The tour is planned to cover 30 locations in ten months.