At a meeting of experts and parents, held on 18 February 1961, the foundations of the organization were laid, and the inaugural meeting of the first Society for Assistance to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities was held at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade on 21 May 1961. In 1969, the Society evolved into a Union of associations and, in keeping with the identified needs, municipal and inter-municipal organizations were formed.

Today, the Union gathers 53 organizations from the territory of Serbia, and is headed by Zoran Dimitrijevic, as its president.

With the support of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs – Department for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the Union, as an umbrella organization, encourages and provides support to local organizations in Serbia towards establishing and developing various services whose overarching goal is the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families to their communities. About twenty local associations, members of the Union, are providers of day care services, home help, personal assistant, family counsellors, which means that these organizations meet the structural and functional standards for providing social protection services, have work licenses and, in terms of the quality of professional work, are equal participants in the social protection system.

At a meeting of experts and parents, held on 18 February 1961, the foundations of the organization were laid, and the inaugural meeting of the first Society for Assistance to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities was held at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade on 21 May 1961. In 1969, the Society evolved into a Union of associations and, in keeping with the identified needs, municipal and inter-municipal organizations were formed.

Today, the Union gathers 53 organizations from the territory of Serbia, and is headed by Zoran Dimitrijevic, as its president.

With the support of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs – Department for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, the Union, as an umbrella organization, encourages and provides support to local organizations in Serbia towards establishing and developing various services whose overarching goal is the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families to their communities. About twenty local associations, members of the Union, are providers of day care services, home help, personal assistant, family counsellors, which means that these organizations meet the structural and functional standards for providing social protection services, have work licenses and, in terms of the quality of professional work, are equal participants in the social protection system.

Responding to the identified needs of children, young people, adults, and their families, the Union implemented numerous projects and programs. Its program of work includes a wide variety of stimulating and inclusive program activities, ranging from creative, educational and occupational workshops to events, campaigns, camps, early intervention programs, and psychosocial support. Keeping up with the times, the Union and local associations are transparent and visible in the virtual world as well, through their websites, social networks and media content of all forms.

Members of certain local associations participated in various events and competitions and, winning a large number of medals, represented the Republic of Serbia in the best possible way.

Many works of local associations’ members, created within the occupational programs, art and creative workshops, feature high quality, and produced handicrafts are exhibited at traditional events, gatherings, creative fairs.