Vjeran’s Story: From personal need to meaningful innovation

When technology is not accessible enough, most of us simply give up in frustration. Vjeran Bezik – a high school student and one of this year’s HSM scholarship recipients – decided to do the opposite.

Visually impaired since birth and completely blind since the age of eleven, he grew up surrounded by technology that was supposed to help him, but often failed to do so. Instead of waiting for someone else to find a solution, Vjeran decided to learn how to create one himself.

“As a blind user, I often came across situations where something simply wasn’t accessible enough. At first, I was creating things just for myself, but over time I realized that what I was doing could help others as well. That became my main motivation.”

Today, he develops accessible technologies that make everyday life easier for people with disabilities. He is especially proud of TransAlert – his most complex project to date. He developed it to help blind people use public transport independently, and he also uses the tool himself on a daily basis.

“I developed it entirely on my own, without a team, and I’m really happy with how it works. I learned a lot from the project – both technically and in terms of organizing my work.”

When he talks about receiving the scholarship, his genuine excitement is clear:

“It feels great! It gives me the motivation and resources to keep going and take my projects to the next level.”

But Vjeran is not only a programmer. He also loves music, and days spent in front of a computer often end with notes and rhythm.

“School is my main priority, and I organize everything else around it. When I have more free time, I work on my projects or spend time making music. I don’t force anything – I just make sure there is some structure to my day and that I don’t waste energy on things that don’t matter.”

In the end, his message to other young people is simple, but powerful:

“Just start. You have nothing to lose. Every attempt pays off in some way. The worst thing you can do is give up before you even try.”

Vjeran’s story reminds us that innovation often begins with a need, but continues to grow through perseverance, curiosity and passion. That is why we at HSM are proud to support young people who do not wait for the world to become a better place – but help create it themselves, step by step.