Training course “See New Possibility in Disability” was granted support by the Czech National Agency in the amount of €15,288! This training course took place in the week of 7-14 September 2013 in the beautiful UNESCO protected Lednice-Valtice area, in Lednice in Southern Moravia.
This project welcomed 27 youths, youth workers (and several experts) from six countries: CZ, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Estonia and Italy. This project introduced effective metods of helping people who are in a wheelchair, visually impaired, hard of hearing or ‘socially disabled’ (suffering from discrimination, racism, xenofobia). The aim of the project was to reduce the prejudice and fear that the able people have towards the disabled people and teach them effective methods of helping people with a disability as well as fighting social exclusion, discrimination, prejudice and xenofobia.
Summary of the project:
Our project named “See New Possibility in Disabillity” aimed at raising awareness of disabilities, both physical as well as social. During the six working days of our action 4.3. training course we introduced our participants to three main disabilities, namely: visual impairment, hard of hearing and discrimination as a social disability. During the project the participants gained first-hand insight into the lives of people with the particular disabilities and they learnt effective strategies of how to help them. This was realized by using the methods of non-formal education, improvizing the disabilities on ourselves (disabilities simulations) as well as by field work when our youths talked to the Roma youths about how they feel about their place in our society. The professional part of our training course was be secured by professionals in the field of the particular disability. After our project, the participants are now able to effectively help disabled people in many various life-situations.
Twenty-nine youths from six countries took part in our project, namely: the Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, Estonia, Italy and Poland. All of the participating organizations aim at spreading awareness about disabilities and the means of fighting ignorance and fear that people have about the disabled or socially excluded. Each national team sent four participants.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
The Czech national TV aired a news report from our project that was taken and released on Friday, 13th September. You can watch it here.
Please read what our project was about on the project blog: http://seenewpossibilityindisability.blogspot.cz/