Description
The project addresses the need for greater public awareness of the challenges facing people with disabilities and better social integration in Blagoevgrad District. The project aims at supporting their integration by organizing information seminars. First, the needs of the people with disabilities in Blagoevrad District related to access to social services, employment and civil rights will be surveyed. Second, 3 training courses in employment, social assistance and civil rights will be held to raise the awareness of the people with disabilities about possible opportunities and solutions to the challenges facing them. In addition, the relevant institutions (the Employment Agency and Social Assistance Directorate) will help carry out the training courses. Finally, the project outcomes will be presented to the local community. The project will benefit people with disabilities, their relatives, the NGOs, the institutions and the local community in Blagoevgrad District.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at supporting the social inclusion of people with disabilities in the public and raising awareness about social problems. Three module information seminars were held on employment, social services and civil rights. Each module was presented by an expert in the field. We attracted public attention with our work towards social integration and equality in the civil society. The information seminars held helped achieve the following results: The community changed its attitudes towards greater acceptance of difference, building a tolerant environment and recognizing people with disabilities as full citizens. The good publicity was a precondition for broader awareness of the issues of people with disabilities in the city of Blagoevgrad. We also gained institutional support in the form of attention paid to the specific needs of the people with disabilities. The information training seminars were a premise for the adoption of adequate measures to improve the status of social services provided. The implemented project activities and the voicing in public of the issues of the target group helped the institutions make decisions to ensure efficient work in the fields related to the full integration of the people with disabilities in the society. The target group raised their awareness. This lay the foundation for an active civic engagement and more careful monitoring of the institutions and their work. The project activities that the organization implemented helped the organization to develop its institutional contacts and win good reputation in the community in Blagoevgrad. This is a premise for future joint activities with local institutions and active engagement with the protection of the interests of people with disabilities in Blagoevgrad.
Summary of bilateral results