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Description
The project was developed in response to the needs to support people with intellectual disabilities for their successful inclusion in the labour market and to overcome sustainable barriers to their employment. The two partnership organizations will develop and introduce a package of methods for the active participation of people with intellectual disabilities in activities for piloting the new social service, before developing quality standards and providing it in social practice in Bulgaria.
30 persons with intellectual disabilities will participate in empowerment activities: information and advocacy events, study of their expectations for the new social service, videos on social service information, use of psychological support and the social service for the development of labour skills in order to empower. In the short term, the project will ensure the active inclusion and support of the end beneficiaries for the development of labour skills and their personal potential. In the long term, the project will create innovative methods for empowerment, which can be used by a wide range of organizations and public institutions in the process of piloting and introducing new social services to support people with different disabilities.
Summary of project results
The project focused on the barriers to active inclusion and employment of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Bulgaria, who are mostly unemployed or underemployed. In order to work, they need ongoing support for self-knowledge, development of work and social skills, adaptation and independence in a working environment.
The project aimed to develop and introduce innovative methods for active inclusion of people with ID in the overall process of piloting the new social service "Support for Acquisition of Work Skills" - as a tool to empower and support their employment.
33 people with ID were involved in activities to pilot the new social service "Support for work skills". This supported both their skills development and their integration into the labour market, as well as helped to model the social service.
Young people with ID were involved in development and empowerment activities, namely:
- developing easy-to-understand tools for people with ID;
- exploring the views, attitudes and support needs of people with ID;
- assessing the current skills of each participant with ID;
- preparation for and involvement in work activities in an appropriate format;
- individual psychological support for self-discovery;
- monitoring and analysis of each participant''s progress throughout the work process.
The project achieved visible results for people with IH:
- 33 young people (above the planned number of 30) gained experience as self-advocates, experts by experience, developing work skills and working in different work environments.
- 25 of the youth were involved in work activities in the Worlds Day Center workshops and made unique souvenirs, billets in a teaching kitchen, grew vegetables and flowers, and prepared catering for events.
- 10 of the youth participate in work experience in a real work environment.
- 5 of the youth are working in a real workplace.
Results were also achieved in terms of stakeholders - public institutions in the social policy and employment system, NGOs, advocates, and employers:
- Increased awareness of the needs and resources of people with IH for work;
- Participation and increased activity in a series of public advocacy events;
- Access to the expertise and products produced by the project:
o Easy to read and understand toolkit for working with participants with ID;
o Psychological support manual for people with intellectual disabilities). Enabled to standardize models and practices and to prepare the requirements for this service;
o 5 sponsored posts on the Facebook profile of the Maria''s World Foundation with the 5 informative videos published realized 162,507 views;
o Posted video story about the successes of youth with IH reached 435 people.