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Description
The need of the project based on nowadays researches, analysis of articles and data which shows that people with disabilities are the most “underestimated” group not only in the Klaipeda region, but also in Lithuania. The main challenges for disabled people and their relatives were named by Juodkaite (2017). She noticed that the problems are caused not by the disability itself, but by the barriers which people with disabilities faced.
The main purpose of the project – to empower people with disabilities and their relatives of different ages during project activities and it is closely related to the APF overall objective of empowering vulnerable groups.
Project’s target group - people with disabilities and their relatives of different ages and youth without disabilities in Klaipeda region.
Expected outcomes of the project: people with disability and their relatives who have participated in trainings, which provide information about acceptance of disability and advocacy for their rights; new (speech and language therapy) and improved (inclusive painting skills) services have been encouraged; vulnerable groups have been encouraged and awareness have been increased (educational events were organized for non-disabled people and the project team).
Outcomes of the project will be achieved by these activities: 1. Training for people with disabilities and their relatives. The goal is to empower this group of people and teach self-advocacy. 2. Events of living (dis)ability books for community without disabilities in order to develop a positive attitude towards persons with disabilities 3. Inclusive painting classes for people of all ages with and without disabilities, the purpose is to promote inclusion of people with disabilities. 4. Speech therapy for children with language or communication disabilities, parent support and training on how they can develop children''s linguistic abilities to enable children communicate more effectively with others.
Summary of project results
The project focused on solving problems of social exclusion of people with disabilities and their relatives. The main purpose of the project was to empower people with disabilities and their relatives of different ages in Klaipeda region during project activities.
Project activities included: 1. Trainings for people with disabilities and their relatives on self-advocacy. 2. Events with "living (dis)ability books" (persons with disabilities that were willing to share their experiences) for community without disabilities in order to develop a positive attitude towards persons with disabilities. 3. Inclusive painting classes for people of all ages with and without disabilities in order to promote inclusion. 4. Speech therapy for children with language or communication disabilities, parent support and training on how they can develop children‘s linguistic abilities to enable children communicate more effectively with others.
The main outcomes of the project we achieved by these activities: 184 persons and their family members were trained in self-advocacy. Training for people with disabilities and their relatives; 6 "living (dis) ability books" events took place where persons with disabilities shared their experience with the community; the inclusive painting classes for people of all ages with and without disabilities promoted inclusion of people with disabilities; speech therapy for children with language or communication disabilities, parent training on how they can develop children‘s linguistic abilities to enable children communicate more effectively with others were provided.