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Description
We know from experience that a vast majority of measures aimed at people with disabilities focus on meeting their basic needs and providing care. While this is an important and fundamental element of support, in addition to needs resulting directly from disability, people with disabilities have the right and wish to develop, and play an active part in education, culture, and the life of the local community. They wish to create, together, a local community. Through research we have found that in Dolny Śląsk there is no institutional civic education in the form of self-advocacy. The aim of the project is to improve the skills of self-advocates among people with disabilities in Dolny Śląsk. We will organize for self-advocates advanced workshops to develop civic skills, and skills in conducting training and holding meetings, public discussions and speeches, and using modern information and communication technology. For interested newcomers, we will organize basic workshops on rights of people with disabilities and the self-advocacy movement, and the essential abilities for an active role in local community life. The participants will then hold six meetings aimed at other people with disabilities and the people around them, concerning monitoring of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promoting self-advocacy. They will attend a two-day shadow day and a large national/regional event. A publication will also be produced on the subject of living independently and the importance of assistant services for people with disabilities. The project is intended for 20 people with disabilities in Wrocław and the Polkowicki district. As a result, 20 self-advocates will become active (ten with experience, and ten novices) and 30 other people with disabilities will improve their knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, self-advocacy, and living independently.
Summary of project results
The vast majority of activities aimed at people with disabilities focus on meeting their basic needs and providing care services. Undoubtedly, this is a fundamental element of support, but in addition to needs arising directly from disability, these people want to develop themselves, to take an active part in education, culture, in the life of their local community. Disability does not exclude the exercise of civil rights, but it does limit them greatly. People with disabilities are often not aware that they can speak up for their own cause or do not know how to do so. In Lower Silesia, there is no systematic civic education and self-advocacy is not promoted. Meanwhile, through this type of involvement, people with disabilities build and strengthen their sense of subjectivity and responsibility.
The project organised advanced workshops for self-advocates to develop their leadership competences and skills in conducting trainings, meetings, discussions and public speeches, using new technologies, as well as training to improve their knowledge of active citizenship. For new self-advocates, a basic workshop was organised on active citizenship in the local community, rights of people with disabilities and the idea of self-advocacy. The participants of the workshop then held 6 meetings for other people with disabilities and their environment. The meetings focused on monitoring the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the idea of self-advocacy. The trained persons actively participated in the 6th and 7th editions of the Lower Silesian Regional Convention of People with Disabilities, the second time as co-organisers. Two of them took part in a so-called "shadow day" at the "Twoje Nowe Możliwości" (Your New Opportunities) Association working for people with disabilities.
Thanks to the project, 20 people from Wrocław and the Polkowice poviat were prepared for the role of self-advocates, improved their leadership skills and knowledge of social activities. The participants developed competences to improve their quality of life, represent themselves and the interests of their community. Dozens of other people with disabilities increased their knowledge of the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the concept of self-advocacy.