Description
In Romania, children with disabilities and their families have limited access to social and educational services that facilitate their integration into the community. Due to lack of knowledge and skills necessary for working with children with disabilities, parents and personal assistants are unable to help them and in special schools, therapies and educational materials are insufficient. Therefore the objective of the project is to increase access to specialized services for children with disabilities and their families. This fits with both local priorities and those of the partners involved in this project. The project will manage to integrate these children into the community through social activities and personalized therapy, training and counseling for parents and teachers and workshops for production of educational materials. We form and train a team of volunteers and develop a guide to assist parents of children with disabilities. The main beneficiaries will be children with disabilities, their families, as well as professionals working in the special education field and volunteers. Also, we hope to raise the awareness among the local community.
Summary of project results
In Romania, children with disabilities and their families have limited access to social and educational services that could facilitate their integration into the community. Due to lack of knowledge and skills necessary for working with children with disabilities, parents/personal assistants are unable to help them. Moreover, in schools for children with disabilities, therapies and educational materials are insufficient. The project aimed to facilitate disabled children access to specialized services as well as to train and enable parents/personal assistants to become directly and efficiently involved in the recovery process. The aim was reached through integration activities involving volunteers and individually customized therapy which enabled children to develop independent life abilities and, additionally, provided them with the opportunity to practice these abilities in day-to-day life situations. Parents have participated in School for parents’ sessions, support groups and workshops to produce educational materials adapted for disabled children. The materials were further distributed to parents and teachers in order to continue activities started within the project. The guide “Parents of special children” was printed in 1,000 copies and widely distributed to parents, NGOs, institutions. The seminar “Together for a better world” has facilitated information and good practice exchange between NGOs and representatives of local authorities. A Volunteer Gala was organised, with the aim of recognizing the contribution of the volunteers in the implementation of the project and encourage their further involvement. As a result of this project: 12 students with disabilities have developed abilities to better integrate in their communities and be part of community life; 17 parents/personal assistants have improved their skills to work with disabled children; 12 classrooms of the partner school for children with disabilities were equipped with adapted educational materials (pictograms, charts, communication sheets, sensorial books, etc.) and 109 students with disabilities were provided with access to educational games and sensorial stimulation. Among the beneficiaries, 19 Roma ethnics (2 adults and 17 children) have received services within the project.
Summary of bilateral results