Summary and Partners of the Application

These are exerpts from the final application!

Summary: There is progress in the matters of inclusion and barrier reduction in Europe, but persons with disability and their parents, friends or service providers still see a lot of “missing pieces” in the mosaic of their life opportunities. Our partnership – organizations responsible for day centers, leisure time activities, parents’ work and advocacy cooperating with persons with disability from Italy, Poland, Romania, Germany and Turkey - gives to disabled people, volunteers  and staff members a stage to share experience, discussing on the condition of people with disabilities in the different cities and countries, exchanging good practices and strategies for a real inclusion and offering them means and competences to play an active role in order to overcome the “missing pieces” in the mosaic of inclusion. This work is encouraged by the encounter between the social theme and artistic field through the practical making of mosaics with everyday use materials and the visit to mosaics of different kinds in the partner cities. The participants will meet the different traditions and techniques of the art of mosaics and persons with multiple handicaps take a leading role and show themselves as experts in the discovery of this unique heritage of European culture past and present. In a practical and creative way, all participants train their competence in problem solving, initiative and entrepreneurial spirit. The project participants will be involved in some local workshops and activities, and other joint activities and meetings realized during 5 mobility fluxes. The results of our discussions as well as the art objects encountered and produced together will be shown and disseminated via many barrier-free ways in the partners’ local communities as well as on a broader European scale.

Partners

Associazione Uniamoci Onlus (Palermo – Italy) is a non-profit organization that works in the field of integration, safeguard and disabled people’s social assistance. The activities carried out by Uniamoci Onlus Association are:

·         Promotion and implementation of local projects aimed at promoting the rights of disabled people

·         Activities aimed at the social integration of disabled people: organization of trips and periodical recreational events

·         Planning and implementation of European project involving disabled people, aimed to the realization of social inclusion, the promotion of the European active citizenship and giving mobility opportunities both to able-bodied and disabled young and adult people

·         Positive actions in the field of local social and cultural promotion

·         Constant complain about the injustices towards disabled people, documented through photos, movies and newspaper articles

·         Organization of trainings and workshops for disabled learners

The association counts more than 140 persons (80% are young people and 50% are young disabled people). It carries out its activities by the help and the contribution of a competent staff of 20 people (consisting of administrative figures, lawyers, planners, physiotherapists and psychologists) and the support of several volunteers. The Association headquarter and operative center is a building confiscated to Mafia given in free loan to Associazione Uniamoci Onlus by Palermo's town council; it is located in Brancaccio, a disadvantaged area in Palermo.

Diakonisches Werk Bremen (Bremen - Germany) is, as organization of the social work of Protestant Churches in the Region of Bremen and one of the Regional Head Welfare Associations, involved in various activities with and in behalf of people with disadvantages and disabilities (rehabilitation, counseling, assisted living, integration in labor market, family education) and represents 45 organizations, employing about 3.500 people and working together with about 900 volunteers. The work of the inclusion of disabled persons in a focus point of our organization, as there are multiple services for persons with multiple and severe handicaps in assisted living, day and leisure time centers and rehabilitation as well as advocacy work for inclusion and better living conditions. Often there are "double" or multiple handicaps when the situation of disability coincidences with a migration background or living in disadvantaged parts of the city. During earlier work we learned how the involvement in international projects especially in the PLL framework helps to strengthen motivation, self-conciousness and public awareness for the competences of disabled persons. Being part in an European Learning Partnership will give them additional perspectives and a conciousness for the broader aspects of their engagement. There are several day centers for 'disabled persons within our framework where "art groups" are working and would like to participate in the proceedings of our partnership.

Otistik Çocuklar Koruma Yönlendirme Derneği - ODER (Izmir - Turkey)is an association founded by parents of children with autism. ODER was founded on January 2000.There are more than 350 members of ODER.  The majority of members are parents of autistic children, and other than that, there are people engaged anc concerned about autism as a professional staff and volunteers, eager to learn more and spread knowledge about this type of disability. The project participants are the instructors, volunteers and association members (parents of children with these neurons-developmental disorders.

Towarzystwo Wspierania Inicjatyw  Społecznych Alpi (Bialystok - Poland) - Society for the Promotion of Social Initiatives - has been in operation since 2008. The activity of the association focuses mainly on the implementation of educational, integration and social activities. From the beginning of its activity TWIS Alpi worked with people with disabilities. During the last 4 years, on behalf of The Department of Social Affairs and the Department of Education Culture and Sport of Białystok City our association has carried on rehabilitation and educational activities aimed at disabled, children and youth.

The Association has experience in projects funded by public and EU resources. Recently the following initiatives were implemented:

• An Integration Club for adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities supported 20 people with disabilities
• “Integration City - We Create Together” supported  10 disabled, 10 able-bodied persons.
• Integration Club for adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities
• "Identity Cities without exclusion," which involved 32 people with intellectual disabilities ; the period of this project :October 2010 – November 2012.

Our aim as TWIS ALPI is to work in the field of public tasks for the promotion of social initiatives. These are: support and assistance for people with disabilities and their families; promoting culture, arts, physical education and sports; promoting dog education and training (dog school); promoting innovative educational and social initiatives.

We are a team of creative people, full of ambitions and passions, which we want to carry onto other people. Our mission is to support interesting and ambitious initiatives within different fields of interest. In people we see high potential and we try to help them to activate an energy that is inside them. We created a place, where every person finds something for itself. We strongly believe that our actions will leave a permanent mark and will allow our members to experience many emotional and memorable moments. We are ready to share our experiences in field of working with adults intellectual disabled.

Fundaţia Creştină Diakonia Sfântu Gheorghe - Casa Irisz (Sfântu Gheorghe - Romania) is active in the area of home care, as well as in the disability field. Irisz House is a diaconal day care center. It addresses people with physical, mental or emotional disability aged over 18 years of age and offer treatment with the goal of integration into the workforce. We encourage people to develop their personal and professional perspectives and help them to participate actively in the integration process. In connection with the integration of different therapies (as Psychotherapy, Chino therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, swimming therapy) are caused by the young adults receive individual support. We support them in strengthening key competencies (autonomy, etc.) and in terms of career choices. Every youth has its own development program, which is documented in the context of education planning. To achieve the greatest possible support for young people, we work with the families. Due to the holistic development of many young people achieve progress of Intragation successfully both in society and in the workplace