Fundacja FUNDUSZ WSPÓŁPRACY

Persons with significant disabilities demonstrate withdrawal behaviour, fear of activity, attitude of conditioned passivity or taking everything for granted. The model presented - Increase in the Professional Activity of the Disabled - allows for changing this unfavourable situation by preparing disabled persons for functioning on the open labour market and participation in social life. As part of the deliverable, a set of ready-to-use tools has been developed, described and tested. These may be applied as a whole set or individually, by selecting elements that are most relevant to the needs of recipients (institutions).

The deliverable includes a database with information - scattered or unavailable until now - on the disabled persons in a given geographical area. This collated information allows to prepare comprehensive profiles of beneficiaries, including their needs related to activation measures. In addition to personal details, the database contains all the basic information on the disability degree, family situation and economic status, which can be used when developing support programmes. The structure of the database, and thus the information range, can be adjusted to the needs of end users.

The second element of the solution developed is a set of diagnostic tools enabling full identification of psychical and physical condition of disabled persons. Once the diagnosis is made, it is possible to prepare individual therapeutic development plans for each of the beneficiaries (individual therapy, family therapy, social skills workshops, Life Skills Development (RUŻ) workshops). The diagnostic tool set includes an in-depth social interview, self-assessment test and description of the current psychical condition of beneficiaries.

The last element of the deliverable is a set of readily available Model Life Skills Development Programmes. These include educational and training materials addressed to the MISARN (Young, Intellectually Able People with Physical Disabilities [Młodzi Intelektualnie Sprawni, Ale Ruchowo Niepełnosprawni]), their parents and carers, as well as professionals dealing with problems of the disabled. The RUŻ Programme comprises theoretical assumptions, methodology concept of RUŻ workshops as well as professional training courses for employees and persons co-operating with organisations supporting the beneficiaries, along with the training completion criteria, bibliography, and the concept of the evaluation of the RUŻ Model Programme and the tools used for the verification of effectiveness of the measures applied.

The primary target group of the model includes the disabled, their parents, carers, as well as professionals and institutions working towards solving the problems of the disabled. The real advantage is that the deliverable may be aimed at other target groups (e.g. the database may be applied for any social group). The implementation may be carried out by advisory centres and other institutions working with the disabled and their families - public and non governmental labour market institutions (e.g. Labour Offices), as well as self government units. Expenditures related to the implementation include, among other things, database preparation, training for employees using the database, costs of promotion and recruitment of participants of RUŻ workshops, remuneration for trainers, preparation and equipment for training rooms.