Ευρωπαϊκό Πρόγραμμα Let’s Study

Η δημιουργία ευκαιριών εκπαίδευσης και κατάρτισης νέων με αναπηρία παραμένει δυστυχώς ένα μεγάλο ζητούμενο σε ευρωπαϊκό αλλά και παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. Στατιστικά στοιχεία από τις αρμόδιες υπηρεσίες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης δείχνουν ότι, παρά την πρόοδο που έχει επιτευχθεί, μεγάλο – αν όχι το μεγαλύτερο μέρος των ατόμων με κάποια μορφή αναπηρίας δεν έχουν ακόμη ισότιμη πρόσβαση σε σπουδές μεταλυκειακής κατάρτισης και τριτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης.

Για το λόγο αυτό και με την υποστήριξη της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής, ο AKTO και κοινωνικοί – εκπαιδευτικοί φορείς από διαφορετικές χώρες της Ευρώπης, όπως τη Μεγάλη Βρετανία, την Ιταλία, τη Λιθουανία, την Ισλανδία, την Πολωνία, την Εσθονία και τη Λετονία ένωσαν τις δυνάμεις τους δημιουργώντας τη δράση «Let’s Study». O AKTO είναι ο μοναδικός ελληνικός φορέας που συμμετέχει στην αναπτυξιακή αυτή σύμπραξη.

Βασικός σκοπός της δράσης είναι η δημιουργία ενός εκπαιδευτικού οδηγού προς τους εκπαιδευτές νέων, προκειμένου να γνωρίζουν πώς να χειριστούν θέματα που άπτονται της εκπαίδευσης νέων σε ένα ευρύ φάσμα αναπηριών: κινητικών, τύφλωσης, κώφωσης κ.ά.

Η συνεργασία αναμένεται μέχρι το 2020 να έχει καθιερωθεί σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, καλώντας φορείς από όλη την Ευρώπη να κάνουν χρήση του οδηγού, αναδεικνύοντάς τον σε σημείο αναφοράς στην εκπαίδευση και κατάρτιση των νέων με αναπηρία.

Let’s Study EU Program

Although the right to education is widely recognized being fundamental right for persons with disabilities this sphere still lacks means as methods to provide services that would lead a person to the labour market.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) requires to enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and continuing training.

Education, training and continuous learning are central pillars of the right to work.

Lack of access to education and training in skills relevant to the labour market are also major barriers.
Usually vocational training establishments provide training in line with the secondary education program, and children with special needs or intellectual disabilities do not have opportunities to study because they face with the secondary education challenge. In this way they are reduced possibility to obtain profession.
Objective of the project is to increase accessibility to Vocational training and education for persons with special needs and/or intellectual disability via (1) developing of suitable training modules meeting the special needs of all students, (2) trainings and information provision to the pedagogues dealing with persons with special needs.

It is envisaged that 500 of participants will be directly affected by the project. As development of the modules is an ongoing process more trainees (future graduates) and professionals will benefit applying the products of the project. Participants of the project are not only young people with disabilities but also elderly people who became disabled and also require up-skilling and involvement in the educational process.

The project is important not only for project promoters or personal participants, but also to the society they represent, local communities, municipalities and finally on the country and European level. The project activities encourage citizenship and active participation, and stimulates tolerance and awareness of the community including more sustainable development of our society.

The core principle of the methodology of carrying out the project is clear management and division of responsibilities amongst partners. The following activities are envisaged to be performed: 1) Setting the outline of the training modules taking into consideration expectation of both pedagogues and trainees’ communities’ expectations, cultural and socio-economic factors of each of participating countries, etc.; a survey (interview) will be performed, leading partner is responsible for the activity; (2) preparation of draft training modules, setting its structure and content will be performed after gathering the information and led by partners Juvenile Justice and Bumblebee alliance; (3) description of the training modules including good practice examples will be led by Agrenska and will be presented during partner meeting in Estonia; (4) preparation of the material for trainers/pedagogues – disability etiquette – material including ethical dealing with persons with different kinds of disabilities, improving of the mobility of persons with special needs, increasing accessibility of infrastructure and services. Responsibilities for this activity will be divided amongst the partners – each partner will be responsible for distinct kind of disability; all the information will be compiled and the activity led by MIDSTOD; the product of this activity will be presented during the partner meeting in Iceland; (5) Evaluation (practical probation) of prepared training modules will be performed in two stages: 5.1. round table discussion to get the feedback of professionals as well as trainees, their family members and disabled persons organizations will be led and moderated by the partner Rittmeyer Institute, Italy; 5.2. practical probation of prepared training modules applying it at the vocational training institutions will be coordinated by SUSTENTO, Latvian partner. Practical probation will reveal the advantages as well as weaknesses of the modules which will be discussed at the partner meeting; (6) laboration of final versions of the training modules according to the findings of probation will be carried out at partner meeting in Greece led by the AKTO; (7) conclusions and recommendations for vocational training specialists and practitioners; presentation of recommendations for inclusive vocational training at the governmental and academic levels; the leading partner of this activity will be PFON, Poland.

The result of the project will be training modules on inclusive education and vocational training. It is expected that those modules will improve the quality of training process as well as of supportive services such as joining the institution, accommodation, examination, accessible information, assistive technologies, and disability etiquette taking into consideration specificity of each disability group.

The project is funded by the Erasmus+ EU program. The opinions on this webside do not reflect necessarily the opinions of the EU, the national agency / agencies of the program or the EU Commission itself.