REHA-INPROD
REHABILITATION
OF ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND
THEIR (RE)INTEGRATION IN THE PRODUCTIVE WORK
Overview
The
Rehabilitation of adults with special needs and their (re)integration in the
productive work – REHA-INPROD project is financed by the Grundtvig 2/Socrates
Programme of the European Commission. It addresses the problem of rehabilitation
and social integration of people with special needs through cooperation between
institutions from different countries in the field of promotion of chances for
people with special needs (especially for people without hands) for their integration
into the labour market. The project duration is 24 months
Partners
The organizations co-operating in REHA-INPROD Project are as follows:
· DIA-SPORT Association, Bulgaria
IAT is a research
unit gathering knowledge for mastering structural change. The focus of the department
of production systems from IAT is to combine technical, economic and social
research and to transmit it into shop floor practice, particularly within mechanical
sector.
The researchers of the IAT work out efficient, customer-orientated production
systems, models for participative management and personnel development, proposals
for organizing computer-assisted technology in a work friendly way, proposals
for a modern service sector, internet-based distance learning programmes.
·
Veb Consult S.r.l., Italy
Veb Consult s.r.l – Italy was founded in 1997 linked to the non-profit
organisation Veb, accademia europea. His activity consists in: Technical assistance,
advice and assessment for public administrations, training organisations and
SME for implementation and evaluation of training activities, especially in
the frame of EU programs; Development of EU projects and international co-operation;
Co-ordination of transitional projects; Implementation of TQM and ISO 9000 in
training organisations; Evaluation of EU projects; Training needs analysis;
Research on the European dimension of training; International work placement
management; Language training for internships.
The organisation has a wide experience in carrying out international projects
in different programs such as PETRA II, Leonardo da Vinci, YOUTH.
Since 1997 Veb has undergone a process of implementation in order to confirm
to the official standards of ISO 9001 and fulfil requirements of the Total Quality
Management (TQM) and the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFOM).
·
The National Council of Small and Medium Sized Entreprises in Romania –
CNIPMMR
The National Council of Small and Medium Sized Private Entreprises in Romania
– CNIPMMR is a Romanian employers’, non-profit, non-governamental,non-political
organisation with legal personality.
CNIPMMR has 62 branches, over 55,000 memebers and about 23 associated organisations.
His network of branches provides a complete sectorial and regional coverage,
all around Romania.
Background
People with disabilities are recognized to be one of the most disadvantaged
sections of society. They face considerable barriers in accessing the labour
market, education and training opportunities and social facilities. These are
a product not only of actual impairments that limit the actions people with
disabilities are able to per-form, but also of attitudes and environment that
does not take account of their needs. In the course of years, the constantly
increasing number of people with disabilities has turned into a social problem
of great dimensions. Considering the scale of the problem and the efforts it
requires, gradually all the countries have become aware of the necessity of
a proactive approach to tackle this issue. This approach implies a rethinking
of the actions undertaken in this field, setting clear goals and targets, elimination
of various obstacles to the full participation of people with special needs
by ensuring better access to education and training as well as raising employment
levels. People with special needs have the potential to become a strong force
in the global economy but in spite of all the measures taken and words spoken
they still face considerable external and internal barriers to their integration
and equal opportunity, barriers resulting from lack of in-formation and adequate
publicity as well as from the prejudices existing in the society. It is our
common duty to increase the motivation and socialization of these people, to
build up their self-esteem, self-confidence and adaptability and thus to enable
millions of people play a fuller role in society and improve their quality of
life.
Activities
Over
a 2-year period the following activities were developed:
1. In the first year meetings and seminars were arranged in the participating
countries in order to identify the opportunities to aware the necessity to have
the same chances for persons with special needs for their integration into the
labour market, as well as to stimulate the institutions working in this field
to participate more actively in the process of the social integration so as
to facilitate the access of these persons on the labour market.
As a result of the work carried out during the first year of the project, the
publication "A comparative overview of the situation of the people with
special needs" was created.
The aim of this publication is to give not specialized but general information
on the area.
2. In the second year in collaboration with all the partners a web-page of the
project and 4 training modules for people with special needs were developed
and widely disseminated.
In the framework
of the project several meetings, seminars and workshops took place:
First Year 2001 / 2002
· Working Meeting "PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS"
Bucharest, Romania, 27th February - 2nd March 2002
For more details please click here· Training workshop "WEB-BASED LEARNING"
Gensenkirchen,Germany, 23rd –27th April 2002
For more details please click here· INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
Florence, Italy, 8th – 12th June 2002
For more details please click here· International seminar "RAISING AWARENESS OF THE SOCIETY CONCERNING THE SITUATION OF THE PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS"
Sofia, Bulgaria, 17th July 2002
For more details please click here
Second Year 2002 / 2003
· Transnational meeting and training Workshop
Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 29 March – 03 April 2003
For more details please click here
· Transnational meeting
Sofia, Bulgaria, 05-08 March 2003
For more details please click here
· Transnational meeting and training worksop
Florence, Italy, 11-16 April 2003
For more details please click here
· Transnational meeting
Buchares, Romania, 24-28 July 2003
For more details please click here
As
a result of the work carried out during the first year of the project, the publication
“A comparative overview of the
situation of the people with special needs”
The aim of this publication is to give not specialized but general information
on the area concerned, to present briefly the situation of people with special
needs in the four partner countries what is actually happening in Germany, Italy,
Romania and Bulgaria, respectively the legislation concerning rehabilitation,
social integration and work opportunities for these people and institutions
involved, to raise public awareness and help these people by enhancing their
chances on the job market. The nature of this material is
rather of recommendation than of making an analysis.
In
addition to this publication a promotional CD was produced.
All the results produced as well as the project activities will be widely promoted
and disseminated through the especially created project web-site.
At the end of the
project guidelines “The Workshop of the Same Chance”
will be produced and disseminated both in print and over the net.
Press releases
The results and the intensive work under the REHA-INPROD project were widely
announced and popularized in the mass media
AzBuKi |
The people with special needs are part of the society and it could not exist without them |
Tishina |
For reintegration of the people with special needs |
IT Basics and the Internet
Schedule
| Hours |
Chapters |
Keywords |
References |
| 3 |
Information Technology Basics |
Computer, Operating System, Application Programmes, Networks, Solutions for the Disabled |
Books, Internet |
| 3 |
Internet Basics |
Information Super-Highway, WWW |
Books, Internet |
| 3 |
Internet Services and Applications |
E-Mail, Newsgroups, Conferencing, Chats, Web Browser, Search Engine |
Books, Internet |
Schedule
| Hours |
Chapters |
Keywords |
References |
| 1 |
Introductory notes |
Pertinent issues related to job seeking of people with disabilities |
EUROSTAT, DG "Employment and Social Affairs" Publications, Surveys, Internet |
| 4 |
Self-assessment |
Personality traits, Interests, Values, Work related values, Personal values, Skills, Disability assessment/disability considerations |
National center of Health Information, Rehabilitation and prophylactics centers, Medicine publications, Internet, Ministry of Health, National and International Disability Surveys and Findings |
| 4 |
Identifying occupations |
Developing a list of occupations, Sources of job search, Researching occupations, Goal-setting and action plan |
Library resources, labour market information, Internet, Professional Associations, Job Classification of the National Statistics Institute, State institutions reference books, Job centers and labour bureaus, employment agencies, local municipalities, NGOs, publications of specialized organizations working with people with disabilities |
| 7 |
Self-presentation |
Filling in job applications, Preparing a successful CV, Letter of Motivation/Cover Letter, Development of interviewing skills/techniques |
Labour Bureaus, Professional and Trade Associations, Training Organizations, Employment Agencies, Publications, Internet |
| 3 |
Self-marketing |
Networking, Telephone contacts, Marketing your disability, Keeping going |
magazines, newspapers, radio and TV programmes, fashion reviews and publications, Internet, books related to self-esteem and psychology |
| 2 |
Job aspects and expectations |
Employee expectations, Employer expectations |
Internet, Books, Professional and Trade Associations |
Schedule
| Hours |
Chapters |
Keywords |
References |
Schedule
| Hours |
Chapters |
Keywords |
References |
In
addition to these modules a promotional CD was produced. All
the results produced as well as the project activities will be widely promoted
and disseminated through the especially created project web-site.
Some opinions:
Learner:
"The
topic of integration of people with disabilities and their employment is still
one of the sore points of the present day society. It has to be promoted in
a comprehensive way. We invested a lot of efforts to influence the attitudes
towards alternative advantages of employing people with disabilities through
organizing targeted awareness raising campaigns, provision and access to crucial
information and appropriate training. I consider the REHA-INPROD project as
especially effective as regards the training on promotion and application of
IT technologies and web design, different legislative frameworks, socio-psychological
aspects, etc. It is really great to know that you helped somebody to change
his lifestyle and even destiny. I would like to believe that my involvement
as a learner and a mediator in a very complicated social process could contribute
to improving the situation of the people with special needs by efficiently applying
in practice the knowledge received and transferring it so as to serve the society
as a whole."
Gocho Bratanov,
Chairman of the Central Union of the Co-operatives of the Handicapped
"For
the majority of people somehow unnoticed goes on the life of handicapped people,
their cooperatives and companies. To get the handicapped out of this unanimity,
our society must provide suitable economic and social environment and create
favorable opportunities for the activities in these cooperatives and companies.
It must also ensure their equal participation in labor and everyday life. In
respect of this REHA-INPROD project has made a great contribution since it involved
all parties interested and "opened the eyes" of both employers and
employees thus trying to significantly improve the chances of the handicapped
on the labor market."