Path to Independence: Education and Support for Persons with Disabilities

We submitted this project to improve the quality of social services for PWD through international cooperation and exchange of good practices. The goal is to empower users and staff by developing self-advocacy skills, enhancing supported employment services and applying creative techniques for developing social skills for PWD.
The project aims to empower self-advocates by developing skills to represent their rights and increase social inclusion. We will enhance supported employment services, boosting work integration opportunities for individuals with intellectual
disabilities. Through education on creative therapies, we will improve staff competencies, enabling them to apply innovative methods to develop skills necessary for independent living, ultimately enhancing the social skills of people with disabilities.
Project activities:
1. Group mobility of adult learners - for people with fewer opportunities (individuals with intellectual disabilities) on the topic of self-advocacy. The participants are five individuals with intellectual disabilities, users of Inclusion Sibenik services, who are employed in the open labor market and active in their community. The goal is for the participants to learn new ways of expressing their needs, addressing challenges, and developing strategies for advocating for their rights.

2. Job-shadowing - the planned job-shadowing content is focused on strengthening the competencies of Inkluzija Šibenik staff in providing supported employment services on the open labour market. Activities include observing and learning about the entire process – from assessing and preparing individuals with intellectual disabilities for work, to monitoring labour market opportunities and establishing contact with employers.
The goal is to strengthen competencies, exchange experiences, and improve working methods in line with European practices.

3. Courses and training - focused on acquiring knowledge and skills related to creative therapies and their application in working with people with disabilities with the aim of enhancing staff competencies and increasing the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through creative therapies—enabling them to express themselves, develop, and achieve greater integration into the community — this training should equip participants with the skills to use creative therapeutic methods.
The participants of the course are employees of Inkluzija Šibenik, who already have significant experience in social services, education, and working with persons with disabilities. However, in order to further improve their practice and support independent living for service users, they seek additional professional development.