All Inclusive - Ldv Partnership

2^st Mobility to Italy

Florence -  27^th of March – 30^th of March

 

            The team members of NBDN in the 2 th Mobility: Marieta Nikolova, Radostina Yakimova and Haralan Alexandrov.

28^th of March

During the first day of visits:

Nursery “Tavarnuzze” - daycare centre for elders with disabilities was visit. It was situated outside of the city and the clients traveled to the center mostly by public transport. Average age of the clients is 30 years old and different therapies including horse therapy and art therapy are organized for the clients. They have their own garden with vegetables which used for cooking and have theater classes. Once in year they have a theater performance in the Florence which is use as fundraising event and they are selling made by the clients ceramics.

The level of participation of the clients in day planning is very high and this inclusion makes them empowered and developed different soft skills, but mostly communication and team working skills.

The day care center is owned by municipality and before to become day care center was a center for drug addicted persons and the building where the NGO was approved as service provider was ruined.  The all reconstructions are made with financial and material resources of the parents together with their special needs’ children.

The most important scare which was shared was about the care of the people with special needs after their parents’ death. This is the field in which social services have to be developed and financed.

At the afternoon a meeting with sharing the experience was conducted and all participants shared their impressions.

“La Rose” - daycare center. “La Rose” was founded 20 years ago thanks to child with special needs who didn’t have any place to go after finishing school. The center is runned by the health department.  The persons with special needs are taken to the center by parents or by volunteers. 10 employees works there part time, only one full time /farmer, cook, dance therapist, art, teacher, music therapist, art, craft teacher and social worker/. The parents do not have to pay for service The Health Center finances the food. In the center were 9 adults with special needs. There is no integration.

Bar “Ulisse” – The bar works like normal bar.  In the bar work 4 employees, 2 of them with need of aid or problems. The social worker is responsible for the teenagers with special needs together with the keeper works in the bar.

 

29^th of March

 

During the second day of visits:

Nursery “Alberomago” – Established in 2008, works like integration institution. The nursery need special needs teacher. In nursery were 48 /0-36 month/ children in three different groups, 1 child with disability. The personal: 8 educators, 2 nurse, 1 cook and one cooks help. The children are going there after recommended by Health Center or discussion between the parents and conductor. This is private nursery school connecting with ARCA. Children with special needs are aloud to stay in nursery school till age, and then they have to go to school. According to observation the children from the group have a positive attitude toward the child with special needs.

Nursery “La Coccinella” – is situated in commune de Grave in Chianti.  The nursery school is the government’s institute but it is under management by ARCA in cooperation with the commune.. The parents pay for nursery is between 300 and 450 euro. In the nursery was three groups with children /12 -36 months/. In one of groups was child with special need of aid  /18 months old/, but not officially since the parents do not ask for help.

 

At the afternoon a second meeting for exchange of experience and impression was organized, but after that a discussion about the national legislation in each country was conducted.

The main conclusions which are important for Bulgaria are:

1.      The legislation in Bulgaria has to be changed and the deinstitutionalization to be made with financial and political support of the Government.

2.      The educational system has to be changed, because at the moment the disciplines in universities which educate specialists do not planned people with special needs to be included and empowered which stimulate the medical not the social approach.

3.      A campaign about raising the awareness of society has to be conducted and people with special needs to be recognized as persons who can be responsible for their lives and know better what are their needs and desires.

 

The study visit in Florence was very well organized and the hosting organization was scheduled very well the observation of different type of services for disabled people.