Creating scenarios within the activity A3.4.: National Workshop from the Erasmus project:” disABILITIES Beyond Limits - Empowering young women to build a better future”
November 14, 2023 - Galati
Agenda:
12.00-12.15 - arrival of participants
12-15-13,15 - Proposal 1: "Individualized Educational Assistance"
13,15-14-15 - Proposal 2: "Mentoring and Social Inclusion"
14.15-14.30 - Free discussions
The actual theme:
Proposal 1: "Educational Assistance Individualized"
This proposal focuses on the provision of individualized educational assistance for each young person with disabilities. This would involve providing supportive teachers and resources tailored to each student.
Proposition 2: "Mentoring and Social Inclusion"
This second proposal focuses on facilitating mentoring for young people with disabilities. In addition, it promotes social inclusion by organizing events and activities that involve both young people with disabilities and those without disabilities.
Proposition 3: "Development of Professional Skills"
This proposal emphasizes the development of professional skills of young people with disabilities through specialized training programs and internships in the work environment. The aim is to prepare them for integration into the labor market.
Step 1: Evaluation of Prospects
Îbefore choosing a proposal, the group examines the advantages and disadvantages of each options. For example, individualized tutoring could provide specific support for each student, but could be expensive. Mentoring and social inclusion could contribute to the development of social skills, but could require considerable resources to organize events. Developing professional skills could increase employment chances, but would require careful planning of internships.
Step 2: Identify Trade-offs
The group could identify aspects î in which the proposals can complement each other. For example, individualized educational assistance can be combined with professional skills development to provide comprehensive support to young people with disabilities.
Step 3: Joint Decision
After discussions and debates, the group reaches a common decision. It can be a choice between proposals or a combination of several proposals. The aim is to reach a consensus on how to approach the problem and decide on future actions.
This method of comparing proposals can help identify the best approach to support young people with disabilities, taking into account multiple perspectives and finding a compromise that satisfies the needs of this group of beneficiaries.
Scenario no. 1: Support for Young People with Disabilities in Access to Public Transport
The problem identified in the community:
WHERE? A city in Romania.
WHY? The access of young people with disabilities to public transport is limited, which prevents them from participating in social and educational activities and employment.
Causes:
Lack of accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities î at bus stations or train stations.
Public transport is not adapted for people with disabilities, such as lack of wheelchair ramps or audio announcement systems for the visually impaired.
Lack of awareness and sensitization among transport operators and the public regarding the needs of young people with disabilities.
HOW COULD WE CHANGE THE SITUATION?
Possible solutions:
Modernization of Transport Infrastructure: Investments in building accessible facilities for people with disabilities, such as ramps and tactile indicators at transport stations.
Adaptation of Public Transport: Ensuring that public transport is equipped with facilities for people with disabilities, such as vehicles with ramps and audio announcement systems.
Sensitizing the Public and Operators: Organizing awareness campaigns to promote respect and understanding towards young people with disabilities and training staff from transport companies.
Scenario no. 2: Access to Education for Young People with Disabilities
The problem identified in the community:
WHERE? An urban neighborhood in Bucharest.
WHY? Young people with disabilities in the neighborhood have difficulty accessing formal education due to lack of resources and inadequate infrastructure.
Causes:
Schools unprepared to meet the specific needs of young people with disabilities, such as lack of ramps or adapted learning facilities.
Insufficient public transport system to ensure access of young people to schools suitable for their needs.
Lack of awareness about the rights of young people with disabilities and the need to provide an inclusive education.
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE SITUATION?
Possible solutions:
Modernization of Schools: Investments in the modernization of schools to make them accessible and adapted for young people with disabilities.
Transport Provision: Provision of adapted transport for young people with disabilities to facilitate access to suitable schools.
Awareness and Advocacy: Conducting awareness and advocacy campaigns to promote the rights and needs of young people with disabilities in education.
These two scenarios illustrate how problems can be identified in the community , how the causes of these problems can be analyzed and what possible solutions can be considered to change the situation î for the benefit of young people with disabilities.
The positive deviance method is an innovative approach to solving problems in communities. Here are the key steps of this method:
a) Recognition: First, members of a community come together and recognize that there is an important problem that needs to be addressed. This step involves becoming aware of the problem and recognizing the need for change.
b) Definition: Once the problem is recognized, community members îstart gathering information about it. Here, the extent of the problem is assessed and the different solutions and approaches used by community members to deal with the problem are identified. The goal is to identify individuals or groups that have adopted unusual approaches that have led to positive outcomes.
c) Positive Deviance Investigation: This stage involves the careful observation of positive deviants, i.e. people or groups who approached the problem in an innovative way and achieved positive results. It is important to pay attention to their behavior, actions and attitudes in dealing with the problem. These positive deviants are not seen as heroes or celebrities, but as îlearning models for the community.
d) Acting in a new way of thinking: After identifying the strategies used by positive deviants, the community decides to adopt a similar approach to address the problem. Activities are developed and implemented to help spread the information or skills needed to change the situation in the community. The ultimate goal is not only to present best practices, but to promote a new mindset in the community by implementing these approaches.
This method is based on the premise that the solutions can be found within the community and that positive deviants can provide inspiration for change. It encourages communities to become protagonists in solving their own problems and to learn from local innovations.
Scenario no. 1: Youth empowerment in a rural community
The problem identified in the community:
WHERE? A small rural community in Eastern Europe.
WHY
Reasons:
Limited access to educational resources and extracurricular activities for youth in the community.
High youth unemployment and lack of skills development opportunities.
Disengagement of young people due to the lack of positive role models and meaningful activities.
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE SITUATION?
Possible solutions:
Identify local youth who have successfully created their own opportunities and overcome similar challenges.
Organize mentoring programs where these local youth serve as mentors onamong their colleagues, îsharing their experiences and offering îguidance.
Establish community projects and initiatives that engage young people in skills-building, entrepreneurship and community development.
Create a support network that connects local youth with existing resources and opportunities for education and employment.
Scenario no. 2: Increasing responsibility towards the environment îin a suburban neighborhood
The problem identified îin the community:
WHERE? A suburban neighborhood in Bucharest.
WHY
Reasons:
Increasing garbage and environmental degradation in the community due to lack of awareness and responsibility.
Inadequate waste management practices leading to pollution and reduced quality of life.
Limited community initiatives to effectively address environmental concerns.
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE SITUATION?
Possible solutions:
Identify people in the community who have taken innovative steps to reduce their environmental footprint.
Establish educational programs and workshops led by these local environmental champions to raise awareness of responsible waste disposal and sustainable living.
Organize community clean-up events and recycling drives to actively involve residents in improving the environment.
Collaborate with local businesses to promote green practices and reward environmentally responsible actions.
