The project is in line with the founding ideas of all participating organizations: to improve the integration of children with special needs, especially disabled children. It offers a complex programme for kindergarten and schools where social acceptance and inclusion is achieved on personal, professional and societal levels. Due to the common historic part, in the participating countries there is a similar view about people with disabilities. The medical model dominated in the education and social systems, characterized by separation, specialization, segregation and “healing” approach. Therefore the education of disabled and non-disabled children was inconceivable. In contrast, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the social model. Community inclusion, social participation, personalized and individualized solutions, access to services on an equal basis with others became the norm today. To implement these ideas in small societies, we need complex programmes. Our experience is that it is hard to break such long habits. The projects will take in primary schools and kindergartens with no child with special needs and creates an opportunity for the children and teachers to interact with their counterparts from local segregated, specialized schools or kindergartens. We’ll also bring the issue of disability to the table in wider topics a focus on innovative solutions. Elements of the societal awareness-raising programme: teacher training (30h) with post-training consultation, organizing a disability week in the classes/groups of the participating teachers, starting common activities for the non-disabled and disabled children, organizing awareness-raising days in their institution.The program has a number of practical guides, collection of good practices and methodological aids and teacher training programs. In the framework of the project we would like to integrate the collected practices and knowledge and put it together into one material. Results: participants and activities:-24 teacher who participated in the training and is therefore well equipped to handle the topic of disability within their class or school group. -6-8 senior trainer, who did the training and the consultation sessions afterwards and is able to hold trainings for teachers in his/her country. -24 thematic week for disability in the groups/classes of the participating teachers (meaning 3-4 institution per country. We usually suggest more the participation of several teachers in one institution so they can help each other in the implementation. This means less institutions in the project, but the effect in each institution will be much stronger.)-1 awareness raising day per institution with the participation of minimum 100 students and 50 teacher/parent/person from the local community.Results: materials:-1 training syllabus per country, possibly material for local accreditation (depending on the local law)-Collection of practices and exercise book for the thematic week on disability, including a programme for the whole week and the localised professional material. (1/country, total 3)-Teacher’s Guide for the activities-A template script for the thematic week on disability, including the time plan for the preparation and each day, necessary material, the tasks for each participant and organizer, templates (contracts, attendance sheets, bookings etc.)-Educational material for the training of the trainers. Trainer’s Guide, Collection of practices, training materials.-6-8 small movie clips to help the disseminationWe hope that the project will contribute to the creation of a more open-minded and inclusion-friendy educational culture.

"Our project “IDeas against poverty! Citizens with Intellectual Disability act to reduce social exclusion and poverty (Europe 2020 Strategy)” has been framed in the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion. The information on the platform shows that in 2008, more than 80 million people lived in the Union below the poverty line, situation got worse with the economic crisis. The 8% of Europeans live in conditions of serious material deprivation. Among other risk groups, people with disabilities, or those with serious chronic diseases, frequently face significant economic and social difficulties that often affect the whole household they depend onThis, in the Europe of the 21st century, is unacceptable. The fight against social exclusion and the promotion of social justice and fundamental rights have long been key objectives of the European Union.In the other hand, the empowerment and training of people with intellectual disabilities has been another priority of our project. Our learners have not participated from a position of vulnerable persons affected by poverty or exclusion, tributaries of the solidarity of others, who demand changes for themselves. They have participated as people aware of the social injustice that surrounds them and that -after a training process- are able to participate collectively in this fight against social exclusion that affects so many people.The main objectives of our project, aimed at our learners, their families and professionals, have been:- Knowledge and adaptation of the documents of the European Disability Strategy, and debate about their recommendations and applicability in the environment of the partner centers.- Establishment of synergies with institutions that are dedicated to the fight against poverty and social exclusion, generating proposals and concrete actions in which our learners actively have contributed during these 2 years.- Development of strategies for visibility and dissemination.- Improvement of participation, mobility and transnational exchange of citizens with intellectual disabilities.The beneficiary learners, linked to the four institutions of the partner countries (Spain, Hungary, Poland and Turkey) have been adults with intellectual disabilities, in different situations: there are groups that are in the labor market, other groups are being trained to achieve it. Some people carry out occupational, educational, and social habilitation activities. Others are in residential establishments throughout the day and are highly dependent. Therefore, each partner has adapted the type of activities to the groups it serves, its capabilities and interests.200 learners with disabilities have benefited during these 2 years from the activities of our project. We have carried out 34 mobilities of people with intellectual disabilities, who have actively participated in the Meetings organized in each of the countries.The four partners have adapted their general programs of activities to introduce as a thematic axis the fight against poverty and social exclusion, initiating collaboration with organizations in their environment dedicated to the fight against exclusion and developing joint solidarity actions.Our publishable products are the Cooperation Guide for Learners and the Methodological Guide for Professionals, published in the four languages of the partners and in English, with pictograms. It include graphic and artistic material developed over two years by our students (comics, figuration) always with the theme of our project, as well as a detailed description of all the solidarity activities carried out. It is a quality material that facilitates its transfer to other groups interested in cooperation.All partners are part of federations and entities of European dimension, therefore we have efforted to have a great impact and dissemination on thousands of people, through the inclusion and proactive participation in networks and representation forums of people with disabilities, their families, professional and solidarity networks.We conclude by reiterating that the experience of exchange in itself, the knowledge of another reality that is different and at the same time similar, has been an opportunity and a necessity for people with intellectual disabilities.""IDeas against poverty!"", a project aligned with the European Strategy, is aimed at the heart of European values: the values of fraternity, equality and inclusion."

The importance of lifelong learning and a constant improvement of personal skills is nowadays a basic requirement in all fields of employment. The rapidly changing world has a tendency of knowledge lapsing swiftly therefore constant learning and adjustment of skills is a must. Computer skills and foreign language skills (usually English) are basic knowledge and basic requirements in many fields of employment. The employment rate of persons with intellectual disabilities is very low, especially on the open labour market with lots of competition from non-disabled people, which naturally leads to poverty and social isolation. People with disabilities are largely excluded from digital society, from opportunities for lifelong learning and from the labour market. ACCESS project’s coordinator was Hand in Hand Foundation, from Hungary and the idea of the project originated from them. As Hungary is way behind the European mean of adult education programs in general, regarding the quantity as well as the quality of these programs. Besides the strong tradition and relative high standard of special education in the school system, persons with intellectual disabilities have little to no opportunity of improving skills and learning as adults in Hungary. Special education system provides (mandatory) learning until the age of 16, further education can be found only occasionally and mainly focused on vocational training and aims to acquire a specific profession (such as gardening, carpenter, weaving etc.). Important general skills such as computer usage, IT knowledge and the related security and safety issues, foreign language learning are not part of any school system that provides special courses for persons with intellectual disabilities. There are very few opportunities in mainstream adult education where they can practice and improve skills and this disadvantaged group – mostly living from a very low income - cannot afford to attend such courses, even on the rare occasion when they can be found. Although it is well-known that these skills can be effectively trained in adulthood, a sufficient and effective solution to this growing need has not yet been found, mainstream training centres currently lack the special knowledge and methodology in implementation of training materials for persons with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the ACCESS project was to develop and implement specially designed training programs for persons with intellectual disabilities (and related developmental disabilities), in the fields of basic spoken English, basic IT knowledge and the safe use of the internet in order to consolidate and strengthen the status of these persons on the open labour market. This a huge step forward to the improvement of adult education for persons with disabilities. Besides the actual training materials (trainers guide, learner handbook) great care was paid to the specific methodology in the training of the teachers in the pilots which recognised the need for flexibility in approach, tailoring materials and levels to the needs of each individual and adjusting the speed and method of learning to suit each learner.With the project an international cooperation was implemented where the national best practices were shared and used to develop a universal version of the training program. Universal versions were localized by each partner organization, based on the local needs and specialities.Each main topic (basic spoken English, basic IT and internet safety) contain a trainer’s guide and a learner’s handbook and many additional materials, that support training process. All materials are available under the following link freely after a quick registration: https://kezenfogva.hu/node/1796The project trained 19 teachers and they trained 104 people with disabilities in Hungary, Slovenia and Sweden. Demand for places rapidly exceeded supply! All the participants found the training very useful and it was noted that participants became more confident and outgoing after the course. Teachers also admitted they learned new skills, especially around IT and developing new materials. The (deliberately) limited scope of the language teaching worked well for most, although for the very upper and lower levels of linguistic ability it had limited usefulness. The IT training was effective, especially when linked with issues of safety on the internet, with the greatest impact coming when IT skills, safety issues and ‘computer English’ were combined. ACCESS has demonstrated that there is a demand for such training from people with disabilities and that using the internet safely is a matter of huge personal significance. Universal materials are available in English. Localized materials are available in English, Slovenian, Swedish and Hungarian.

Since every EU member state is committed to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, it follows that every country will be looking to close down the old-fashioned institutions and move people (and staff) out in community based services. It is crucial to empower the PwD in order to reach their full potential and achieve full participation in the society. Also a demanding challenge alongside is to form the attitude of the supporters around them. STEPS project was set up to deliver a training method what effectively able to influence both.STEPS project main objectives were helping the transition and everybody who might get involved the process: people preparing to move out, those who have moved out, staff supporting them, the families and friends. The partnership built up from five partners in different stage of the deinstitutionalisation for Sharing the European Pathways with each other. The coordinator was the Hungarian Hand in Hand Foundation specialised in educational social care and training projects and supports the Hungarian efforts to de–institutionalise its national care services. Fundatia Alpha Transilvana (FAT) is the Romanian partner what is a major service provider in Transylvania. Kehitysvammaisten Palvelusaatio from Finland has a long-term history of innovation in service delivery and experience of training staff whilst closing down large institutionalised services. Social Care Training is the UK partner in the project. It specialises in learning disability services and staff training. inproof is our Belgian partner. It covers monitoring and quality control and valuates the project.The project had created 13 Intellectual Outputs which contain 5 universal materials, 5 localised materials with country specific contents and 3 evaluation reports on each year and manager’ feedbacks. The training materials are not just the usual training materials. An important new element (among many) is the role of the ‘co-trainer’. This is someone with a learning disability who has been trained to act as a co-trainer alongside another trainer in delivering the STEPS training materials. Not all the modules need a co-trainer, but where this is appropriate we use the skills and insights of co-trainers. The training is designed for use in the actual workplace. The materials are all broken up into roughly 3 hour training sessions in small modules clustered around a specific topic which they will need to cope with when living in the community (e.g. managing money). This means that all the materials can be accessed within a single shift by staff or residents with relative ease. The training materials had been tried and tested on two short term joint staff teaching/training activities and on two training cycles in partner countries and they really work. De-institutionalisation is a long process involving many challenges for people with disabilities, staff and families. Changing attitudes and opening up minds to different ways of supporting people to move out of institutions and live in the community is a long-term task.

<< Background >>For many PwLD, most leisure activities take place in a segregated form. Various examples like this accumulate into the social marginalisation of many PwLD & eliminating all of these are crucial to supporting social inclusion & diversity. Moreover, pandemic-induced restrictions have severely limited the few previously existing leisure opportunities, which exacerbates such social marginalisation. So, rebuilding community-based, participatory activities becomes an even more important social necessity. The need for reducing marginalisation of PwLD related to their leisure time will be met by developing the ACCESS to Leisure training manuals and courses. The key to better participation rates is improving access, involving both human & technical innovation. There is a need for professionals & informal helpers to be better equipped to help PwLD access services (e.g. using supported decision-making, online & offline tools) & improve their community participation. The need to increase the community participation of PwLD will be met by working together with the three target groups and strengthening their cooperation regarding the leisure time of PwLD. Also, digital devices offer many opportunities that could help PwLD spend their free time in a more inclusive, freely chosen way. During the ACCESS to Leisure training, we help to consciously expand the possibilities and forms of leisure by exploring new opportunities. The methods and good practices developed reinforce active, inclusive leisure of PwLD. Participation in leisure time is a healthy alternative for positive behaviour that leads to learning & living a balanced & socially inclusive life (Nkwanyana, 2020). The new European Disability Strategy 2021-2030 emphasises that PwD should have equal opportunities, equal access to participation in society & the economy. We believe that supporting leisure activities in this way contributes to increase the social inclusion and participation of PwLD.<< Objectives >>We believe that PwLD have the same preferences for leisure time activities as their non-disabled peers. Empowering PwLD, enabling them to organise their leisure independently & making it possible for them to enforce their rights described by the UNCRPD are very important issues for all partners. Based on Article 30 of UNCRPD, we want to empower PwLD to participate to the fullest extent possible in cultural life, recreation, leisure & sport. We attribute a crucial role to ICT tools in this process. Due to the prolonged presence of the coronavirus pandemic, a variety of social deficits have emerged that substantially affect the lives of PwLD. In order to remedy these, it is crucial to promote innovative ways of encouraging PwLD to spend their leisure time within local communities. The partnership with our wider stakeholders will develop the ACCESS to Leisure methodology & training package that helps to strengthen the supportive network PwLD need for spending their free time as inclusive as possible, taking advantage of online opportunities. During the training & methodology, we are committed to developing the social & digital competencies of PwLD, related professionals & informal local supporters, as well as expanding/teaching knowledge transfer methods. Our aim is to develop new opportunities for PwLD to become 'leisure facilitators', helping both their learning disabled peers access leisure facilities as well as also the wider community. This will involve new training & qualifications, curricula, training for professional assistants & training for local informal supporters. In doing so, PwLD become leisure facilitators in the local community, while related professionals & local informal supporters will be co-facilitators. It is crucial to work together with a supportive natural environment to effectively support social inclusion & diversity, so we involve the local community members & professionals in this adult learning process.This project aims to develop the competencies of PwLD, as well as of the informal supporters & professionals working with them. Teaching & learning materials will be made available for everyone (in an easily accessible form & as an e-learning curriculum). Following the principle of lifelong learning, this project enables them to participate in flexible, inclusive & collaborative training courses. Leisure is a significant part of the lives of PwLD, & its development by experiential experts in an informal way can contribute greatly to the improvement of their quality of life. Regarding adult learning opportunities, we undertake to develop the digital & social competencies of the three target groups, who will be provided with an innovative, collaborative teaching environment based on the leisure activity needs of PwLD. The adult learning process based on joint learning & research at an international level provides an opportunity to create a shared knowledge base from a European perspective. An international co-operation can be realised, in which national best practices will be shared & used in order to develop a global version of the ACCESS to Leisure training program. Global versions would be localised by each partner organisation, based on local needs & individual factors. The partners have solid knowledge in working with PwLD within community settings & they are also experienced in providing & developing adult learning courses. Sharing the country specific views brings an added value to the project. Moreover, by involving PwLD in the phases of the development we create social opportunity for them to find friends from other countries.<< Implementation >>Based on the three chosen objectives, we would like to implement the following activities during the ACCESS to Leisure project:1 - SOCIAL INCLUSION & DIVERSITY: to improve social inclusion of PwLD & diversity in society by: 1a) setting up an inclusive project team in each partner country, through which the target groups of the project develop the training materials together; 1b) based on the developed ACCESS to Leisure methodology and training materials, 15 leisure facilitators, as well as 15-15 professionals and local informal supporters as co-facilitators will be trained during the international training; 1c) during the pilot cycle, 75 people will be involved in the inclusive leisure cooperation1d) during the first multiplication event, the already trained leisure facilitators and co-facilitators will impart their knowledge to 100 people during the local training, who will also become leisure facilitators and co-facilitators in their communities1e) during the second multiplication event, 200 people will learn about the developed materials and experiences of the ACCESS to Leisure project.2 – DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: to contribute to the digital transformation by developing the digital skills and competencies of the participants by:2a) collecting good practices where digital tools help PwLD to spend their free time2b) mapping and expanding the methodology of digital devices in the field of leisure of PwLD2c) developing an e-learning course based on the ACCESS to Leisure methodology.3 – NEW, INNOVATIVE CURRICULA: Improving the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for adults by:3a) creating the ACCESS to Leisure training method: developing 3 training manuals for the 3 target groups3b) organising 3 types of international training for the 3 target groups3c) preparing a local adaptation of the training3d) organising local workshops based on the developed curricula3e) transforming the training into an e-learning format.During the ACCESS to Leisure project, we help to consciously expand the possibilities and forms of leisure by exploring new opportunities in a specific community. The methods and good practices developed reinforce active, inclusive leisure of PwLD.<< Results >>The main result of the project will be the establishment of the conditions required for the preparation of the production. The first exploratory phase (PO1) will be divided into three parts: (1) we will analyse the specificities of leisure time for PwLD, (2) we will collect & analyse good practices in the partner countries involved, (3) we will implement a photovoice project to collect & analyse visual material on the specificities of leisure time in the partner countries. These will be the starting points & parts of the content of the training manuals, which we will prepare in the next phase. These are training manuals (facilitators’ guides) for (1) PwLD (facilitators), for (2) professionals (co-facilitators) & (3) informal local supporters (co-facilitators) containing the methodology of teaching the three different stakeholders. Besides these, the collection of practical methods & tools (PO5, PO6) will help support the leisure time activities of PwLD with practical tools & easy-to-read guides. We will also produce an e-learning version of the training materials (PO7), making the developments more widely available (in English). All training manuals will have English, German, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch & Finnish versions & each will contain country-specific information besides general information (PO8-13).We train 9 leisure facilitators, 9 professional assistants as co-facilitators and 9 local community co-facilitators during the international training sessions. The people who participated in the international trainings will pass on their knowledge to further 15 local people (5 per target group) in each partner country within the frames of local workshops (pilot cycle). After the workshops, as a first multiplier event (ME1), a local training will be organised by members of the three target groups (20 new people involved per country). So we will train 9 Leisure facilitators and 18 co-facilitators in the international training, and then 100 more leisure facilitators and co-facilitators in the local training (ME1). The final products developed will be presented to a wider audience at a conference (ME2). Other benefits of the project include: a proven change of attitude to better involve PwLD in leisure activities and changes in the quality of life of those involved. Finally, every partner organisation will investigate if the training can be accredited or officially approved by their national body as an extra curriculum, & if so, start the accreditation process. The successful accreditation could guarantee the open accessibility of the teaching & learning materials & the training itself.