Since February, a new series of 12 wheelchair users attend the group support meetings organized within the project Access to Education, Community and Services for wheelchair users. They have the opportunity to meet people with similar situations, to share their experiences and find solutions to problems they often encounter. An important role belongs to our independent living trainer who is himself wheelchair user and represents a role model for the other participants. Discussions are complemented by training sessions for independent living. Participants are divided into two groups and take part in meetings for seven weeks.
We have been a family for almost 10 years and we both love to make new friends. Therefore, we are happy to attend group support meetings. We have the opportunity to learn new things, including wheelchair handling techniques. We hope that at the end of the program we will have six more friends, our colleagues from the group support and also that we will be better prepared to face the environmental challenges, while moving around in our wheelchairs. (Mihaela and Filip, wheelchair users participating in group support activity)
Also in February, eight people started receiving home care services from a multidisciplinary team that includes a nurse, a social worker, a physiotherapist and an independent living trainer. They make assessments of health and skills for the wheelchair users they visit and they also make recommendations in order to improve the health condition and the abilities of the participants. To ensure that their advice is taken into consideration, they work directly with beneficiaries and also suggest other types of services that meet their needs.
So far, 95 wheelchair users attended group support meetings and other 64 people received specialized home care services within the project Access to Education, Services and Community for wheelchair users, funded by 2009 – 2014 EEA Grants, within the NGO Fund in Romania. Through the same project, we provide assisted transportation for people with disabilities and we organize sport demonstrations and camps for students with and without disabilities and their teachers. Together with our partners from Special Olympics Romania, we run the program “SO Get to It!”, and organize seminars and debates on school inclusion for students with disabilities.
For more information, please contact Iuliana Eftimie, social worker, tel.: 0728 176 179, e-mail: i.eftimie@motivation.ro.
For official information about the EEA and Norway Grants, visit www.eeagrants.org and www.fondong.fdsc.ro.
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Motivation Romania Foundation is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization created in 1995 to support children and adults with disabilities. The services we offer cover a wide range of needs, from assessment and adapted equipment for different types of mobility disabilities, to medical rehabilitation and independent living training, under the guidance of a wheelchair user trainer. So far, Motivation has restored the freedom of movement and hope for a fulfilling life for more than 14,500 people with disabilities in Romania. More information on www.motivation.ro
Special Olympics Romania Foundation was established in November 2003 as part of the Special Olympics international sports movement. Special Olympics provides people with special needs the chance to discover and develop their potential and skills through sports training programs and competitive events. Thus, Special Olympics athletes have the opportunity to become active members of the family and community to which they belong. Special Olympics is an experience that instills energy, health, self-confidence and joy of living.