2023
Motivation Calendar 2023
A New Year, new challenges! In 2023 we aim to be more active, to be more present in the life of wheelchair users by organizing training activities for independent living, participating in national sports events, mobility and health caravans, regional advocacy training events. Because we value the health of our beneficiaries and employees, we have planned the gradual resumption of wheelchair donations and home visits. We hope that during the course of the year to return to the activities that pertain to the organizing seminars, courses or active recovery sessions, while still being rigorous in implementing health protection rules.
Advocacy for community access to wheelchair users
Abilities matter!
For two years we promoted as actively as possible that people with disabilities can be active and independent in the community, in an accessible environment – both when it comes to architecture barriers, as well as attitudes and information. An inclusive community functions better embracing diversity, putting together the abilities and competencies of each and every member of the community.
This year, for five more months, we want to reach to as many wheelchair users as possible, as part of the “Advocacy for Community Access for Wheelchair Users” project, in order to support their social inclusion in the communities they belong to.
The project is implemented by Motivation Romania Foundation in partnership with the Segoia Association, and benefits from a 239.827 euro grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021.
The goal of this project is helping the social inclusion of people with disabilities by improving the mobility and health of wheelchair users. As part of the project, we support people with disabilities in promoting their rights and abilities and we are starting advocacy actions on both at local and nation level. We wish to reach as many areas in the country, so wheelchair users can learn abilities that will help with their social inclusion.
About the Active Citizens Fund Romania
Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants.
The objectives of Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.
Inclusion through sports for children with developmental disabilities from six countries
We are in the third and final year of implementing the project “Inclusion through sport for children with developmental disabilities” which promotes the inclusion of children and young people with developmental disabilities. In this project all participants are enjoying sports events that help improve cognitive, social and motor skills. Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) will improve their abilities by participating in sports activities and team games among youth and children without ID, as part of a three years European project, managed by Motivation Romania Foundation.
The project, which started in January 2021 and is coordinated by Motivation Romania Foundation. The partners in the project are: Special Olympics Romania, SO Iceland, SO Slovakia, SO Lithuania, SO Bosnia and Herzegovina, SO Montenegro, SO Europe Eurasia Foundation and the University of Poznan. We all facilitate inclusion in the community for children with intellectual disabilities, with the help of unified sports activities that will also be joined by children without intellectual disabilities. Also, it is important to help family members of those with ID in gaining back the trust in their childrens’ abilities.
In the first year of implementation of the project, we have developed a website https://inclusivesportsforchildren.eu/ where we publish news about football and basketball sports events that are organized for young people with and without intellectual disabilities, from each country partner. They will express their views on the impact of such a project on the social integration of children and young people with intellectual disabilities at the community level.
“Inclusion through sports for children with developmental disabilities” benefits from of a € 1.195.000 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation. The aim of the project is to support children with intellectual disabilities and their social inclusion, by encouraging sports practices and participating in sports games among children without intellectual disabilities.
About EEA and Norway Grants
The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.
There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided € 3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014.
For the period 2014-2021, the EEA and Norway Grants amount to € 2.8 billion.
#TeamMotivation supports the active and independent life of wheelchair users
We are an energetic team and we are happy when new friends join us at running or cycling sports events. Wheelchair runners, active and independent people who encourage the new life in a wheelchair and exceeding the limits are also part of #TeamMotivation. We are participating at sport races to show the skills of people with disabilities and to raise funds for programs dedicated to them. Even though the context of the pandemic meant that in 2021 most sporting events didn’t bring together enthusiastic groups of runners or cyclists, we managed to find ways to participate with #TemMotivation.
We want to be even more active this year and present the cause of Motivation to as many sporting events as possible that are organized nationwide. During this year we keep you up to date with the events that will be organized and for which we will carefully analyze whether the participation of #TeamMotivation offers safe conditions for health protection.
If we have convinced you, leave us a message on comunicare@motivation.ro or get in touch to our colleague Iuliana on 0728 176 179. You tell us at which sporting event you want to join us, and we will keep you posted with race and registration information.
Fill in the registration form in #TeamMotivation.
Come on in #TeamMotivation to run or bike together in the orange T-shirt!
Young adults with IMPACT
The activities that we organize for the young people in the IMPACT program have been adapted during the course of the pandemic in order to protect their health, as well as that of the staff taking care of them.
Even though the protection rules were more relaxed in 2021, we strictly adhere to them, in order to protect the health of all those involved. And this year we will carry out as many outdoor activities as possible to involve our young people in occupations that consolidate the skills of personal autonomy, gardening, tailoring, DIY, painting, creating decorative objects or making pieces of furniture in the workshop. joinery. In addition, we will organize mountain walks to encourage them to interact with nature and enjoy physical activities. During the summer months, we are planning trips and camps to Văratec, where our youth visit the monasteries in the area, the bison reserve, the Red Lake, Creangă’s memorial house or the Silver Forest. For all activities we apply strict health protection measures and keep small working groups.
Alongside our objective to protect their health, we want to contribute to improving their quality of life by continuing activities that bring cognitive, socio-affective and behavioral improvements.
| Daily afternoon schedule | Group activities in the Day Center: sports, manufacturing trinkets/decorations (for the 1st March, Easter or Christmas), decorative objects for the house and garden, cooking activities, psychodrama. | |
| Daily schedule | Carpentry workshop: we create objects out of pallets or recondition furniture. Sewing workshop: we create protective masks, modify clothing. | |
#EnAbleParking? Campaign
In November 2022 the #EnAbleParking? campaign celebrated 5 years of implementation. For the same period, Motivation Romania Foundation has been carrying the message of freeing up parking spaces dedicated to people with disabilities and abusively occupied in over 1340 dedicated parking spaces, in 138 cities in Romania.
There are over 8,500* cars on the roads in the country, adapted for drivers and passengers with disabilities.
#EnAbleParking? is a public awareness campaign about the importance of freeing up disabled parking spots that are abusively occupied. We hope that, in time, our message will be present in as many parking spots offered by stores, commercial centers, public parking lots (and not only) as possible, and that drivers without any disabilities will free up the spots not meant for them and encourage others to follow their example.
If you want to support us in promoting this message, here is how you can do it:
– Free up parking spots meant for people with disabilities if you do not have a disability of your own, and spread the news to your friends and family;
– Put the #EnAbleParking? sticker on your car – you can find the one for people with disabilities here, and the one for people without disabilities here;
– Share the #EnAbleParking? flyer, in which we share the reasons why the dedicated spots have to be free;
All you need to do is write to us at comunicare@motivation.ro and we’ll contact you to offer you the sticker or #EnAbleParking? flyers.
*The number is offered by the Romanian Auto Registry for the January 2012 – June 2022 interval.
The SMS donation campaign
A wheelchair can be compared to a pair of shoes that needs to properly fit the person that’s wearing them, and the context in which they’re worn.
Annually, in Romania, thousands of people with disabilities receive wheelchairs not fit for them, which can cause physical pain. Often, this is a danger to the users’ health.
Over 28 000 people with disabilities are enjoying a more free and independent life with the help of wheelchairs adapted to their needs and active recovery services offered by Motivation Romania in over 28 years of dedicated services.
In September 2019 we launched the SMS donation campaign, in order to bring together with us as many advocates for the rights of children and adults alike, regardless of disability, to have an active and fulfilling life with help of an adapted wheelchair.
There are shoes that take you a long way. So are wheelchairs!
With every 50 SMS messages sent, together we can change for the better the life of a person with disability.
Join our initiative: send a text message with the word ACTIV at 8844 and contribute with 2 euros/month to giving mobility back to people with disabilities through wheelchairs adapted to their needs.
The more recurring SMS messages, the more lives changed for the better!