Life school for better living

Latvia

Liepāja Blind association

Ganību street 197/205, Dunikas iela 1- 1, Liepāja, LATVIJA Phone: (+371)63431535, (+371)26544442 Email: liepajas_nb@inbox.lv Website: www.redzigaismu.lv

NGO

Rehabilitation centre “Life school” was created to provide social rehabilitation and support policy of people with vision and other kinds of disability; to facilitate gaining of social skills, integration in society and returning to work market, update and improve social skills as well as to raise awareness on universal design principle. Centre “Life school” is a support point for people living outside town to receive social rehabilitation services.
They stay one or two months at the “Life school”. They accommodation is covered by municipality and various project financing. During this time for them in accordance with they abilities an individual social rehabilitation plans are elaborated and implemented. In co-operation with other institutions, persons with disability are consulted about possibilities to receive timely and corresponding social help and support. The lessons are targeted to acquire social know-how and individual skills in order to improve quality of life. “Student” become computer literate, learn to read and write in Braile, orientate with white walking stick, weave wicker articles, learn macramé technique, update culinary skills. Many conversations are held about life, past and future plans, discussions about abilities of a person with disability, about meaning of changes in life. In many cases these people first need to believe themselves that they can do many things!
Creating “Life school” we thought a lot about implementation of the universal design, to make it accessible for people with vision, hearing and movement disorders, thus considering the right of all people to participate fully in all areas of life.

One of the target audiences is also family members of people with disabilities. We have seen many cases when relatives wishing the best for their closes, have taught a person with disability to be helpless. He gets everything prepared and ready for use. When we invite someone to stay in “Life school” we invite his/her relatives also to participate in the same classes. The aim is to show, that despite disability, everyone is able to do many things independently.

Since opening in 2006, this service has been used by 16 persons with vision disorders. They are very satisfied with new skills and abilities, with the psychological support. Some of them are living in homes for disabled, some are weaving wicker articles and two have enrolled in a University.

All graduates have expressed gratitude for this opportunity. Many of them acknowledged that hey have been afraid, they did not want to go alone to an unfamiliar place and they had no faith in their strengths. But at the end a joy about first coffee cup made unassisted by others, cooked egg, weaved basket, written letter in Braile, joy for the possibility to break loose from everyday routine.

“Life school” is promoted in surrounding municipalities though social workers, who are best informed about their municipalities. Stories about graduates are disseminated trough organisation newspaper as good examples encouraging others.

“Life school” is a practical example for enforcing the universal design principle. It has been promoted in municipalities, schools, enterprises and NGOs.

people with disabilities, integration, quality of life, universal design