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InclusiVitality
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Nov 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

People with disabilities in Europe are around 80 million, one in six citizens, but still they are affected by discrimination as well as physical and attitudinal barriers. They are poorer than other citizens of the European Union, fewer of them have jobs, their opportunities to enjoy goods and services such as education, healthcare, transport, housing, and technology are more limited. As full citizens, people with disabilities have equal rights and are entitled to dignity, equal treatment, independent living and full participation in society. ATLHA Onlus is focused in offering to people with disabilities equal possibilities to join leisure time activities, travels and experiences of indipendent living and learning. Travelling alone (without parents) is an essencial experience for everyone, also for disabled people which are usually too protected by their families or by medical assistance. Taking part to one of our groups means travelling the world and visiting beautiful, distant places, staying together with friends, mates, and young volunteers, trying to live in autonomy far from home, sleeping in room with others, paying attention to new stimulus from the unknown environmenteven. All these elements, even for few days, could give to people with disabilities self-respect, confidence, independence, will of take a challenge. All the activities in which ATLHA is engaged are supported and realised thanks to a cohesive group of young volunteers. ATLHA thinks it is important to instill a variety of point of views and attitudes and skills to the staff of volunteers. The project aims to to host and train on a long term (12 months) 3 girls, age 20-25, from Turkey and Georgia, in order to add more of the female inclination, sensivity and pragmatism to our staff, currently in a majority of male volunteers. The presence of the new volunteers will increase the participation of young disabled women to our groups, at the same time it will bring to the group an important exchanging aspect: cultural. On one hand, the participants' activities will be addressed to support group members during trips and vacations, in or outside Italy. On the other hand they will be devoted to the creation and organization of workshops or creativ laboratories, that will take place in ATLHA's headquarter, in Milan. The activities of our association will benefit from the fresh, orginal approach of the new comers. Furthermore, we will encourage participants to share their skills and abilities, trying to teach to other youngsters with disabilities their hobbies, passion or jobs (photography, gardening, acting, baking, and so on). The three participants will be followed by a tutor who will provide and guarantee their preparation and training, as well as any kind of support during their international experience. They will work togheter with other Italian volunteers which could facilitate their adaptation to the new environment. As a result we expect participants could complete an important experience of social inclusion, developing skills appliable in a wide range of professional profiles, enhancing their attention and responsiveness toward concepts like accessibility and equal rights. On the other side, we hope the disable people taking part to our activities could enhance their sense of being European and could absorbe some of the transnational approach to the inclusion and learning processes, widening their awarness of new cultural aspects of living together. Local volunteers could be also interested in visiting or applying themselves to othether international projects in Europe, using the network of hosting and sending organizations already in force. As a long term benefit, we could increase the social inclusion culture across Europe, giving to all parts involved instruments and best practices to share and disseminate. Enabling people with disabilities to enjoy equal rights to move, travel, play and have fun is one of the main purpose of this project, in line with EU's long-term strategy for their active inclusion.
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