In recent years, it is possible to notice a growing question from the Civil Society related to the added social value of persons with intellectual disabilities. In different countries new insertion practices and new forms of employment are appearing. These different realities provide a wide range of solutions and practices to meet the needs and expectations of people with disability. Through the Valor Employment project, the Partnership looked at these practices, explored them, and identified key elements for success as well as obstacles to their implementation and transfer. The objective was therefore to point out elements and practices that facilitate the professional and social integration of people with intellectual disability.
This project was a great opportunity for a very committed partnership composed of organizations active in the field of social services, and its execution will lead to:
- Improve the skills of professionals that work with people with intellectual disability, particularly in the field of professional insertion and work integration;
- The development of new skills of people with intellectual disability;
- Have an overview of new forms of employment for people with intellectual disability;
- Identify and analyse good practices and factors of success to improve the role of service providers in supporting the employability of people with intellectual disability.
To do so, 5 training activities in 5 countries were organized. The short-time joint training events focused on: the legal frameworks in which the service providers operate, the role that service providers play in fostering employability of persons with disability, what contribution a person with an intellectual disability can provide to the community, how to identify the right path, which social roles users take on, …
All the training was structured around three main questions that were approached on the point of view of Service providers, Users, and Local communities:
What is the added Value of the experience?
What are the key factor to success?
What berries can be identified?
These questions are the base of the training activities and of the Reports that were prepared after the trainings.
