Crossing the Borders; Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Crossing the Borders; Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions

Project Summary

According to OECD and EU data, 15 percent of the world population is disabled and at a disadvantage compared to others. When we asked the teacher of the special needs class in our school about why special needs students (SNS) do not go on break at the same time with the rest of the students, they replied that SNS can be triggered by fast movement and loud noises, adding that other students can be afraid of special needs students and often bother them. We developed our project in order to come up with a solution to this issue. We conducted a survey to evaluate the opinions of the parents on SNS. Our observations of students and the results of parent surveys revealed a higher level of negative attitude towards SNS than anticipated. Our goal with this project was to create a positive change in attitude towards SNS at our school and in our local area.
Objectives:
Our goal was to help change negative attitudes towards disabled people to positive, to decrease the social exclusion of the disabled while increasing their social inclusion, at the level of primary education.
What we have done to achieve our goal:
1. Introducing students and parents to special needs children:
SNS were accompanied by their teacher to visit the other classrooms. Students from other classrooms were informed about SNS and their disabilities. Classrooms were provided with story books containing information and success stories about people with disabilities, which the students were encouraged to read. Specialists were invited to school to provide further information to the parents and students on the subject of disability.
2. Showing that disabled people can be productive:
Visits were conducted to establishments providing vocational training to SNS. Participants learned how to produce items such as galoshes, wood painting, etc. An
interview and signing day was held with 12-year-old disabled author KeremBaşaran.
3. Friends outside school borders:
*T-shirt painting *Making new year cards *Painting beach pebbles *Picnic *Kite festival *Children’s games festival *Going to public playgrounds together *Planting trees *Trip to the zoo *‘Understanding my friend’ themed painting workshop *Group meetings for SNS parents and other parents *Making an animated short film *Performing social exclusion themed play *Trips, games, races and other cultural activities to help mingle SNS with others. *Step dance performance planned for 23 April couldn’t happen due to Covid.
4. Children who can approach SNS:
Children got to meet and interact in events held in and out of school. They got over their mutual prejudices and fears. Friendships created through the process continued in and out of school space.
5. Other parents interacting with SNS parents:
All parents were required to join the events of the project, leading them to get to know and understand each other. Parents of both groups were made to interact.
6. Short film:
We made a short film from the pictures taken throughout the project and put it on YouTube.
7. Play:
The students and parents from both groups worked on and performed a theater play on the social struggles of disabled people written by our special needs teacher. The play was performed on the biggest stage of Izmir to participants from other local schools. It continued being performed in the school stage for local people. All performers got on stage at curtain call to sing “We are the World”. All project partners performed this play in their own countries and languages. The recording of the play was shown in the virtual Poland meeting due to Covid.
8. eTwinning project:
We published our project, its events, and results on the eTwinning platform.
Outcomes:
The target group’s attitudes towards SNS were evaluated in “before-after” format by asking the students to draw pictures and conducting surveys with the parents. It has been observed that while SNS were mostly lonely and unhappy in their “before” drawings, “after” drawings showed them playing happily with friends. The results of the parent surveys also revealed a positive change in their attitudes towards SNS.
Long-term benefits:
Education is the achievement of terminal behavior. This achievement should occur in early ages. In our project, we have observed the possibility of a positive change in the students’ attitude through education. Such a change will likely help increase social awareness about and social inclusion of disabled people in the long term, which will lead them to have equal conditions, and rights and status in society. Disabled people with the opportunity to improve themselves will be able to prove themselves as equals financially, artistically, and athletically. Our women’s goalball theme winning gold medal in the 2021 Paralympic Games is an example of the possibility of achievement for disabled people.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 89371,69 Eur

Project Coordinator

osmangazi ilkokulu & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Centrul Scolar pentru Educatie Incluziva Cluj-Napoca
• Daugavpils 11 pamatskola
• Szkola Podstawowa im. Wl. Jagielly w Starych Skoszewach