SOCIETY

For the past 11 years SKEP has systematically implemented Disability Awareness Programs, addressing mainly primary & secondary education mainstream students. The educational  programs are implemented during school hours, both within and outside the school premises.
The disability awareness program "Focus on the person" addresses primary & secondary education mainstream students within the school curriculum (the program is approved by the Ministry of Education). Through an open, informative dialogue headed by motivational speakers with disability, the program aims to awaken students and change their attitude towards diversity while introducing them to the notion of social acceptance and equality.

More specifically, the program focuses on:

-  Familiarizing them with the notion of disability
-  Helping them understand the daily obstacles faced by people with disability as well as the potential they possess
-  Facilitating communication between youth with & without disability
-  Improving their self-confidence and trust in themselves, while enhancing their ability to overcome obstacles (hearing about true accounts of people managing to defeat personal adversities)
-  Energizing reflexes of solidarity & responsibility, aiming to empower the social conscious of the next generation

Goals of the Educational Program

1. Deconstruct stereotypes of prejudice about disability through the awakening of the general population and the reshaping of attitudes
2. Incorporating / integrating people with disabilities into everyday life, aiming towards their social inclusion

Secondary benefits
At the same time, the Educational Program contributes towards students’ psycho-social development, enabling them to view both society & themselves in a different way.

1. By hearing about true accounts of people managing to defeat personal adversities, children improve their self-confidence and trust in themselves, while enhancing their ability to overcome obstacles.
2. By interacting with diversity it develops empathy and a sense of right and wrong, helping them to become a beacon of change within the community.

The importance of the Educational System within the school framework

Awakening through experiential learning: Our programs within the school framework, emphasize on:

1/ Access to information and awareness campaigns for mainstream students regarding diversity.
‘I am informed, I comprehend, I learn, I think, I alter my attitude’

2/ Subsequent social and professional integration of all persons with disabilities in all levels of society.
‘They see me, They understand the abilities I have but also realize the obstacles I face, They take me into consideration, They alter their attitude towards diversity’

Above all, the open dialogues within the school framework enable students to comprehend the everyday life of a young person with disability through spontaneous and frank discussions. They will hear real-life stories about people who have found ways to overcome obstacles and defeated adversity. Apart from familiarizing students with disability, the program offers the participants a life lesson by creating a new communication code, building relationships of understanding, respect and acceptance through the experiential process. Additionally it reinforces the notion of social inclusion, camaraderie and awareness, while simultaneously promoting trust in ourselves and others. Genuine feelings represent the most successful recipe for a life stance without restrictions, stereotypes and “limited” perceptions.

         B. Methodology

The Educational Program, which has been approved by the Ministry of Education, takes place during the school year 2019 – 2020 both within and outside the Attica district. The program addresses primary & secondary education mainstream students within the school curriculum.  It has been designed according to students’ age groups and to the different needs that arise.

The Educational Program:

- Is implemented by a Coordinator & one or two Speakers (with or without disability)
- Is aimed at 1 or 2 classes, providing the number of participating students does not exceed 80
- The duration of the speech is set at one or two teaching hours.

Α/  Primary Education: Educational Program "Approaching Diversity"

In a simple and understandable way for students of a younger age group, the motivational speakers emphasize on informing and describing the conditions and everyday life of people with disabilities in our country. It is essentially an introduction to the notion of diversity.

a/ 1st Section:
- The speaker with disability explains and describes his own reality about his disability and focuses on daily issues such as: routine, accessibility, obstacles he faces but also opportunities which arise
- Should the school request that the program continue into a 2nd teaching hour, the coordinator along with the disability speaker will implement the Experiential / Interactive Disability Awareness Workshop “Think Differently”: through the use of experiential games, the workshop will help students not only understand the everyday obstacles we set for disabled citizens but also realize the solutions that exist.

b/ 2nd Section:
Open dialogue with students

Β/  Secondary Education: Educational Program "Disability as a challenge: Barriers & Solutions

This particular program is aimed at older students. In a personal, simple, direct yet lively way, interaction with people with disability offers students the opportunity to approach and realize the concepts of diversity, social acceptance and equality, while improving their individual and social development.

a/ 1st Section: Multi-thematic speeches are held for a wider dissemination of information:

1/ "Disability as a Challenge: You too can become the reason for the change in our society": Experiential Speeches from our executives with disability, with the active participation of students.
2/ “Give communication a meaning”: Workshop introducing students to Greek Sign Language by our executive (trainee interpreter of Greek Sign Language).
3/ “See Differently”: Experiential program aiming to raise awareness on issues faced by people with visual impairment.

b/ 2nd Section: Open dialogue with students

The Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs has approved SKEP’s request for "Implementing an experiential program of familiarity with diversity: open dialogue discussions focusing on informing and raising awareness on disability, conducted by disabled youth" (Approval: Experiential Program in Primary and Secondary Schools (General and Vocational) Education