According to the Development Strategy for Inowrocław county up until 2020, in the county of Inowrocław disability was the second most important social problem, and was ranked the third principal cause of hardship in families. The project addressed a need for initiatives that combined psychological support and rehabilitation for people with disabilities and their families with inclusive and integration measures.
Fifteen people with various psychophysical disabilities and their carers (twelve persons) participated. These were persons who increasingly avoided contact with the community due to health, disability progression, material hardship, their place of residence (small towns), and lack of information about the sources of funding for rehabilitation and therapy methods available.
To address these issues, we provided all of the participants with group therapy sessions and arranged meetings with social workers, CSOs, the local community, and people with disabilities conducting civic journalism. The participants with disabilities were provided with therapy packages (150 hours) and 24 workshops (dog therapy, art therapy, ergotherapy, alpaca therapy). Carers were given sociotherapy workshops. We also opened a helpline (100 consultations were given) which provided participants with more information about the therapy methods and sources of rehabilitation funding available, and a number of people were able to get funding for further rehabilitation on their own.
The rehabilitation treatment provided by a physiotherapist and masseuse, and the workshops, improved the mental and physical condition of people with disabilities. The project helped people with disabilities to become more independent and form new friendships which continued beyond the project. In turn, the carers shared knowledge and know-how, their mental state improved, and they formed new, long-term community relationships.