According to County Disability Classification Team data, the number of children with disabilities is increasing. In 2020, in the county of Tarnobrzeg, the number of rulings for the 0-16 age group was as high as 141. Most parents are forced to stop or significantly limit work. The necessary spending on treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy usually harms families’ financial standing. Combined with lack of time and motivation, this puts them at risk of exclusion from many areas of life. In Tarnobrzeg, support intended directly for parents and carers of children with disabilities is not available – our activities will fill this gap.
We will conduct four series of nine thematic workshops: on psychoeducation, with a lawyer, with a reha-manager, on photography, on making confectionery, artistic, handicraft: floristry and tailoring, and computers; we will operate a support group, makeup workshops ending in a photo shoot, and dance and gymnastics classes. We will organize three cultural excursions: a concert, a theatre piece, and a trip to a museum. We will invite the local community to three conferences on the needs of people with disabilities (on subjects such as alternative communication methods, operating on the job market, and forms of rehabilitation), and encourage parents to share their experiences. During all of the measures, volunteers (teachers and students) will provide care for the children.
In the project, the Przystań Activity Centre will improve the functioning of families of children with disabilities. Parents and carers will become aware of their rights, gain new competencies, and become more active, including through involvement in self-advocacy.
100 parents and carers of children with disabilities from Tarnobrzeg and the surrounding area will participate.