This project was a great eye-opening cooperation for both of our organisations. We got rid of our fears and concerns connected to the involvment of young people with disabilities in our international work. We also made some interesting and – maybe – useful observations throughout the project that we beleive is worth sharing. Please, read it and we hope that it makes you also to reconsider some things connected to your work.
Conclusions of small-scale researches ran throughout the project
a. In one facet of our project, we conducted comprehensive research involving young people with disabilities in two countries, Hungary and Norway. The findings highlighted distinct needs based on the type of disability:
Young People with Mental Disabilities:
- Unique Worldview: Those with mental disabilities perceive the world differently.
- Trust-Based Accompaniment: Preparation and participation necessitate a trustworthy accompanying person, like a family member or a social worker with whom they are in a daily contact.
- Reaching the target group: These young people can mostly be reached through institutions, organisations they attend.
Young People with Physical Disabilities:
- Openness to Travel: Individuals with physical disabilities exhibit enthusiasm for travel.
- Physical Support Requirement: Their support leans more towards physical assistance rather than a protective approach.
- Flexible Accompanying Person Identity: The identity of the accompanying person becomes crucial after satisfying the physical needs. They do not need that this person has a previous contact to them.
- Reaching the target group: They might be reached individually, but they are more trusting if they are reached through organisations or people they know.
b. The second research initiative comprised an online international study mapping the intentions of organisations engaged in international mobility projects regarding the inclusion of young people with disabilities:
- Limited Interest: Organisations generally exhibit minimal interest in involving young people with disabilities due to an overwhelming participant load and complex workloads in their programme.
- Planning Challenges: Planning for the participation of young individuals with disabilities is intricate, requiring advanced consideration due to the necessity of soliciting special needs costs in advance.
Insights from Implemented Youth Exchanges
In executing three youth exchanges with both mentally and physically disabled participants, we gained valuable insights:
Integrated Projects:
- Advocacy for Integration: Fully supporting integrated projects, we believe that the true impact is realized when young people with disabilities are seamlessly integrated into the group.
- Mutual Learning: Both those with and without disabilities benefit from mutual learning experiences, serving as a valuable resource in nonformal learning events.
Role Adaptability:
- Dynamic Support Dynamics: Depending on the level of physical disability, participants quickly assume supportive roles as group dynamics deepen.
Accompanying Persons:
- Adaptable Roles: After their supported participants integrate to the group, accompanying persons can play adaptable roles, offering valuable resources to the organizing team while maintaining a focus on supporting the young person.
- Emotional Support for Mental Disabilities: Emotional and mental support is essential for mentally disabled participants, particularly as many are first-time travelers.
- Vulnerability and Motivation: Once mentally disabled participants feel comfortable, they become highly motivated and active, yet remain vulnerable due to limited awareness of their physical barriers, they can overload themselves with experiences and tasks.
Challenges and Recommendations:
- Financial Support Insufficiency: Relying solely on financial support is insufficient to boost the participation of young people with disabilities.
- Capacity Building for Youth Workers: Youth workers, experienced in nonformal learning in an international context, lack the necessary tools to effectively work with disabled young people.
- Synergy in Collaboration: It is crucial to go beyond merely informing organizations working with disabled youth about program opportunities. Instead, fostering collaboration between organizations dealing with disabled individuals and those active in international mobilities can harness the synergies of knowledge and experience to create integrated projects and provide young people from both target groups with opportunities to meet and integrate.
Recommendations to policy makers, National Agencies and the European Commission
- Financial support is not sufficient if the participation of young people with disabilities in the Erasmus+ program is to be increased!
a. More efforts should be made to sensitize organisations working with international mobility projects.
b. New forums should be opened for these organisations to meet those who work with youth with disabilities.
c. Integration should be the main message in the involvement of young people with disabilities.
d. The request for financial support for special needs should be handled with a new approach to ease the involvement of young people with disabilities in a later stage of a project, after the application is sent.
- The launch and acceptance of the European Disability Card should be urged by the Erasmus+ program coordinating authorities.
- More visible distinction should appear on the online surfaces of the programme about the availability of these project for young people with disabilities.
Young people have their dreams and plans regardless if they have disability or not. However, life quality of young people with disabilities and their families in the 2 involved countries are very different. We, as youth organisations dealing with young people through international programmes, have the same possibilities thanks to the Erasmus+ programme, and we can offer the same opportunities to young people with or without disabilities. Don’t be afraid, just make the change!
And finally, we would also like to share a video of a Hungarian online newspaper 444, which is also very eyeopening documental, concerning the situation of people living disabilities in 2 different countries and 2 different realities in the continent, that happens to been filmed in Hungary and Norway.