Harnessing new ICTs as a means to ease the job inclusion of visually impaired youth

1
Harnessing new ICTs as a means to ease the job
inclusion of visually impaired youth

• EBU Youth Seminar
• Bratislava, Slovak Republic
• 7th 8th November 2009

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European volunteering projects for and with
young visually impaired people

• Loredana Mirela Dicsi
• Visually Impaired Education and Work Support
  (VIEWS International)

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Objectives of the workshop

• Get aware with terms like volunteering in
  general, EVS, Youth in Action
• Introducing briefly some programs that offer
  volunteering possibilities in Europe Youth in
  Action with Action 2 and Civilian Volunteering
  Service
• Sharing experience from the volunteering field

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Working Methods

• Presentation of an 11 minutes film
• Discussions
• Debates
• Homework before the seminary

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Materials

• A Different Point of View, film by Anca David
  from Views
• Users Guide of Youth in Action Program, Action 2
• Volunteers Guide, optional document
• Presentation of Views Activities
• Powerpoint presentation

6
Homework

• Questions to reflect on
• Why do you want to be an EVS volunteer?
• What do you know about EVS and what would you
  like to know more?
• To which country would you like to go? For how
  long?
• In what kind of project would you like to work
  (environment, work with children, office work,
  etc.)
• Would you need any assistance during the EVS
  time? If yes, what kind of?

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Homework for those who were volunteers

• If you were an EVS or another kind of volunteer
  please prepare a half page document and indicate
• Where have you been a volunteer? (the country)
• The period of your volunteering
• What was your project?
• What kind of assistance did you get?
• What did you get from the experience on both
  personal and professional plan?

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Plan of the Workshop

• Introducing ourselves (first name and the country
  you are coming from)
• Presentation of volunteering programs (reference
  to the homework questions)
• The film
• Reactions, sharing experiences
• Questions and answers from both sides

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European Voluntary Service (EVS)

• What is it?
• Who can participate?
• Duration of a project
• What kind of project can I do as an EVS?
• How can I become an EVS?
• What are the benefits?

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European Volunteering Center

• What is it?
• Who can participate?
• How long lasts a project?
• What kind of project?
• How can I become a volunteer?

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The adapted EVS

• Preparation before the project
• the application form for the grant
• discussion about the special costs mobility
  courses adapted documents, white cane etc.
• Advanced Planning Visit
• visit of the Host Organization and the project
• visit of the flat
• evaluation with the mobility, daily living
  officers, and the mentor

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The Adapted EVS

• During the project
• reduced working time 20 to 22 h / week
• During the first 2 weeks intensive
• mobility courses
• daily living courses
• language courses

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The Adapted EVS

• During the project
• Mobility courses
• Mindful learning classes
• Daily living courses
• Personalized reinforced mentorship
• Computer classes if needed
• Adapted city tours
• Adapted documents in braille, large print or
  digital format

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The adapted EVS

• We have 4,5 months or 9 months projects
• We encourage the autonomy of the EVS
• Our volunteers work as all other volunteers
• Thanks to the mobility courses, the daily living
  courses, the appropriate assistance offered in
  the beginning and the support during the whole
  project, they can go by themselves to work, do
  shopping or to their leisure activities

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Questions for a future reflection

• In case we have the time, we will answer or
  discuss these questions
• Is volunteering a first step towards employment?
• Did my volunteering experience help me to get a
  job?
• Was my experience as a volunteer a support to do
  my job better?
• Am I more prepared for a first work experience
  than someone who didnt do volunteering?

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My contacts

• Name Loredana Dicsi
• Email dicsi_loredana_at_yahoo.com
• address Views International aisblRue en Bois
  104, 4000 Liège Belgium
• Phone [phone]
• Fax[phone]
• web-site www.views.be www.viewsintl.eu