There are over 50 people with intellectual disabilities in the area, and we are the only service provider.Their social participation is particularly weak.

We want to create opportunities for meaningful social interactions among people with and without intellectual disabilities by 1)establishing a cross-sectoral network of different local actors and 2)engaging volunteers.

The best practices will be advocated in front of the municipality as recommendations for a local disability strategy.

Primarily in Zbilje and the municipality of Medvode, but also in the neighboring rural areas.

The current civic infrastructure in the municipality of Medvode lacks networks, processes, and culture that bring together different stakeholders to cooperate with each other to improve the social engagement of adults with intellectual disabilities. The issue is especially intense in villages, where opportunities for social interactions are low(er), and the discrimination towards this target group is higher. In addition, there is no local strategy that addresses the issue on a systematic level.

Building a local network that continuously creates opportunities for social interaction among people with and without disabilities, reaches a goal beyond deinstitutionalization.

Regardless of the place of residence, it is the local community that ultimately dis/encourages inclusion.

In the project, we will involve 18 adults with intellectual disabilities who use our community services plus 7 from our waiting list (people that reside in the area and do not receive services as our capacity is limited). They will be involved in meaningful, person-centered societal activities with 10 local stakeholders and 10 local volunteers. The activities implemented will test community solutions for improved social participation of adults with intellectual disabilities.

In the long term, the number of adults with disabilities, stakeholders, and volunteers involved will gradually increase. This will affect over 70 adults with intellectual disabilities.

The recommendations for the local disability strategy will serve all municipality residents with intellectual disabilities.

1. Identify 10 local stakeholders from different sectors that serve a great number of users
2. Establish the foundation for a community support network
3. Open a call for 10 local volunteers (advantage given to those who’ve never been in touch with a person with disability)
4. Volunteers, stakeholders, and adults with intellectual disabilities decide upon the activities they will do together. The activity areas are pre-defined by the people with intellectual disabilities
5. Meaningful social interactions between people with and without disabilities through involvement in activities. The activities will take place in Društvo Barka’s premises, network members’ premises, and public spaces.
6. 2 reflection meetings with volunteers and network members: lessons learned, best practices, and moving forward steps
7. Development of online platform where network members can present the opportunities for involving people with intellectual disabilities in activities with their users
8. 4 edu-tainment videos, highlighting good practices
9. Organisation of a public event to present the online network platform, thus involve the wider community in the network & in a dialogue about the strategy recommendations
10. Preparation of recommendations for the local disability strategy for people with intellectual disabilities, to be proposed advocated in front of the municipality

- Established regular and meaningful social interactions between people with and without intellectual disabilities
- Increased social inclusion of the first on a local level
- Established network of local stakeholders that provide opportunities for involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in activities with their users
- Established foundations for future systematic and continuous cross-sectoral cooperation among local stakeholders
- Prepared recommendations for a local disability strategy to be proposed to the municipality, so they address the issue systematically
- Help adults with intellectual disabilities to be heard, become actively involved and impact the local decision-making process
- Increased volunteering opportunities for the local community

The local network comprised of different cross-sectoral stakeholders and volunteers will get actively involved in the improvement of the social participation of people with intellectual disabilities by engaging them in meaningful and regular activities that improve their quality of life and fulfill their needs for interaction outside their place of residence.

The specter of societal activities in which adults with intellectual disabilities want to be engaged is predefined by themselves.

Adults with intellectual disabilities will evaluate the activities they are involved in. Their evaluation will be taken into consideration when translating the best practices from the project into recommendations for the local disability strategy, to be proposed to the municipality.

Our mission is to make known that whatever one’s intelligence, every person has talents to share with others.
Since we are the only organization in the area that provides support to adults with intellectual disabilities, we are connected with all families and adults with disabilities, which is how we know their challenges. Also, we cooperate with numerous local actors and the municipality, which is why we are aware of the need for a cross-sectoral network and a local strategy for our target group.
The project team is comprised of locals who work in the organization for many years, live in the municipality where the project will take place, have educational background and years of experience in social work and project management, and are in daily touch with the target group.

Human resources (gross) (full-time project coordinator, part-time volunteers coordinator, on the needed basis - public relations personnel and consultants involved in drafting the local strategy for people with intellectual disabilities proposal, etc.) - 37,200

Office costs/utilities - 1200

Local travel for everyone involved - 500

Edutainment videos and campaign - 4000

Public event - 600

Materials for different activities (e.g. tools for painting) - 5000

Has anyone already implemented a similar project in any other country? Anyone wants to connect with us and work on this or other projects? Happy to hear from you!