Creatively sharing my uniqueness!
403 young people with and without disabilities, from schools, special education schools and institutions participated in SKEP’s interactive workshops, on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th of January, at the Vorres Museum.
If you need to use a wheelchair, hast ever considered these questions?
- Could you enter your home?
- Could you go to school?
- Could you go to the same places frequented by your friends?
- How much more easy or difficult would be to do the same things you do every day?
- Could you go on holiday with your family?
- What sport could you do?
A few very simple questions as part of the project "Familiarizing students of general education with Disability" which is co-funded by SolidarityNow.
We visited the 21st Primary School of Ilioupoli and had an interesting conversation when a student asked Panagiotis if he believes that it is better to be your or someone elses fault that you became disabled. A student then answered it is better being someone else's fault because you get a compensation, but another student replied "what can you do with the money when you are disabled". Panagiotis replied that in his opinion it was easier for him knowing that is was someone else's fault, especially at the beginning when you constantly think "why did this happen to me".
Vaggelis Avgoulas was born blind.
He graduated from the 6th High School of Ilion, where he received a certificate of excellence. He was one of the first students who entered to the Law Department of the University of Athens where he excelled and received a performance award from the State Scholarships Foundation (2007) and graduated with a diploma degree of 8.4 to 10.
We believe that when students are able to ask a difficult question, or something that is considered taboo, our open discussion has gone well.
Today we knew this was one of those days when one student out of the 80 students of the 62nd Junior School of Athens, asked us something that was on all students minds, but it often difficult for them to ask "how can someone with motor disability have sex?"
Initially we were pleasantly surprised that his question began with a "how" thus believing that someone with motor disability does actually have sexual interactions.
On the 20th of October, we visited the 2nd High School of Gerakas and we discussed with 80 students.
We had a wonderful conversation when a student asked us if it bothers us that children look at us indiscreetly.
Our reply was simple! We would rather have a child that will look and ask us questions, dispite the way they do so, than the adult that will feel embarassed and tell his child "don't look at the disabled person". A child that constantly hears "don't look" rarely will become an adult that will look and act!
On Thursday October 15th, we visited the 1st Junior High School of Vrilissia and spoke to 50 students. We were impressed at how quiet the students were, but mostly we loved the honest statement of a student "I can not understand why we are discussing about diversity since we are all different"!
The program is co-funded by Solidarity Now
On Wednesday, October 14th, we visited the 16th Primary School of Galatsi.
This open dialogue was another example of the interesting questions students pose.
Today we visited the 2nd Junior High School of Chaidari and spoke to students of 9th grade.
Today's open discussion was the beginning of our cooperation with Mr. Menelaos Tsaoussis, Mobility and Orientation Trainer, who informed students about visual impairment.
The program is cofunded by Solidarity Now.
Today we visited the 177th Primary School of Athens and discussed with students from 5th and 6th grade.
The most interesting aspect of today’s discussion was when a student, prior to the open discussion, told Panagiotis “If I were you I would never leave my house”.
At the end of the conversation, after he realized that a person with disability can have a full and beautiful life, he told us that he had changed his mind…
The program is cofunded by Solidarity Now
