Communication has great significance in human life. Every day people communicate, share relevant information and convey their thoughts. Various communication methods can change human emotions, thoughts and even behaviour. In pursuit of successful social inclusion of people with mental disabilities the Jonava people with disabilities activity center together with partners from Iceland and Hungary is implementing the Erasmus+ international project “Communication is the path to integration“. The goals of activities is to exchanging good practices on working with people with special needs, to introduce about internal organisation’s functioning and exploring people with special needs communication methods.
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/communication-path-integration-0
The first meeting of project took place in 2019 May 6–10, Lithuania. Seven guests from Hungary (2) and Iceland (3) attended the meeting, 2 of whom were disabled persons. Jonava people with disabilities activity center shared and exchanged its good work experience using a methodical communication tool. This tool enables individuals with language and communication difficulties to solve problems effectively and constructively: successfully participate in social life, to adapt to different social conditions and requirements in the family, educational institution or other social environment. Learning to use communication images can help to develop verbal language more successfully and encourage people to communicate not only on essential issues but also on sharing experiences. The guests also had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the institution, its clients and employees, the services provided. Try and participate in the watercolour workshop “Colours telling…”, during which everyone could express themselves and establish a dialogue not only with themselves but also to communicate without words, especially when verbal communication has difficulty’s. Also actively participated in the canister therapy session “How to speak those who don't speak?”, tried relaxing activities in a multisensory room, watched the play “The Tree of Eternity” by organization visitors and so on. Visits to other Lithuanian organizations working with people with mental disabilities also took place during the week. We visited in the community of people with intellectual disabilities “Jonava hope”, at Trakai disability employment center and Kaunas Pranas Daunys education center. All the meetings shared good work experience and presented various communication methods applied in the organizations.
One of the most important and essential human needs is to communicate. We hope that the methods and tools presented will allow us to get to know each other better and to communicate more smoothly, helping to improve the social inclusion of people with mental disabilities. In order to continue to successfully share work experience with disabled people, the Jonava people with disabilities activity center will continue its cooperation with project partners from Hungary and Iceland. Look forward to other meetings!
https://www.facebook.com/1089973601031571/photos/a.1144209998941264/2676136085748640/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2302940580034441&set=a.1517207121941128&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/2785307608149419/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/2785423454804501/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/2785504151463098/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/2785506274796219/?d=n
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMithyqEIho
https://jnvc.lt/en/projektai/item/479-erasmus-project-communication-is-the-path-to-integration
https://jnvc.lt/lt/projektai/item/478-erasmus-projektas-komunikacija-yra-kelias-i-integracija
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/lt/blog/komunikacija-yra-kelias-i-integracija
JONAVA DISTRICT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ACTIVITY CENTER MOMENTS FROM THE ERASMUS + PROJECT “COMMUNICATION IS THE PATH TO INTEGRATION“ IN ICELAND
The second stage of the project implementation took place in 2019 on September 22-28, Iceland. The meeting has 6 guests: from Hungary (3) and Lithuania (3), of which 2 persons were disabled. The center of Haefingarstodin Baejarhrauni introduced the adapted alternative symbol system of Bliss communication. So we briefly present the experience of project partner’s from Iceland in the alternative communication methods. Because of damage in the central nervous system, certain members of the population with severe speech impairments are not able to acquire sufficient literacy skills. Despite this handicap, they can become effective communicators by using different graphic or symbol systems. One of these non-verbal graphic systems, which is widely used by project partners from Iceland, is Blissymbolics. In addition, Blissymbolics is used in many others countries: Austria, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom, etc. This communication system originally developed by Charles K. Bliss. It was first applied to the communication of children with physical disabilities by an interdisciplinary team led by Shirley McNaughton at the Ontario Crippled Children's Centre in 1971. Blissymbolics is a semantic graphical language that is currently composed of more than 5000 authorized symbols. People with severe difficulties in speaking to communicate without speech can use this system.
For example, the Blissymbolics language board is a concept for a learning method for the Cerebral Palsy disabled. At present, the Blissymbols are printed on hard board. In our days, Blissymbolics can be using on various ICT platforms. For example, on the internet: http://www.blissymbolics.org/, https://www.blissonline.se/; AAC software with specific support for Bliss: www.handicom.nl, www.jabbla.com, www.misterbliss.it; on the smart phones, tablets etc.: www.q-s.pl/iblissymbols/, http://mozzaz.com/index.php/products/talkingtiles, and so on. During a project meeting in Iceland, we had the opportunity to meet person who uses a tablet to communicate. This tablet have Blissymbolics language that are using by an individual for communication and speech generating device, which speak a message when a particular button is pressed. This alternative communication tool fascinated all project participants because it allows people to communicate, express their feelings, needs and wants in a way that others can understand and respond to.
For many people, the ability to communicate is such an integral part of life. Knowing about different alternative methods of communication can help for project participants had better understand the ways to help clients communicate. We hope that the presented method allow us to improve the social inclusion of people with mental disabilities.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=650586822202122
https://jnvc.lt/en/projektai/item/479-erasmus-project-communication-is-the-path-to-integration
https://jnvc.lt/lt/projektai/item/478-erasmus-projektas-komunikacija-yra-kelias-i-integracija
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/communication-path-integration-icelandic-experience
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/lt/blog/bendrauti-galima-ir-simboliais
JONAVA DISTRICT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ACTIVITY CENTER MOMENTS FROM THE ERASMUS + PROJECT “COMMUNICATION IS THE PATH TO INTEGRATION“ IN HUNGARY (ONLINE MEETINGS)
The final meeting of the project was to take place in Hungary, but the current global COVID-19 pandemic, the health security measures, and the ensuing travel restrictions have widespread consequences for our project “Communication is the path to integration“ meetings. Although the pandemic and consequent measures have limited the possibility for project partners to meet in person, this has not prevented the dialogue and cooperation from continuing in online meetings. Of course, when circumstances changed, special compensatory communication equipment was needed to enable people with disabilities to participate in project activities: the Jonava people with disabilities activity center together with partners from Iceland bought for the successful implementation of the project the “Eye gaze“, “Communicator 5“,special keyboard and computer mouse for the disabled users. The purchased tools help people with disabilities to get involved in organized activities and feel like full members of society. These new technologies will be used in the activities of the institutions even after the implementation of the project. So we briefly present the experience of project partner’s from Hungary in the alternative communication methods.
Strázsa Tanya Közhasznú Szociális Szövetkezet, institution from Hungary, presented drama as a way for communication – drama is useful in learning and expressing themselves for the people with disabilities, because they obtain an opportunity to perceive, solve and explain any problem in their own levels. In these people, use of drama can provide experiencing and learning anything related to life, their confidence in themselves and their group inclusion and having the satisfaction of inclusion. Also the imagination of people will develop with the stories, they can be able to learn being ready to the new experiences and can constitute a substructure for verbal communication. Therefore, drama is an effective activity used to gain verbal and nonverbal communication skills and to constitute self-confidence feeling for the people with disabilities. Practical applied drama methods were shown during the online meeting and it was amazing! Even those who cannot speak, are able to convey essential feelings through the power of movements and gestures. There are no language barriers or borders. Also during a project online meetings, we had the opportunity to see partners from Iceland experience by the using innovating technology “Eye gaze“. This is a communication and control system for people with physical disabilities. The “Eye gaze“ system is a direct-select vision-controlled communication and control system. How does “Eye gaze“ work? The eye tracker sends out near infrared light. The light is reflected in your eyes. Those reflections are picked up by the eye tracker's cameras. Through filtering and calculations, the eye tracker knows where you are looking.
For many people, the ability to communicate is such an integral part of life. Knowing about different alternative methods of communication can help for project participants had better understand the ways to help clients communicate. We are glad, that Jonava people with disabilities activity center after participation in the project “Communication is the path to integration“ also now have communication and control system “Eye gaze“ and The “Communicator 5“ (communication software that converts text and symbols into clear speech) and we hope that the in the all project meetings presented methods allow us to improve the social inclusion of people with mental disabilities.
https://www.facebook.com/100009555652477/posts/2975051879489971/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/4835127639834062/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/4847705608576265/?d=n
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/4851321008214725/?d=n
https://jnvc.lt/en/projektai/item/479-erasmus-project-communication-is-the-path-to-integration
https://jnvc.lt/lt/projektai/item/478-erasmus-projektas-komunikacija-yra-kelias-i-integracija
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJk5qJ1k0cU
http://strazsatanya.hu/index.php/tarsadalmi-vallalkozasunkrol/palyazatok
https://www.hafnarfjordur.is/stjornsysla/frettir/rafraen-heimsokn-til-ungverjalands
https://www.facebook.com/112447505435456/posts/4851321008214725/?d=n
ERASMUS + PROJECT “COMMUNICATION IS THE PATH TO INTEGRATION“ RESULTS AND DURING THE PROJECT PRESENTED METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS ARE IN THE APPENDICES BELOW:
