Poland has an approximate population of 20,000-25,000 persons with cerebral palsy. They form over one-half of persons with motor disability. The Federation found that disabled persons (with cerebral palsy in particular) are rare participants of civic activities such as consulting and/or designing legal solutions, monitoring official decisions concerning disabled individuals, or non-governmental organisations’ work. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – ratified by Poland in 2012 – the key challenge involves supporting the direct participation of disabled individuals in the process of designing national and local law.
The project purpose was to expand the activity of persons with cerebral palsy by implementing a self-advocacy educational programme.
Activities allowed to form a group of citizens both active and aware of their rights, comprising 30 disabled individuals (including 3 with speech impairment). A programme board of 12 disabled individuals was formed. A series of training courses on rights of the disabled was held for 49 participants with disabilities. Duly trained, they attended 11 local debates, 7 external events (seminars, debates, conferences), and 3 study visits. Five self-advocates engaged in advising local, central, and European authorities; 4 self-advocates joined the work of local non-governmental organisations; 2 are now board members. Training courses were held for 40 representatives of non-governmental organisations and educational facilities working with young people with disabilities, with intent to give caregivers to persons with disabilities another function: educators in the fields of their rights and active participation in public life. A publication (150 copies) was produced, comprising an analysis of the circumstances of persons with disabilities, a description of problems, and remedy proposals.
Project beneficiaries included 91 individuals, including 51 persons with disabilities.