The Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville (FAMS-COCEMFE Seville) met with young people with disabilities at its headquarters on 24 April to present the Empower Youth Without Limits Project. The initiative is made possible through the Erasmus+ programme, co-financed by the European Union, and has enabled the Federation to organise an empowerment conference ‘Laboratory of ideas on employment, accessibility and participation of young people with disabilities’, for young people between 18 and 30 years of age with disabilities.
The conference will take place in Islantilla (Huelva) on 9 and 10 May 2019, and some of the confirmed attendees have been the protagonists of the meeting organised by the entity. According to Encarnación Barrera, European Projects Technician at FAMS-COCEMFE Seville, the aim was “to explain the programme of the conference” and “for young people to form working groups to empower themselves”.
The meeting began with the individual presentation of each of the participants, who explained their current employment situation and the barriers they face in accessing their studies. “It is not so easy to enter the world of work if you don’t fit into the social canons. I am 30 years old, I have a Master’s degree in Mediation and I have only been working part-time for 9 months”, said Esther, a social worker at the Alma Sevilla association, a member of the Federation. Other young people, on the other hand, have not been able to complete their academic training due to a lack of adaptability to their hearing impairment, for example.
The Erasmus+ programme follows three strategic lines that will be fully present during the conference:
- Mobility
- Strategic associations
- Dialogue with politicians, so that they can listen to the needs of young people and so that they can feel represented.
During the conference, working groups will be set up to collect demands and proposals.
The meeting concluded with a round of questions about what the participants expect from the conference. Thus, the need arose to make Emotional Education a compulsory subject in schools, to carry out real inspections on a regular basis so that teachers do not exercise preferences and to avoid situations of abuse due to the vulnerability suffered by many people with disabilities.
You can see all the pictures of the activity
