Diagrama is leading an innovative multi-country project to change the public's perception of disability by promoting ability rather than accepting disability.
Diagrama is collaborating with organisations from Italy, Belgium, France, and Spain on a two-year €80,000 E-Profid project funded by the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme. On 12 October representatives from Diagrama will fly to Murcia in Spain, to join with the other project participants for their first face to face meetings.
The E-Profid project is built on a foundation of innovation and transfer of good practice with organisations from diverse backgrounds serving different client groups, working together to design tools and methods to change the public's perception, by promoting ability, rather than accepting disability.
It is hoped that through recognising professional identity and diversity, the E-Profid project will push social change and prove that even severe disability is not a barrier to fulfilment and social inclusion. Together the contributors will create an innovative ‘Facilitator of Change’, training course, combining elements of communication and empowerment, client care, psychology, marketing, employment training and digital management.
The European project team of not-for-profit, community groups and a university, will combine knowledge, skills, staff, and volunteers to train a pilot group forty-two social care workers from across the UK, Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy. Those selected for the pilot group will work face to face with highly disadvantaged clients and raise awareness of the barriers faced by people living in the margins of society; those with multi-disadvantage; and those with fewest opportunities in life.
David McGuire, CEO, Diagrama, said, “Diagrama is very excited to be working on this ground-breaking €80,000 European E-Profid project funded by the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme, to create a new, relevant, accessible training course and toolkit, to change long held perceptions of disability and change people’s emphasis to promote ability instead. Unfortunately, after working on successful Erasmus projects in the past this will be the final project of this kind that we will be able to participate in, after the country exited the European Union. Given this, we are even more determined that as UK based custodians of this important funding we create, promote and implement a change in perceptions, deserving of their backing.“
The benefit of putting together a diverse project team from across Europe, leads to an understanding of how different cultures and countries work towards high client service levels and how barriers to inclusion are overcome.
About the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme
Erasmus Plus is a European Lifelong Learning Programme designed to give access to new skills, experiences, and opportunities to adults of all ages and from all backgrounds. It is mostly known as a Higher Education study option, but Erasmus Plus offers scope for broadening horizons and opening learning opportunities across Europe working alongside people from other countries.
www.ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en
About the E-Profid Participants
UK – The Diagrama Foundation www.diagramafoundation.org.uk
Italy - University of Salerno www.unisa.it
Belgium - Groep Ubuntu, Kortrijk www.groepubuntu.org
France – Lit Fest www.litfest.eu
Spain - Fundacion Diagrama Psicosocial, Murcia www.fundaciondiagrama.es