"Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty, I saw it up close, I touched it, so to speak" (Stendhal). It is not all-encompassing as for Stendhal, but for us, too, Art is an experience that modifies us inwardly. The project aims to carry out a maxi experimentation of a "didactic" method designed to support the visually impaired to enjoy cultural or landscape itineraries. A method that is realized in accompanying educators, youth workers to acquire the tools needed to make a service specialized to the visually impaired. The "Another Way" project aims to restore equal dignity to the other senses and experiment with an innovative methodology of social inclusion that allows young blind people to enjoy the cultural beauty and landscape of the area. The methodology foresees the structuring of a sensorial path that uses all the senses, except the sight. Through touch, taste and hearing, the territory is told through the use of metaphors and similarities to make people perceive reality and enjoy a unique experience. The project creates a transversal partnership in the social and tourism sectors, involving bodies with complementary skills in the training, social, youth education and tourism sectors. A mix between public and private sector able to realize, at transnational level, innovation and shared strategies to support visually impaired people in the fruition of the territory. As a corollary of the activities, there will also be a short-term training action dedicated to the target under-30 educators and youth workers. The project activities are developed along two channels: - training of 40 youth workers/educators: 1) distance e-learning training with trainer support in each country; 2) Trasnational Learning; - design of the pathways and experimentation of the method (in the training pathways 32 young people with visual disabilities and 28 young people without disabilities are involved). - sharing of the method, drafting of the Handbook and validation. The project intends to involve a plurality of targets. 1) Young people with disabilities (youth workers and educators) in a training course aimed at implementing their skills, but also at making them more sensitive and open to issues related to visual impairment. 2) Young visually impaired people in experimenting with the method within the individual partner states with the aim of achieving a first moment of application of the method in other contexts and to simultaneously achieve a moment of integration and social inclusion. 3) Families, organizations and skateholders in a path of cultural and social growth with the aim of making them more aware of the critical issues and the need to interact to overcome obstacles to social inclusion by promoting integration processes. 4) Partner organisations are involved in a qualified network with the aim of sharing methods, approaches, opinions and solutions to make European society inclusive, developed and innovative. The impact on the local - social level develops along various lines: 1) Improvement of skills (with the appropriate development of a short training course TL). 2) Improvement of services for visually impaired people. 3) Improvement of social integration. 4) Improvement of the quality of life of the disabled and empowerment. 5) Improving the usability of the territory. The impact on the European level develops along the following lines 1) Improvement of international relations between actors operating in the sectors covered by the project: tourism, social, disability. 2) Sharing of new processes and methods of social inclusion. 3) Amplification of the value and results of the project. 4) Realization of an experimentation able to produce multiplier effects.
The project tested, transferred and used the "Anotherway" method, implemented on a small scale by psychologist Francesco Piccolo, and now tested in 3 other states. This method combines expressive techniques and local knowledge to devise, design and offer tourist/cultural tours dedicated to visually disabled youth. The implementation of the project allowed the transfer of expertise on the anotherway method as well as the use and testing of it on a large scale. Through the Another way methodology, 12 multisensory tours were implemented that do not use expensive aids but only the skills of youth workers and educators trained to apply the method. The project achieved the following SPECIFIC GOALS: - Promote the social inclusion of people with visual disabilities. - Strengthen the skills of educators and youth leaders working in the areas: social, cultural, tourism. - Raise awareness of disability among able-bodied youth. - Making people understand diversity and different perspectives of perception of reality - Fostering transnational cooperation, launching more effective synergies aimed at marginalized youth.
The difficulties related to the social inclusion of the visually impaired were noted, with particular regard to the usability of the territory. With the "Another Way" project, it was intended to make a contribution to improving the quality of life of the visually impaired and enable them to enjoy the cultural and scenic beauty of the area, using an innovative method of designing multisensory itineraries, designed to make those who cannot enjoy it with their sight "feel beauty and art." The project addresses the following needs: 1) empowerment and skill development of youth leaders and educators 2) qualification of human resources engaged in the tourism/social sector 3) social inclusion and employment opportunities to serve the visually impaired. To address the need for social inclusion of the visually impaired, it was decided to work jointly at the European level to improve the quality of work in the social and youth fields and extend to other territories the use of the ANOTHER WAY method, based on innovative and low-cost practices, tools and techniques that allow the creation of multisensory itineraries that can be replicated and adapted in any context.