Our project aimed to achieve several key objectives aimed at empowering deafblind individuals and allies. Firstly, we sought to deepen awareness of deafblind identity, resilience, and rights through comprehensive training sessions. Secondly, we aimed to develop crucial advocacy skills necessary for effective deafblind rights advocacy among participants. Additionally, our project assisted participants in identifying pressing advocacy priorities within their respective countries. We provided practical application opportunities through role-playing exercises to implement advocacy strategies. Furthermore, we facilitated transnational exchanges to enrich perspectives and strengthen advocacy efforts at a European level. By fostering cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, participants gained valuable insights and shared experiences. Through interactive workshops and discussions, participants honed communication strategies and negotiation techniques. Needs assessments were conducted to tailor action plans to specific local contexts and challenges. Ultimately, our project aimed to foster a more inclusive and equitable society by empowering deafblind individuals and allies to advocate for their rights effectively.
We applied for this project to address the significant barriers faced by deafblind individuals in participating actively in society, including their exclusion from decision-making processes due to inaccessible information and communication. By providing fully accessible and culturally tailored advocacy training, we aimed to equip deafblind participants with the tools and skills necessary to undertake effective advocacy actions and claim their rights. Additionally, we sought to address the lack of deafblind-led organisations in some of the partner countries, and empowered the participants to play a role as multipliers in their communities towards deafblind governance, network, and participation. We also recognized the importance of allies in supporting deafblind advocacy and leadership and aimed to train them with the right attitudes and approaches to effectively support deafblind participants. Moreover, we facilitated the development of long-lasting advocacy tools that can be used by deafblind leaders and allies in their advocacy work. Finally, we sought to build expertise in providing training on deafblind advocacy and in developing the skills of deafblind workers, supporting the expert work of the deafblind trainers.