By implementing this project, we aimed to strengthen the competences of professionals working with persons with disabilities (PWDs) in preparing them for life and work in the 21st century. Our goal was to equip professionals with modern tools, methods, and knowledge to better support PWDs in gaining key skills needed for today’s rapidly changing world. We also wanted to promote the integration of PWDs into society and the labour market by offering blended-learning opportunities that combine face-to-face and digital education. These learning formats were designed to be flexible, accessible, and responsive to individual needs. The project sought to foster social inclusion, increase participation of PWDs in lifelong learning, and strengthen their active citizenship. We believed that by focusing on 21st-century competences—such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy—we could empower PWDs to take an active role in their personal, professional, and civic lives.
We applied for this project to address the growing need to professionalize services and inclusive education for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in a rapidly changing world shaped by labour market demands, technology, demographics, climate change, and globalization. Sustainable development required active participation of all citizens, including PWDs, supported by relevant 21st-century skills. Our work with PWDs showed that services and education needed to reflect individual needs to unlock personal potential. However, needs analysis revealed low participation in lifelong learning among PWDs and a lack of flexible, accessible educational content focused on 21st-century skills—such as self-sufficiency, responsibility, communication, creativity, media literacy, and civic engagement. There was also a lack of online or innovative learning tools adapted to their needs. We saw the need to address this gap internationally by learning from good practices and jointly developing a programme to modernize services and inclusive education for PWDs. Three partner organizations from Slovakia and Turkey, experienced in education and support for disadvantaged groups, joined forces in this effort.