“Working to Approach Youth Workers as Agents of a Response to Disability” (WAYWARD) is a Capacity Building Youth project involving 7 partner organizations from Europe, Asia and Central America with the overarching am of empowering personal development, overcoming of stereotypes and social inclusion of young people (age 18-25) with mental disability in partner countries through the empowerment of youth workers and NGOs in terms of understanding and methodological toolset based on the ETS (Education Through Sport) methodology.ETS, combining in a positive synergy the inclusive potential of ETS and Sport provides grassroots organizations with a powerful tool to enhance young disabled people’s motivation to participate in society, at the same time countering phenomena of social stigma through positive awareness and providing young people facing mental disability with the transversal backpack of skills for successful integration in all spheres of education, society and, prospectively, labour market.WAYWARD results:1) Training Format enabling operators active in the field of youth to foster motivation, skills and social inclusion potential at the level of mentally disabled young people through ETS.2) Manual, which will serve as a supporting material for youth organizations and operators in their work with the niche target of mentally disabled youngsters.3) Multilingual Web Platform whereby to provide visibility to project activities/materials, opportunities of e-learning to external operators by means of online educational modules as well as disclose future activities to be implemented by project partners at the international and local events.
WAYWAR project involves 6 partner organizations from Greece, Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, Vietnam and Mexico with the overarching aim of empowering personal development, overcoming of stereotypes and social inclusion of young people (age 18-25) with intellectual disability in partner countries through the empowerment of youth workers and NGOs in terms of understanding and methodological toolset based on the ETS (Education Through Sport) methodology.
The World Bank estimates people with disabilities at around one billion, or about 15% of the world's population. According to the World Health Organization mental health conditions are particularly stigmatized, with several aspect of commonality in this stigma existing across different geographical settings. In addition, in the 2014 Eurobarometer, disability or illness are the main factor in ensuring that a person does not participate in sporting activities.
<< Background >> The World Bank estimates people with disabilities at around one billion, or about 15% of the world's population. According to the World Health Organization mental health conditions are particularly stigmatized, with several aspect of commonality in this stigma existing across different geographical settings. In addition, in the 2014 Eurobarometer, disability or illness are the main factor in ensuring that a person does not participate in sporting activities. << Objectives >> WAYWAR project involves 6 partner organizations from Greece, Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, Vietnam and Mexico with the overarching aim of empowering personal development, overcoming of stereotypes and social inclusion of young people (age 18-25) with intellectual disability in partner countries through the empowerment of youth workers and NGOs in terms of understanding and methodological toolset based on the ETS (Education Through Sport) methodology. << Implementation >> The project was implemented by 6 different countries from 3 different continents. It had a duration of 2 years which due to the pandemic was extended to 3 years and included: four meetings of which two were done online due to the pandemic, a survey about people with intellectual disabilities (PID), the collection of good practices from 6 countries, the implementation of a training for youth workers working with PID, local activities and a seminar with the results of local activities. << Results >> The main results of the project were four. -A research report about the relationship of people with intellectual disabilities and sport, including good practices from 6 countries.-A Training Format enabling operators to foster motivation, skills and social inclusion potential at the level of mentally disabled young people through ETS.-A Manual, as a supporting material for youth organizations and operators in their work.-A Multilingual Web Platform whereby to provide visibility to project.