A course for professionals working with visually impaired people has ended in Kyiv. It was organized by the public trade union “League of the Strong” together with the 3:00 Foundation. For three weeks, the participants from Sumy and Kharkiv regions received free theoretical and practical knowledge that will help in work and adaptation of people who have lost their sight. Daria Sydorenko, executive director of the League of the Strong, told Channel 5 about it.
“Due to the increasing number of people with disabilities at the state level, the need to help people with disabilities in various ways is growing. We realize that certain areas are lagging behind the existing needs. That’s why we teamed up with a partner organization to create and run this course. This is more than just helping people. It is also very important to understand that we are working with professionals who will be working in the future. We deliberately chose this area because we believe that this way we will cover more needs than when we worked with civilian soldiers who lost their eyesight,” said Daria Sydorenko, Executive Director of the League of the Strong NGO.
The purpose of the training was to improve the system of work of specialists working in institutions providing assistance or services to people with visual impairment. The course was attended by 20 representatives of different organizations.
The course taught participants how to help people who have lost their sight, especially as a result of hostilities, adapt to a new way of life: at home, on the street, using devices and other equipment.
“We provide them with knowledge about each area of the rehabilitation process, the right support, the right terminology and communication. In this way, we ensure that a person who has lost his or her sight will receive qualified assistance at every stage, which will facilitate the adaptation process, and not vice versa,” says Alina Marnenko, head of the 03:00 Foundation and the 03:00 Museum in the Dark.
The training was supported by the Partnership for a Stronger Ukraine Fund, which is funded by the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the United States.
This publication was produced with support from the Partnership for a Stronger Ukraine Foundation. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the League of the Strong and the 3:00 Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Foundation and/or its financial partners.