France

Les Papillons Blancs de Lille

Multiplier Event at the Town Hall of Armentières on 25th April 2019

The multiplier event was held in the Council and Honor Rooms of the City Hall of Armentières North of France.

It welcomed 37 people from 13 different organizations. Among these partners:

• Elected representatives of the Municipality of Armentières
• Representatives of the Hauts de France Region - Education professionals - Special
• Education Professionals - Ordinary Labour Market Environment professionals - Sheltered
• Work Environment professionals - Housing Environment professionals - Parents of adults PWDs - PWDs

Two participants from the French STELLA project team start by presenting the programme they prepared for the day and proceed to reflect on various exercises and events within the STELLA project, such as the Erasmus Days 2018.

The event took place in several stages:

• Coffee and pastries welcome
• Presentation of the STELLA project and its results
• Lunch
• Two Workshops
• Conclusions, exchanges and closure of the day

To be considered on a logistical level

• A stand available (for STELLA documentation, slide show, press articles)
• City Hall for plenary sessions and workshop (50 seats)
• Hall of Honour for reception, break times, workshop
• Video, audio equipment
• Decoration in the colours of Europe, Erasmus +, the city of Armentières, the Papillons Blancs of Lille
• Tables and eating-standing for lunch An information kit containing the program, STELLA coordinates, a satisfaction questionnaire, Erasmus sticker, EPALE seed bag, etc. was given to each partner.

The content of the presentation

• The STELLA project framework (Erasmus KA2 – Strategic Partnership for Innovation)
• Target group: Professionals
• Objective: The book on methods and tools for working basic skills with PWDs
• History and stakeholders of the project - The progress of the project - Book chapters and their results

Each part of the presentation was supported by films, slideshows, readings and PWDs testimonials.

The workshops

Workshop No. 1

New contributions and suggestions for the implementation of the STELLA handbook in a sheltered or ordinary working environment. How can these methods and tools be applied in the field?

Initially, the participants exchanged their experiences and current projects of their institutions around the work on basic skills for PWDs or disadvantaged people. It was noted that people who do not have access to written or oral communication should not be forgotten in the tools.

Being able to communicate = being able to choose, having access to the choice. An example of a tool, based on work on organisational skills, was proposed: an agenda adapted to everyone, personalized, co-built with the person with disabilities. This one could use pictograms, photos, an adapted layout. Reference was made to the COMVOOR evaluation method, which allows the creation of customized tools to know the level of understanding and communication of the user.

Discussion continued on the “critical thinking” competency: This skill is very important to work with because it is far from being acquired by everyone. It is not easy to question one’s position. It can be disconcerting when the person is not used to it. She can answer “to please” or “to give the expected answer”. In the institutions, work on critical thinking is done more on a day-to-day basis, in discussions, but there are few supports, tools and activities for this. This competence is a key competence in self-determination.

In MECS (Social Children’s Houses) evaluation and self-assessment grids are used to provide support and to allow the professional and the person with a disability to see themselves through their eyes. The user becomes an actor, he self-analyzes. We have to develop learning by mistake in training, which is not easy at work, but may be possible in a laboratory like Stella. The tools created can allow the person to be wrong, to assume and correct themselves, through experience.

Conclusion
Participants agreed that STELLA’s tools, methods, supports and philosophy are applicable in their structures. They are willing to share and disseminate the handbook within their own networks.

Workshop No.2

What strategy for sustainable action on the transmission of basic skills for PWDs? How can we go further after this project?

After a round-table discussion, the different participants discuss the current experiences or projects in their different institutions: DOMO (Decide On My Own) – Les Papillons Blancs de Lille are partners with other associations in a project supported by the EU that aims to develop home automation tools to promote self-determination.

The organisational tool designed for the final STELLA handbook could be adapted and integrated into these tools. It was pointed out that while the methods and tools created with STELLA are primarily aimed at the working environment, some may also be of interest to the personal life.

The APEI of Douai has developed tablet applications to cook recipes, respect hygiene and prevent domestic risks. It also creates «serious games» on the latter themes.

SISEP and ESAT are in the process of training to enable workers with disabilities to integrate better into the ordinary labour market. These institutions are particularly interested in developing skills around “know-how”, a type of skills that can also be found in the handbook (e.g., working as a team).

A project has been submitted by the Papillons Blancs of Lille to the European Union in order to reduce the digital divide for people with disabilities. The aim is to create smartphone-based applications and a website that will facilitate the main uses of digital technology (sending e-mails, navigation, communicators, etc.) while preventing risks related to these practices. Greek partners have submitted a project on the deinstitutionalization of day centres, for greater inclusion.

The team of Les Papillons Blancs de Lille

Some of the suggestions for going further with the STELLA project include:

Wish of the Residence of  Armentières to organize training on basic skills among peers

Launch a project similar to STELLA at local level between interested partners. This would involve the creation of a practice exchange group that would meet periodically to share results around work on core competencies. (New skills, deepening the work carried out with the STELLA project, etc.) It is also an interest for everyone to consolidate their partnership in a network with the same concerns for improving the skills of people with disabilities.

To make the ordinary labour market aware of the STELLA handbook so that it can find resources in the employment and training of persons with disabilities. There is still too often a fear of disability in the ordinary working environment. It should be noted that three people from the Carrefour establishment were present at the day. This supermarket brand uses the recruitment of people with disabilities.

Organize other events by putting people with disabilities at heart to raise awareness among their peers about issues (training, inclusion, etc.) A suggestion was made to contact “Nous Aussi”, a national association run by people with intellectual disabilities and to express this wish and the existence of the handbook on skills developed in the STELLA project. The question of helping professionals is a recurring one in conversations.

Drawing on the work carried out with STELLA, the idea is proposed to work on critical thinking in order to train elected representatives of CVS (Social Life Council – French law in January 2002). Indeed, if the law allows representation and consultation of persons with disabilities in their respective establishments, these elected representatives, who are not familiar with this type of exercise, could develop a positive critical sense and thus play a more decisive role in CVS. The work on critical thinking is in line with the objectives of the project of Association Papillons Blancs in Lille, which aims to give people with support the means for greater self-determination.

• back to top