WEBVTT

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Social space orientation – using the example of the ‘Auf Achse’ project –

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How is social space orientation implemented in the ‘Auf Achse’ project?

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Yes, in Hamburg, ‘Auf Achse’ stands for the opportunity

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for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities to work in companies,

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institutions, associations,

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organizations,

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perform small, simple tasks

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outside of special institutions

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such as day care centers or day centers.

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We have had very good experiences with this,

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that people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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partially for a short period of time,

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for a limited task

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go to neighbors,

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go to small businesses,

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that are in the neighborhood,

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such as travel agencies or flower shops or pharmacies

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and perform simple tasks there,

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such as collecting and disposing of waste paper

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or shredding files

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or taking flowers from the flower shop to a pharmacy

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or to a doctor's office.

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So these simple tasks.

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Or they can also work in a supporting role at companies,

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by watering or caring for flowers there,

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shredding papers

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or setting the table for meetings.

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In other words, simple tasks

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that are meaningful and valued

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by those around them.

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People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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are accompanied by staff

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from the day care center to these workplaces

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and are also supported there,

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so they are not left alone

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and the clients

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who offer us the jobs

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are in close contact with us,

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also get in touch with the employees,

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with people with severe disabilities

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and organize the work in such a way

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that it is a complement for all involved,

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an important addition and helpful.

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It is very important to us that contact

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with people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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also takes place on an equal footing,

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that there is appreciation

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and that we do not carry out activities in isolation

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for society,

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but that we receive some form of recognition,

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for example in the form of a joint coffee break

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or a joint lunch,

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or at least contact during the activity,

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where a thank you is also expressed afterwards.

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So our core goal here is

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to establish contact with the people

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who work there.

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How is the ‘Auf Achse’ project being received in the social sphere?

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We are experiencing a great deal of openness

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among our clients.

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We are experiencing a great deal of openness

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in the neighborhood and among the businesses

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that are opening their doors to us.

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Once the initial inhibitions have been overcome

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and the companies know

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what we can do there,

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who we are bringing with us

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and then the first contacts have been made,

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then we experience

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that it usually expands,

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that it becomes a stable relationship,

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there is a stable support system

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and we can work there for many years

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and thus also establish contacts

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that go beyond everyday life,

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in other words, beyond the unique everyday routine,

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but now many clients say

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they are happy when we come,

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that is, all of us together,

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the employees and the assistants.

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And they really appreciate what

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what we do for these companies and organizations.

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And they also appreciate

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what we do for the social climate.

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That means

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that we also create a different atmosphere there,

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a different basic attitude

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towards people with disabilities.

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Through this low-threshold way

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of establishing contact, we experience

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that it is also very easy

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open doors and very easy to

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persuade people

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to accept our help

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and that they also recognize

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that people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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have many resources,

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have many abilities,

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that are actually recognized

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and can also be used

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in these companies and organizations.

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And we now have many examples of this.

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We have over 130 people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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who are now out and about

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in their neighborhood or in businesses

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near their facilities.

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And we have over 50 clients

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who are happy to develop and hand over small tasks

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and hand over to us,

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which we can then carry out

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and who would like to integrate us as partners

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want to integrate us as partners in the long term.

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What challenges arise in the ‘Auf Achse’ project?

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One challenge is

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to establish contacts in the first place,

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because people

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in companies and associations

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have had no contact at all

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with people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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and therefore have serious concerns

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and fears about what might happen to them

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if people

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with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities are working there.

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There is a lot of talk about reservations,

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there is a lot of talk about safeguards,

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what happens if.

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And there are also many fears

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about whether jobs will be lost

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due to disabled people,

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which would otherwise be done by paid employees

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would otherwise be done.

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So from that point of view, there are many

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many concerns at the beginning,

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but these dissipate after a short time,

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once we got our foot in the door

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and then showed

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that with the activities

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that are carried out there, we occupy niches

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which are generally not popular with people

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or which would otherwise be eliminated.

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For example,

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we work backstage on makeup for the musical The Lion King

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we work in the makeup department at the back.

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And there, people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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fold towels for the actors,

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who use them very, very

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extensively,

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so very frequently.

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And when our employees are there,

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the towels are laid out and draped nicely.

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And when we're not there,

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they're all jumbled up in a basket and

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The actors are happy on the days

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when we are there,

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because then the towels are much better

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prepared for them and they realize

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that it's just a nice, thoughtful gesture.

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That means

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it's often additional activities

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that would otherwise be omitted or unpopular tasks.

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Another example:

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an employee has to

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to the basement regularly

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and is basically a little afraid to

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going into this basement alone and

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has now, with one of our employees,

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a person with a profound intellectual and multiple disability,

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asked him

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if he would bring the files down with her.

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And since they've been doing it together,

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it's been much easier for her.

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And she chats with him during that time

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and a little relationship develops

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which is simply beautiful

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and beneficial for both sides.

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Can all employees participate in the ‘Auf Achse’ project?

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In principle, the project works for everyone.

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This means that we assume

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that every person with a severe disability

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can also work outside an institution,

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outside a facility,

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can contribute their work skills.

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The biggest obstacle is in the minds

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of the assistants, the specialists,

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who actually have to find a job.

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that is suitable for the individual,

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where the individual can contribute their resources.

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And when that has been achieved,

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then you usually find

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job offers outside the institutions as well.

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And we have, for example,

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a partnership with a daycare center

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and at the daycare center, a specialist

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reads books from the daycare center

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and a young lady

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with a very profound intellectual and multiple disability 

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comes to this daycare center

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and enjoys being with children

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and brings the topic of disability

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into the kindergarten through her presence,

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through her presence

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and has expressed a desire

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to become active in the kindergarten.

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And we solved it

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by having the employee read the books aloud,

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but she is there and builds a relationship

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with the children.

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That's one example.

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Another example.

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A person

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who has a very strong urge to move

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and who often pushes himself to his limits

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within the day care center,

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but also in his behavior,

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in his private life,

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goes to the soccer field once a week on Mondays

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and cleans up the soccer field after the game

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clears up the soccer field after the game

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has plenty of room to move around there

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runs across the field and can move freely

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while doing something useful,

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by helping to tidy up the square,

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with the groundskeeper and has thus found an activity

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that suits him

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and is also socially recognized.

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Yes, our biggest challenge is

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to recognize the resources of people

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people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities,

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and then use them well

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and in the interests of people

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with these clients.

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What does the future hold for the ‘Auf Achse’ project?

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We believe

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that projects with a social space reference outside

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the facilities are right and make sense for all persons

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and meaningful.

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We are part of society.

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People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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are also part of society

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as everyone else.

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And that is why we believe

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that this is the right path to take.

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And we are reaching our limits due to the

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And we are reaching our limits

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due to the availability of assistants,

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by sufficient staffing.

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An activity outside the facility

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is often very labor-intensive.

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More staff are needed there,

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often in one-to-one situations.

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That is one limitation,

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but it can be solved

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by also employing volunteers or

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by working in small groups,

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i.e. with two or three people

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with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

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The further perspective for us is

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that people

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who do not want to work in an institution

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for a variety of reasons,

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that they can also work completely outside

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the institution.

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That people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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can also work in small projects close to where they live,

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in a manner appropriate to their own ability to work

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and their own resources

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find job offers close to where they live

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and we organize these job offers on a mobile basis,

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accompany them with assistance and there

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the best opportunities for participation

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in the neighborhood.

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This means that our goal is

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for people to be able to work completely outside

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from institutions,

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even if they are not able to work in a workshop,

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even if they have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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and require comprehensive assistance,

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they still do not need institutions,

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but, according to their resources

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and their own will

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find job offers in their area

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and we support them in

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