Catalogue of tools for fighting prejudice and discrimination
The catalogue is product of transnational cooperation within the project L.A.S.I.D. - Labour and Social Insertion of the Persons with Disability.
Transnational cooperation is realized by partnerships from Slovak Republic, Spain and Italy.
The leaders of each partnerships are:
Slovak Republic
Association for helping for people with mental handicap.
Spain
General Directorate of Balearic Government
Italy
CIPAT Campania
Catalogue is a summary of several examples, how to influence the public opinion and to overcome the prejudice and discrimination. Catalogue is designed for organizations that work on integration and inclusion of people with disability.
Catalogue is the summary of examples/tools that were used during realisation of the project, but besides it, it offers several types of cooperation, networks and activities which were used by some of the partners or which exists as the initiative of the media.
We realize the catalogue is not exhausting material and it does not describe all the tools and possibilities how to overcome prejudice and discrimination. On the other side we hope, that it will offer some idea for organizations at least.
We identified 6 main tools that have, according to opinion of the partners, the best influence on public opinion. Talking about each tool we tried to show how to use them in practice.
Positive language
During the realization of transnational meetings we had to force the problem with terminology about disability in general. We found out, there is no common language, the dictionary that could help people from different language environment communicate without misunderstandings. Even in one country the professionals from different professions use different language for talking about the same thing.
That is why we decided to create the glossary of terminology and expression that could be used during the project while talking about people with disability. We apply the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, work out by World Health Organizations as the basis for the glossary. The language of this material enables to used standardized language while talking about health and health care. We chose the expressions which were relevant for our projects and translated them to four languages (English – the official language of transnational cooperation, Slovak, Spanish, Italian) follow with their codes from Classification.
The language of the document is rather positive when talking about health, abilities or possibilities of participations of people, because mostly it talks about level of its existence and does not talk about what person is missing or what is not able to do,
Organizations which defend rights and needs of people with disability should use the positive language that is clear and understandable.
The glossary is available on the CD attached to this catalogue.
Leaflet to overcome discrimination and prejudice
Nobody would be surprise of this tool probably. Interesting could be the way how we tried to prepare this material. We wanted the process of preparation of the content to have impression on public. So we asked primary and secondary schools to participate on competition on writing the essays on theme of prejudice and discrimination. We selected the best quotations and used them for preparing the leaflet. This quotations enable us to see the problems of discrimination and prejudice through the sight of children and youth and not through the sight of professionals, who work with people at risk of discrimination and prejudice. We hope, people, who will read this leaflet, will stop for a while and will think about their opinions and attitude, because the discrimination and prejudice are our common problem.
The leaflet is more or less cheap tool for working with public and has not great demand on distribution. During creation of the leaflet we have to keep in mind who we want to address. Related to this we should accommodate the content, design and distribution of leaflet.
Leaflet created within the L.A.S.I.D. project is on CD attached to this catalogue.
Photo exhibition
This activity could be very active in process of overcoming the prejudice and discrimination. Because in not far past the education of people with disability was more or less segregated, the great number of population do not know people with disability. This leads to their fear, sorrow or even aversion. Photo exhibition could approach the people with disability to the public and to introduce them as people that could work, having fun, taking care of themselves or to defend their rights. It is a bit more demanding tool but on the other hand it could offer to public closer practical information about people with disability. Photos should be presenting people with disability in positive way, as people able to work and to integrate in to society.
The exhibitions should take place in open spaces such as stations, hypermarkets, public institutions, so they could be seen by great number of people.
Some of pictures taken during the realization of our project are on CD attached to this catalogue.
Cooperation with media
We realize the media as the most important tool on spreading the information and on overcoming the prejudice and discrimination. They play the main role in preservation of democracy and they should create the space for public education on field of tollerance and humanity.
According to success of each media we could asses the status of society. The media with ambition to be the opinion making media and that are the leaders on market should not submit to the taste of their readers, but should provide the objective information about society and the things going on in society.
We understand the sensibility of media is different in each country. In following text you could find a few examples what kind of media and how could they be used for communication the theme of people with disability.
Experience of Slovak partnership in cooperation with media
The information about cooperation with media. The experience of the leader partner. There are no special programms, newspapers or magayines that are focused on people with disability. Most of the spots are produced are initialized by organizations that advocate the rights of people with disability. That is why we point out public and private medias in which we succed most often to publish information and promote the theme of people with disability.
TV Markíza – audiovisual
STV2 – audiovisual
Župné noviny – print
Petržalské noviny – print
Dúbravské noviny – print
Týždeň – print
Slovenský rozhlas – audio
Legal form
TV Markíza – private
STV2 – public
Župné noviny – public
Petržalské noviny – public
Dúbravské noviny – public
Týždeň – private
Slovenský rozhlas – public
Geographical scope of the media
TV Markíza – national
STV2 – national
Župné noviny - local
Petržalské noviny - local
Dúbravské noviny - local
Týždeň – national
Slovenský rozhlas – national
Way and content of cooperation
TV Markíza – through the teletext information about our activity Day of false mirrors
STV2 – information about activities of organization and about Day of false mirrors
Župné noviny – colloumn about Day of false mirrors, about activities of organization and about sheltered housing
Petržalské noviny – information about activities of organization
Dúbravské noviny - information about activities of organization and sheltered housing
Týždeň – information about activities of organization and about Day of false mirrors
Slovenský rozhlas – information about activities of organization and about Day of false mirrors
The way of reward (for free, paid cooperation, other form of reward,...)
All the cooperation was free
General evaluation of the cooperation
We do not evaluate cooperation with media very positive. Unfortunately, the themes we provide are not so attractive. We meet more often the situation when we have to pay for information the public about our activities. Medias mean about this kind of information as a kind of advertisement. We need to pay great effort on sensibilisation of media space according to accept the theme of people with disability.
Name and the type of the media
Web site
Legal form of the media
private
Geographical scope of the media
Work on global level
Way and content of cooperation
This web site is a kind of information platform to third sector in Slovakia. It provides the actualized information about activities, about legislation changes, researches, grant schemes.
Publishing of information is usually easy – just send an information and it will be published.
The way of reward (for free, paid cooperation, other form of reward,...)
Free
General evaluation of the cooperation
Cooperation with this media is positive and we believe this tool helps on rising the awareness of population according to people with disability.
Name and the type of the media
Informácie (magazine)
Legal form of the media
Private
Geographical scope of the media
National
Way and content of cooperation
This magazine is published by Association for helping for people with mental handicap and is focused on self advocacy activities of people with mental disability. It provides information about activities, professional colloumns and is distributed among all the Associations in Slovakia. We believe this magazine helps to build positive image of people with mental disability as people that could work, learn and advocate theirs needs and rights.
Experience of Spanish partnership in cooperation with media
Name: Minusval.
Type of mass medium: printed.
Legal status: public.
Geographical scope of the mass medium: national.
System of cooperation and details of the cooperative initiative:
Minusval is a two-monthly publication directed at disabled people and professionals and organizations who work with the disabled. The first issue was published in May 1974 and, since its very beginnings, it has been a tool for promoting dialogue between disabled and non-disabled people.
What are the objectives of MINUSVAL?
- To inform people about the problems associated with mental, physical and sensorial disabilities.
- To act as a channel for professional articles in this field.
Who are its target readers?
- Professionals whose work is connected with different fields relating to the disabled such as education, health and employment; business employers; members of the national, regional and local authorities; and people with a disability.
Where is it distributed?
- In all Spain’s autonomous communities and in Ceuta and Melilla.
- In Europe, Latin America and the rest of the world.
UNAC has collaborated with the occasional article on integrating disabled people into the labour market.
Type of remuneration: free.
General assessment of the cooperative initiative: Positive, since it generally helps raise people’s awareness of current issues that affect the disabled.
Name and type of mass medium
Radio Televisión Española. TV 2.
Audiovisual format. A monthly 30-minute programme, broadcast for a period of one year (except July and August).
Legal status
Public. Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) is a state company with special autonomy. It is therefore a public body that functions at a national level.
It has two TV channels (TV1 and TV2), and the programme is broadcast by the second channel.
Geographical scope of the mass medium
National
System of cooperation and details of the initiative
A recently launched, completely new type of TV programme. (The first programme was broadcast on April 29th 2007).
The protagonists at a global level are all people with an intellectual disability, since they perform all the tasks involved in broadcasting a TV programme, with the support of the TV company and teachers specializing in special education. That is, disabled people act as the presenters, the hosts of debates, interviewers, make-up artists, hairdressers, stage designers etc, with TV professionals providing backup support. Disabled people are the authentic protagonists of the programme, and the only part they are not involved in is the technical aspect.
As for the content of the first programme, it focused on the casting process prior to the broadcasting of the programme. (There were 400 applications to take part). Six people from different parts of Spain were selected, both with and without prior experience of radio and TV programmes. Afterwards a talk was held with the Spanish State Secretariat for Social Services on a variety of subjects chosen by them, focusing on those areas they were most interested in: leisure, free time and employment.
The format of the programme is not fixed and the protagonists can be changed or take part on repeat occasions.
Type of remuneration
Radio Televisión Española has a budget to make the programme. However, it is important to highlight that this is the first time that its workers have performed voluntary social work, because they form part of the team of another programme and do not receive any wages for providing technical backup and assistance.
Neither do the protagonists nor the participants receive any money for taking part in the programme.
Lastly, it is important to mention the disinterested collaboration of the Real Patronato de Personas con Discapacidad, the Obra Social de Caja Madrid, the Spanish Federation of Organizations for the Intellectually Disabled (Feaps), the ONCE Foundation and the State Committee of Representatives of the Disabled (Cermi), whose representatives offered their support when the programme was first presented.
General assessment of the cooperative initiative
Although it is too soon to assess this cooperative initiative, we believe that it is an innovative experience in Europe and, above all, a programme that helps integrate the disabled into normal walks of life, because it does not talk about disabilities but, instead, people with a disability are the protagonists.
Name and type of mass medium
Regional daily press. Última Hora, Balears, Diario de Mallorca, El Mundo de Baleares, Mallorcan newspapers outside Palma, Diario de Ibiza etc.
The section relating to the Directorate General for Social Services of the webpage of the Balearic Department of Presidential and Sporting Affairs.
Legal status
Private and public.
Geographical scope of the mass medium
Regional (all the Balearic Islands) in the case of the press. International in the case of the webpage.
System of cooperation and details of the initiative
There are two systems of operating. The first is an internal one, consisting of periodical meetings by supervisory committees, where representatives of the Directorate General for Social Services, Balearic Coastal Department, Association of Civil Engineers, Town Councils (their Social Services, Tourism and Maintenance Departments) and representative of different federations of associations for the disabled discuss the planning for each season, improve any deficiencies that have been detected, present reports for previous years and submit new proposals.
At an external communication-related level, each year there is usually a publicity campaign in the press with information on beaches that offer easy access for disabled or dependent people. In parallel, articles are usually featured explaining where the beaches are, when they are open during the summer, the daily timetable when personnel offering support are they, and the facilities they offer.
In the section relating to the Directorate General for Social Services of the webpage of the Balearic Department of Presidential and Sporting Affairs, readers can find summarized information. Each accessible beach has:
- Informative posters.
- Public transport close by.
- Reserved parking spaces.
- Ramps to provide access for people with reduced mobility.
- Wooden pathways to facilitate access to the sea.
- Changing rooms, showers and toilets for the disabled.
- An area with sunshades.
- Waterproof chairs and crutches.
- Marker buoys to ensure greater safety.
- Lifeguards and people to provide assistance.
At present the Plan for Accessible Beaches, promoted by the Directorate General for Social Services and town councils, covers 15 beaches.
Type of remuneration
Free, except in the case of publicity campaigns. Obviously, the cost of purchasing material, work to adapt the area, the installation of water and electricity, maintenance and hiring personnel is not included.
General assessment of the cooperative initiative
In 2004, having these adapted beaches and publicizing them gave very good results.
Surveys that have been conducted show that, in addition to disabled and dependent people, unsurprisingly families with babies and very small children also use these facilities.
At the same time, there are beaches that are regularly used by groups of disabled people attached to associations and others that are used by disabled people on a personal basis. It must be remembered that disabled people include those who are autonomous and those who are not, and the beaches they use are dependent on this factor.
Name and type of mass medium: Última Hora newspaper (printed).
Legal status: private.
Geographical scope of the mass medium: regional.
System of cooperation and details of the initiative:
Basically the cooperative initiative consisted of the publication of general information on the organization’s activities, taking advantage of the occasion to inform readers about the progress of activities by Deixalles that form part of the EC Equal project aimed at people suffering from mental illnesses.
On the 1st edition of the Environmental Fair at Son Bugadelles industrial estate, where our branch (Deixalles Calvià Foundation) is located, we arranged for Ultima Hora newspaper to attend with a view to making Deixalles known to people from an environmental and social perspective.
Weeks before the fair was held, when it was being organized, we decided that an activity should be held during the event with the users of our projects as the protagonists. We thought that it would be a good idea to hold a fashion show and we invited all those who were interested to take part. The result was close collaboration at all levels, because everyone became involved in it (professionals, relatives, neighbours and, above all, there was full involvement by all the beneficiaries of the HAFRIA and FRONTERA projects).
The activity served to:
- Promote the active participation of people suffering from mental illnesses, giving them the opportunity to make contact with the press without intermediaries.
- Promote the participation of a high number of people (neighbours, professionals, relatives etc.), encouraging close direct contact among people.
An article in Última Hora newspaper was published covering the whole series of events, where a large part of the population could read about the activity. The article was illustrated with a photograph.