Course on Disability and Learning Difficulties Issues

Supporting Carers
of Persons with a Disability and Learning Difficulties

- a participatory learning experience among carers on issues relating to

disability, learning difficulties, and lifelong learning

Organiser : Mrs Doreen Falzon

Starting date : 29 th January 2008

Number of sessions : 13 of 2 hours each

Venue : SJAF headquarters in Tarxien

Time : from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Childminding : Provided if needed.

Weekday : Tuesdays

Target group : Adults from Tarxien and Santa Lucia with a family member with a disability and/or learning difficulty

Aims of the learning experience:

The experience aims to address the common concerns expressed by parents, carers and siblings of persons with a disability and/or learning difficulty living in Tarxien and Santa Lucia. The participatory sessions aim to enable participants to:

(a) identify and discuss issues of common concern that make them members of the same community of interest;

(b) use the list of identified issues of common concern to develop the course content and to identify resource persons at local and national level whose expertise could be tapped during the course;

(c) gain a deeper understanding of the notion of inclusion across key sectors: education, training and employment, health and social welfare;

(d) increase one's knowledge of the nature and scope of available services;

(e) begin to access rights and services that were previously unknown to them; and

(f) commit themselves to further develop their evolving sense of community (of interest) spirit by setting up a community-based support group.

Content of the learning experience:

Content will be determined by the participants themselves.

Date - 2008	Resource Person	Theme
29 th January	Ms.Doreen Falzon Mother of an autistic youth, Course Facilitator	Introductory session: dialogue and identification of common concerns which can be tackled during the course of the course
5 th February	Ms.Helena Sammut Inclusion Co-ordinator, Directorate Educational Services	Inclusion in the Community
12 th February	Mr.Charles Borg Sight-impaired person, KNPD	Personal perspective of blindness and overview of the Services of the National Commission Persons with a Disability (KNPD)
19 th February	Mr.Brian Gauci Agenzija SAPPORT, FSWS	Community & Residential Services of the Agenzija SAPPORT, Foundation for Social Welfare Services
26 th February	Ms.Sandra Borg Mother of an autistic child, Autism Focus Group	A Parent's Perspective and her active involvement in co-ordinating the Autism Focus Group of the National Association Parents Persons with a Disability.
4 th March	Dr.Daniela Mangion, LLD Lawyer, KNPD	Legal aspects, rights, trusts & other provisions by parents to safeguard the rights of their child with a disability
18 th March	Ms.Joyce Mifsud FSWS	The Adult Training Centres, Agenzija SAPPORT, Foundation for Social Welfare Services
25 th March	Mr.Alfred Portelli, Assistant Director, Non-Contributory Benefits, Social Services Department	State social welfare benefits, access, rights and responsibilities, customer care
1 st April	Mr.Robert Zammit, Employment Officer, Assisted Employment Section, Employment & Training Corporation ( ETC )	The Supported Employment Service of the Employment and Training Corporation ( ETC ) and access by persons with disability.special needs to services and schemes.
8 th April	Ms.Marika Gatt, Communication and Technology Unit, Inclusion & Special Education Division, Directorate Educational Services ( DES )	Communication difficulties and the use of augmentative technologies.
15 th April	Mr Joe Camilleri, Chairman, National Commission Persons with a Disability (KNPD)	The Equal Opportunities Legislation and the rights of persons with a disability.
22 nd April	Dr Marika Sammut MD, Department Primary Health Care	The nature and scope of Primary Health Care Services, Ministry for Social Policy
29 th April	Mr Ronald Balzan	Personal Experience of a person with disability
6 th May	Ms Connie Magro, Mental Health Association	Mental Wellbeing: the right of primary carers
13 th May	Nora Macelli, CEO SJAF Special Guest for Closure: Mrs Cathy Gonzi, First Lady	- User involvement in recommending improvements in the system of service provision across key sectors - Evaluation of content & process - Presentation of Certificates to all those who attended the sessions.
20 th May	Mr Lorry Salsero & Mr Louis Henwood, Grupp Gwardjola (Self-help group based in Senglea)	Experience of a similar course that led to the setting up of Grupp Gwardjola
27 th May	Mrs Janet Hili & other parents, Self-help Group for parents of children with learning difficulties, Haz-Zebbug	Experience sharing by a group that was formed after a similar course
3 rd June	Group activity	Get Together

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