EMPOWERING ADULT EDUCATORS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF ACCESSIBILITY AND QUALITY OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

People with disabilities still face considerable barriers in access to healthcare, education, employment, recreation activities. NEEDS ADDRESSED: Target group (specialists providing trainings and consultations to people with disabilities) lack relevant evidence-based open-access qualification improvement tools about social inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities; Lack of E-learning opportunities for the TG (relevant in the context of global COVID-19 pandemic); Lack of E-resources for adult educators to use during online trainings for people with disabilities; Increased incidence of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities (due to lockdown, changed psychosocial environment, lack of knowledge); lack of healthy lifestyle promotion tools and trainings; lack of digital skills and media literacy improvement tools for people with disabilities. By exchanging know-how, experience and good practices, project internationally developed and piloted a new non-formal innovative training system for improvement and extending the offer of high-quality learning opportunities for specialists that provide trainings and consultations to people with disabilities and thus promotes the principles of independent living philosophy.

- To improve (by provision of up-to-date training) skills and knowledge of adult educators providing trainings and consultations to people with disabilities. Lessons are aimed at skills improvement, protection of people with disabilities from abuse and neglect, promotion of independent living and healthy lifestyle; by strengthening digital and social skills we contribute to equal opportunities and inclusion. - To create a more innovative teaching method (E-learning) that can be used both by adult educators and their trainees (classroom activities and individual learning). - To enable participants to enhance and widen their policies and core activities and to generate improvements of the knowledge, skills and competences of the staff of partners and of those in their network. This improves outcomes in the organizational culture and the quality of the provided adult education services for people with disabilities. - To raise the awareness among partners countries and on EU level about importance of social inclusions and independent living of people with disabilities. - To foster “centres of excellence” creation for adult education provision in partner countries and EU (through cooperation on local, national and EU level.

IO1.1 - Collection and research of relevant materials: All partners provided a country specific needs analysis in terms of qualifications of informal adult education providers working with people with disabilities and described the existing training methods according to a list of criteria prepared by P1. IO1.2 - Analysis of collected data and definition of competencies of adult educators to be improved. All partners collaborated and produced the definition of aforementioned competencies based on the data gathered. IO1.3 - Methodological development of the training units (syllabus). All partners contributed to the development of the specification of the course, including structure, length, lessons plan, main topics, key-elements and outstanding important issues. The training course was then divided into modules. The methodology included the following parameters: 1. Content (key topics); 2. Workload (divided into classroom teaching, independent learning, e-learning); 3. Examination (final assessments); 4. Learning outcomes; The development of methodological tool for subsequent creation of modules was assigned to partners according to the experience and profile of each organisation. Each partner consulted experts and stakeholders in the field about the general course framework and key topics. IO1.4 - Development of training materials. Modules were developed by all the partners. Training course includes following topics: promotion of independent living philosophy; detection and prevention of abuse and neglect; ways to get help and deal with it; improvement of digital skills and media literacy; strengthening entrepreneurial skills, health education (prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; This product is intended for public use. It was first delivered in the partnership work language (English) and then translated into partners languages; product was placed in the Erasmus+ Dissemination platform, EPALE. The format of the Course makes it adoptable not only as a free stand-alone course but also provides the tools and know-how for its integration into already available curricula and courses for adult education. The final version of the course content has 5 larger modules and 1 introduction module within main foreseen thematic areas. The level of detail for the module contents is complete enough for another trainer/teacher knowledgeable of the subject to deliver the module without needing any additional information or further clarifications. IO1.5 - Evaluation sessions. Each partner organised evaluation sessions, where professional adult educators reviewed created modules. AO elaborated a questionnaire that was used for gathering feedback. Partners provided reports with the main conclusions of the evaluation workshops identifying aspects of the modules created, which should be improved or adapted within the framework of the project. In total (per all partners) 60 adult educators that work with people with disabilities were involved in this activity. IO1.6 - Implementation of suggestions and improvements. IO1.7 – Translation of training units. IO2.1 - Development of E-learning platform and on-line contents in English, beta release. All participating members developed e-learning contents according to the schedule of development of assigned modules (IO1). The chosen online tool proposes a pedagogical and instructional design, that partners discussed and agreed upon. IO2.2 - Development of the users manual. Users Manual is a designated learning material for the Online Training course. It is a technical communication document created to provide detailed instruction intended to give assistance to people using this course, especially first time users and self-learners. IO2.3 - Translations of the content of the Interactive E-learning platform to all partners' languages. Each partner was responsible for translations into its native language. IO2.4 - Blended learning sessions. Each partner organised blended-learning pilot testing of the training course available through Online Learning Environment (combined with face to face sessions/workshops/online training). This is especially relevant due to COVID-19 pandemic (allowed us to separate groups of learners - part time online/part time in the classroom - then groups change); Also this contributes to digital skills development. These training were organized by trainers that participated in short-term joint staff training event in Italy and/or were experienced in training adult educators that work with people with disabilities. Participants received certificates upon successful completion of the training. In total each country had to involve > 15 professionals of this sector (final result - 114 trainees per all partners). Later feedback regarding the online based training course was collected and evaluated. Each partner submitted a report with the main conclusions of the pilot training identifying the aspects of the Online Learning Environment which should be improved or changed within the framework of the project. These reports were sent to leading organisation (P1) which elaborated the final report. IO2.5 - Implementation of suggestions and improvements. IO2.6. Regular update and maintenance is carried out during the course of projects' implementation and will continue after the end of it (ongoing). This ensures the sustainability of the product. TRAINING ACTIVITY: 3-day short-term joint staff training for adult educators conducted once the training material was ready. During this event, 12 professionals that specialize in provision of trainings to adult educators (specifically those that provide trainings and consultations to people with disabilities) were trained in accordance to created methodology and evaluated the training course providing feedback and suggestions. OTHER ACTIVITIES: Organization of dissemination conferences in each partners’ country; Project management, communication, monitoring, risk and impact evaluation, quality assurance, dissemination procedures; Transnational partners meeting (3 online and 3 face-to-face);

1. Open-access innovative adult education tool for improvement of qualification of specialists that provide community-based consultations and trainings to people with disabilities. The main IO of the project is an innovative modular course for the adult education sector. The aim of this course is to promote social integration and employment of people with disabilities through improvement of qualification of adult educators working with this TG. Topic covered by the course: promotion of independent living philosophy; detection and prevention of abuse and neglect; ways to get help and deal with it; improvement of digital skills and media literacy; strengthening entrepreneurial skills, health education (prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases); This tool is ICT-based (E-learning platform - IO2) and contains a newly developed training program and self-evaluation questionnaires (43 hours or learning in total). 2. Promotion of innovative ICT-based learning by migrating the learning material (IO1) on resilient web platform accessible to the target groups at several education environments (IO2). 3. Provision of (self) assessment mechanism for recognition and evaluation of existing competences for further improvement (IO1). 4. Enhancing the employability status of the trainees; 5. Provision of open-access data related to prevention of abuse and neglect, promotion of healthy lifestyle, independence, employment and professional growth of people with disabilities (useful for both educators and trainees). 6. Improvement of skills of adult educators by organizing short-term joint staff training in according to the created training methodology; trained specialists from all partner countries in turn organized blended learning events in their countries to transfer the knowledge (out initial aim was to train at least 75 people per all partners, final result - 114 participants of local training events in total per all partners); 7. Fostering transnational mobility of trainers working with people that have limited abilities by organizing a short-term staff training for adult educators - this enabled 12 of them on EU level to compare, exchange and update their knowledge and competences towards contemporary best practice of provision of adult education to people with disabilities. 8. Raising the awareness in the society towards the importance of upskilling of staff providing trainings to people with disabilities through dedicated dissemination campaign. There also were several addition products prepared in the course of the project: - Partners reports, presentations. For the purpose of the project meetings, each national team developed PPTs concerning the following: Overview of legal frameworks regarding existing adult education opportunities in this field in the participating countries; collection of best practices and statistic data; methods of work with target groups: presenting an existing training offers and best practices. - Newsletters (6) updating the audience, social media followers, relevant stakeholders, etc. about the project implementation, achievements and upcoming events. - Coordinated press/social media-releases (at least 2 by each partner). Mid-term and near-end of project. - Network of consultants and stakeholders created - for dissemination and sustainability. - Dissemination events: local conferences, final international conference, local multiplier workshops/events. PMI part of the project also produced several important results that do not strictly fall under intellectual outputs: 1. Work Plan. It set the schedule of project activities and responsibilities of each project participant. 2. Consortium Agreement, Bilateral Agreements – basic documents regulating financial aspects of the project, including terms and conditions of payments, reporting and liabilities; signed by the legal representative of each party; 3. Evaluation and Monitoring Plan - evaluation and feedback questionnaires, online evaluation forms, progress report forms, etc. and description of monitoring procedures, risk categories, both technical and those of managerial nature. 4. Communication Plan – defined and characterised internal/external communication channels along with the frequency of communication activities. 5. Dissemination Plan – tools, timing, monitoring, responsibilities, TGs, etc.