In Taurage, a workshop opened its doors for people with disabilities: “Wings of the meaning of life grow here” | Life

As written in the press release of the “Metu Ratas” initiative, here people with disabilities will feel that they too are no less important and necessary in this society.

In the social workshops located in the Tauragė branch of the Adakavas social services house, people with intellectual and mental disabilities will create certain products and provide services needed by the community. This will raise the self-esteem of these people and give a greater meaning to life. At the same time, social relations will be created, and stereotypes of society’s attitude towards people with mental and intellectual disabilities will be destroyed.

It’s no secret that many disabled people face a negative attitude from society, sometimes with unfounded fear. Most of the time, he also has low self-esteem, he feels inferior, no matter how much we would like not to say it out loud – perhaps unnecessary, because everyone else takes care of him, and he seems to have nothing to give. And indeed, often society is not ready to accept different people – the disabled as equal members. Therefore, in order to increase the independence and involvement of the disabled in the labor market, a project was initiated that opened the door to Social Workshops in Lithuania. This project started the second stage of institutional care transformation – the development of community services.

The social workshop is located in Taurage, but the services of environmental management, grass cutting, firewood chopping, and possibly cemetery maintenance will be provided throughout the district. It is expected to establish close relations with the communities of the district.

The social workshop service is intended for twelve people of working age with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities who have difficulties in finding employment in the open labor market. So far, all social workshop places have been filled.

Eight are already working, and four more will join as soon as field work begins: cutting grass with a lawnmower, trimmer, flower garden maintenance, weeding, plant pruning. They will be looked after by social workers, individual care specialists, and masters of goods production or service provision, just like the makers of handicrafts, toys, and jewelry.

Social workshops are not activities of an entertainment nature, therefore all visitors of social workshops, officially recipients of services, come to the activities every day, as they say themselves – to work. It is meaningful employment and preparation for the labor market.

The services and products provided by the participants of the social workshop will be sold, and an electronic store is being created.

Adakavas Social Services House is one of the partners of the project “Transition from institutional care to community services in the Capital Region, Central and Western Lithuania Region” chosen by Tauragė District Municipality. Part of the project’s funds is allocated by the municipality, part of the finances comes from the European Union funds.

Almost three dozen social workshops are currently operating in Lithuania.