The Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Branch in Gdansk

The Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Branch in Gdansk is a local institution established by the parents of mentally disabled children. Our aims are focused on working for equaling chances of intellectually disabled people, creating conditions of obeying human rights in their surroundings, leading them towards active participation in social life and supporting their families. Our branch includes 200 members and takes care of more than 1500 people through diverse forms of daily activity. The association leads institutions designed for disabled persons in every age and with every level of disability. One of them is the Workshops of Therapeutic Occupations (WTZ) which offers a pedagogic and therapeutic proposal of work, support, activity and systematic inclusion in social life. WTZ enables 65 participants to realize their activities in 11 workshops: paper and printing, diverse techniques (2 groups), environmental and economic, technical, housekeeping, cleaning (2 groups), culinary (3 groups). The programme of the workshop also gives the opportunity to undertake different creative activities such as: the visual arts, music, various forms of physical effort (power training gym, team games, etc.) and supporting educational skills. Moreover, within the confines of the association operates the Environmental House of Self-assistance (SDS) that is a place of daily residence for 40 intellectually disabled people. The main purpose of SDS is to ensure them the chance to live actively. The sphere of activity of SDS is orientated towards keeping fit, maintaining psychical, intellectual and functional efficiency, developing motor and psychomotor functions, improving the capacity to establish and preserve interpersonal relations, communicating through verbal and alternative ways, getting the ability to function in everyday life better. The next institution is Educational Centers for children and youth. It is specialist unpublic education institution, where children and youth with deepening intellectual disability and multiple disabilities, 80 students from 6 to 25 years old, realize their compulsory education duty supported with rehabilitation and caring activities. The superior aim of the activities done by the specialist in schools comprehensive progress of students supported by integral education, developing skills, upbringing, rehabilitation and therapy. Supported living is the next initiative of our association. The idea of this institution is creating an independent place of living where the intellectually disabled person can feel free individually decide about his or her life and keep the household. Between 4 pm and 10 pm there are there supports available for the inhabitants, and there is one carer on call at night. Within the association, there also work a drum and contemporary music band called “The Pomp Renovation” (“Remot Pomp”). It includes musicians / social workers as well as people with intellectual disabilities. Participation in the music workshop is a way of continuous skill’s development and favours discovering new areas of opportunities being a basis for forming music capacities and social interactions. The band plays authorial compositions deriving inspiration from African music but also we are searching for new ways of expressions (sounds from the table or “trash” instruments). Furthermore, the volunteers and disabled people take part in theatre Razem workshop. This workshop is aimed at the integration of the group through creating a performance which will have presented at cultural events called Festival Świat Mało Znany, “The Summer of the People” (“Lato Ludzi”). Within the association, there also works a Vita Activa Orchestra that plays classical and popular music. It includes the musicians / social workers, volunteers from the association as well as people with intellectual disabilities. Participation in the music workshop is a way of continuous skill’s development. Vita Activa Orchestra als