PROTOPORIA

PROTOPORIA is a Greek Non-Profit Organisation, established in Athens, Greece, in September 1999. It started as an initiative by the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind (CERB) and the Panhellenic Association of the Blind (PST), in order to make an impact to Greece, by empowering visually impaired people and their families, to develop their skills and regain their confidence. Hence, through the educational programs and supportive services Protoporia offers, to integrate people that belong to social vulnerable groups (totally blind and partially sighted children and adults, people with multiple disabilities including visual impairment, visually impaired refugees and the families of the the visually impaired) in the greek society, as they are the groups enjoying less opportunities than others. For the PROTOPORIA Team, social inclusion and solidarity is quite important values that we want to bring in our local community, by educating visually impaired people of all ages, through special programs, counselling and psychological support, on a national level, in order to enjoy equal opportunities in the educational system, job market and integrate in the society. We chose education, as we believe that it offers the tools and skills that everyone should be entitled to without discrimination, in order discover their potential. Services Provided: -Psycho-social Support -Education -Treatments -Vocational guidance -Parental counselling -Supporting lessons for junior High and High-school: Individualised support teaching to students to respond better to the daily schedule of their regular school. -Social Service: It welcomes the visually impaired, examines their personal and social background, their needs and their family’s needs and contributes to their harmonic coexistence with others. -Department of Orientation-Mobility (O&M) and Daily Living Skills (DLS): Provision of individualised training in autonomous mobility techniques and DLS (mobility- orientation, organisation of thought, familiarisation with the surrounding environment, development of the senses, personal hygiene, clothing, house chores etc.) Instructions are provided concerning the accessibility of public buildings, the manufacture of tactile maps and information to the public on relevant issues. -Library and Printing House: Books production and distribution concerning education (undergraduate and postgraduate textbooks, children's literature, in the Braille system, in digital and audio form). Design and production of geometrical and algebraic shapes. Academic textbooks are recorded or converted in text files appropriately processed to be used by the screen reader. -Department of teaching Braille: Braille is taught to visually impaired students and also to sighted scientists or special teaching support staff (psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc.) In September 2016, PROTOPORIA was authorised to operate the 1st Creative Occupation Center for Children with Visual Impairment. This foundation, in the course of action for the “Harmonisation of Family with Professional Life” by the “Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government” (E.E.T.A.A.) provides several creativity classes for visually impaired children and teenagers of pre-school, primary and secondary education. The activities take place after school, and involve self-expression and capacity building, along with the development of individual and social skills. More specifically, the programs which are offered are: -foreign languages (English, French, German) -physiotherapy -speech therapy -occupational therapy -adapted physical education - psycho-motor training -dance classes -Paralympic sports (Goalball, Football) - handicraft -theatrical play and role play -computer science -music classes -radio production show -active citizenship and volunteering activities -active citizenship and solidarity activities -media literacy activities by operating a students' internet radio