Our Vision
We share the vision of a world in which sensory impaired children and young people enjoy the same rights, opportunities, responsibilities, fulfilment and quality of life as their able-bodied peers.
We share the vision of a world in which sensory impaired children and young people enjoy the same rights, opportunities, responsibilities, fulfilment and quality of life as their able-bodied peers.
Thank you to Orange Romania for their ongoing support and encouragement
LIGHT INTO EUROPE
Preparation for Work
Sensory impaired people often are not aware of the technology and
support that could help them achieve their own aspirations. They have less confidence and lower expectations than their peers.
support that could help them achieve their own aspirations. They have less confidence and lower expectations than their peers.
It is universally recognized that preparation for the world of work begins as early as the preschool years for most children. To be fully integrated in the community and to lead a satisfying life, individuals need to be competent, confident and independent and to have the chance to work.
Teachers, families and the community at large are expected to assist these persons in learning career-related concepts, to have a constant positive, encouraging attitude that may help them find and retain satisfying jobs later in life.
The modernization of the Romanian career education program for the visually impaired (and perhaps for all disabilities) should take into consideration the unique needs of students with visual impairments
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the need for more social understanding and acceptance and to receive equal opportunities;
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the need to develop better compensatory skills (such as reading big print or Braille) or to use optical devices, travel safely with mobility tools and use and maintain adaptive technology;
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the need to be engaged in structured activities to promote working and social skills
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the need to be informed about the range of professions and vocational options general available
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the need to have opportunities to work
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Our work with the schools for sensory impaired and access to different audiences has produced the following conclusions:
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people with disabilities have less education than do those without disabilities
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disabled people, especially elderly disabled people, are much poorer than those without disabilities
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people with disabilities have very little active social life, compared to those without disabilities
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most people with disabilities are unemployed or medically retired
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people with disabilities have very little input in the community life
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between 70 to 80% of disabled people believed that their disability had prevented them from reaching their life full potential.
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International statistics have recorded the following aspects:
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large and multinational companies are more likely to hire people with disabilities than small companies
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companies that interviewed people with disabilities said that the main reason for not employing them is the lack of general working and social skills of the applicants
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lack of information about adaptive equipment and training on how to work with people with disabilities is another barrier to employing people with disabilities.
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Most of their families have low expectations and think their children are only capable of doing stereotypical jobs or not capable of employment.
There is not enough help in the areas of knowledge and guidance for hearing or sight impaired school leavers to make the career choices they should be able to make.
It is hard for them to understand that, beyond the old-fashioned established jobs such as brush and broom makers, or physiotherapist (for the sight impaired) and baker, sewing machine operators or mechanic (for the hearing impaired), there are many professional opportunities.
Our training activities give them the information, the skills and the confidence to start their career.
We help the sensory impaired young people to:
There is not enough help in the areas of knowledge and guidance for hearing or sight impaired school leavers to make the career choices they should be able to make.
It is hard for them to understand that, beyond the old-fashioned established jobs such as brush and broom makers, or physiotherapist (for the sight impaired) and baker, sewing machine operators or mechanic (for the hearing impaired), there are many professional opportunities.
Our training activities give them the information, the skills and the confidence to start their career.
We help the sensory impaired young people to:
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acquire the right information about alternative vocational or academic opportunities available
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identify personal needs and abilities to meet their full work potential
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identify the necessary route through school, college, university to employment
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develop a personal career plan, according to their own realistic opportunities
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facilitate the work experience
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develop the appropriate IT skills, using the support software
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In Romania, specialist knowledge of the impact of visual impairment at work is very limited outside the charities for the blind.
Light into Europe aspires to break the current impasse and empower the sensory impaired young people coming into the workforce to secure meaningful employment. Through our responsible sponsors and partners, we are in a unique position to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Light into Europe aspires to break the current impasse and empower the sensory impaired young people coming into the workforce to secure meaningful employment. Through our responsible sponsors and partners, we are in a unique position to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Increasing the number of university graduates with sensory impairments leading to a successful professional and social life should also helps the society to accept them more realistically and, within their communities, to develop more leaders.
One of our priorities is to bring the computer literacy and the Internet knowledge into the lives of young people with sensory impairments to combat social exclusion, enhance their social, educational and employment opportunities and to increase pleasure and the quality of life.
The charity also grants annually up to ten scholarships to help sensory impaired students during their universities’ studies.
Our impact and accomplishments include:
The charity also grants annually up to ten scholarships to help sensory impaired students during their universities’ studies.
Our impact and accomplishments include:
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Hundreds of children and young people from Bucharest, Timisoara, Buzau and Cluj schools with hearing or sight impairment involved in extra-curricular activities developing professional life skills;
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Three computer clubs with Internet connection and appropriate software;
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50 deaf persons graduated the computer skills courses towards the EDCL;
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annual workshops in presentation and interview skills attended by 100 young people with hearing or sight impairment.
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