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Disability in Portugal and the active contribution of Centro Social Paroquial Santos Martires


Disability can be viewed in different ways, each with different emancipation potentials for people with disabilities. In Portuguese society, disability has been reduced to the in-capacities of the bodies and to a fatalistic narrative of personal tragedy. According to this understanding model, therestrictionsandobstaclesexperiencedbypeoplewithdisabilitiesresultdirectlyfromtheirsupposedfunctionallimitations. Suchconceptionshavevalidatedtheconstructionoftheimageofpeoplewithdisabilities as passive and dependent subjects, the silencing of their voices and fed oppressive and excluding social policies of people with disabilities in Portugal. This essay aims to open a reflection on this reality, in order to contribute to a cultural and socio-political questioning of the phenomena of minorization, oppression, poverty and social exclusion experienced by people with disabilities in Portuguese society and for the construction of new emancipatory paths.
The full inclusion of citizens with disabilities, as well as the full recognition and promotion of theirrightsfundamental rights, constitutesoneofthe major prioritiesassumedbythe XXI ConstitutionalGovernment. Provide more andbetterservices, ensuretimelyquality responses andcreatemechanisms for effectivesupport, withsimplifiedandquickaccess, were some ofthe objectives thatsincethefirstmomentwetried to achieve.
Althoughalwaysopen to improvement, publicservicesprovidecurrently a wide range ofsupportspecificallydedicated to peoplewithdisabilities, manyofthemnotsufficientlypublicized. Attentive to thesourceofinformationavailableanditsdispersedcharacter, webelieveitisuseful to createthethis Guide, whichbringstogetherrelevantinformationregardingsupportandresources in areasof social security, education, employment, vocational training, sport,culture, amongothers. Hereyou can find in oneinstrument, answers to yourquestionsquestionsaboutrecognitionofrights, benefitsand social responses, supportemployment, taxbenefits, educationalresources, support for sports, clarificationservices, amongothers.
With a clear andaccessiblelanguage, weseek to provideaninstrumentpracticaltoolthathelpspeoplelooking for answers in thisarea, in order to knowwhere to goandwhat to do in the face of a doubtordifficulty. Formoreandbetterinclusion, towards a justandcohesivesociety!


Sotheactivitesabout CEBwillbeheldbythe Portuguese partner, Centro Social eParoquial Santos Martires. Itwillhavetheopportunity to trainthelearnersonthetechniques to produceartproductsthat in theirexperienceweregood for sellingporposes: producingpaited tiles, carvedmasks, articlesmadebyLandart, straworraffiabaskets, porcelainpainting, canvaspainting.
Theactivitiesabouttheblendedmobilitywillconsistofabout 6 meetings in livestreamingand/orvideoconferencingamongthe 4 partners in whichDiakonischesWerk Bremen e.V. willguidethelearningprocesswiththealternationoftheoreticalexplanationswithpracticaldemonstationsandexercises, itcouldbepossiblealso to organize some sharedworksessionwiththegroupsworking in streamingatthesame time. Weplan to have 3 ofthembeforeand 3 afterthephysicalmeetings.The virtual mobilitywillbecombinedwith 5 daysofphysicalmobilitywith 6 participants( 4adultlearnerswithdisability/social disadvantagesand 2 accompanyingpersons) per partner. Duringthephysicalmobilitythelearnerswillimplementthefollowingactivities: Knowledgeactivities, deepeningonarttecniquesandworkshopsusuallyrealizedbythehostingpartner, realization of work of art in multicultural groups, guided visit to examples of places for collaborative economy in the city; sharing the results of local activities; evaluation activities, intercultural free time activities. The use of easy language and the learning by doing method, but also the right alternation among learning activities, breaks and free time activities, will ensure the efficacy of the learning process adapted to the learning abilities of the participants. The activity aims to determine the acquiring of art techniques and practical/manual skills by the participants in a view of transnational cooperative learning; tutorials about the creative process and art products for selling will be the main results of the actvity.
Therefore our proposal at Academia Santos Mártires is to enjoytheworkthroughtheproductionofaromaticplantsandherbsfromthesensorygardenelaboratedthroughtheArtofInclusionproject, as well as work on the elaboration of tile painting material, creation of clay pieces, stained glass painting.
How to sell our products online?
We can partner with the vocational training center and use marketplaces, a kind of online store. There are several websites where you can register and upload photos, descriptions and prices of your products. From there, buyers can place their orders. Markets will keep a percentage of your sales, but they will give you great visibility online.
Some examples of good art / product marketplaces
- https://www.ebay.com
- https://www.etsy.com/
- https://www.misshobby.com/
- https://www.blomming.com/en
- https://www.amazon.com/
Or you can create a Facebook page or group.

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