A camp to support and rehabilitate veterans who lost their eyesight in the war and their families has started in the Carpathians. 14 veterans and 6 accompanying wives came from 10 regions of Ukraine. The team of instructors involved also covers a wide geography of our country - from Kyiv to Lviv, from Kharkiv and Sumy to Ivano-Frankivsk.
This rehabilitation course for blind veterans brought together 2 groups of participants: beginners - those who are undergoing rehabilitation for the first time, and those who are already gradually and confidently moving towards independence and self-sufficiency in their lives, who have already acquired basic knowledge and skills in the meetings organized by the NGO «Modern View».
Two programs have been developed for the event to support, rehabilitate, train and engage veterans and their families in further activities. The process takes place in parallel for the two groups. The training is conducted individually, in groups, with the involvement of family members, as well as in general mixed groups with the involvement of all participants.
The program for the first group is aimed at:
- identifying the needs and capabilities of the participant; drawing up a rehabilitation plan;
- primary social adaptation of veterans to life after vision loss; providing veterans and their families with psychological support, counseling, etc.; mastering basic spatial orientation skills; mastering basic self-service skills in everyday life, personal hygiene, cooking, etc.; developing coordination skills, physical education;
- Increasing the level of physical activity and strengthening the physical qualities of the body (strength, speed, flexibility, endurance, etc.);
- mastering the basic skills of working on mobile devices and PCs.
- general support of the body by means of therapeutic massage.
Family members have their own schedule, which includes psychological support, rules for accompanying people with vision loss, advice on home arrangements, as well as legal advice and answers to pressing questions in the legal field.
The program for the second group is aimed at:
- stimulating the formation of a quality independent life;
- Acquiring basic skills in learning the basics of computer literacy;
- familiarization with the profession of a rehabilitation massage therapist; learning the basics of management, grant activities, opportunities for starting a veteran business and its support and development in the future; trying their hand at writing business plans and further support in their implementation; informing and engaging in public activities in the field of protecting the rights of veterans, their families and people with disabilities.
Additional incentives to study are provided by means of psychological, physical, and social rehabilitation.
The team's specialty is recreational tourism, motivational meetings, evening unloading with board games, sincere and friendly communication over a cup of fragrant tea.
Welcome to the family of the Life After War camp, which provides comprehensive and professional support for blind veterans and their families. Because life after war must go on! And this is what the ideologist of our camps, Oleksandr Tereshchenko, constantly says.
We acted as partners in this case:
- National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine
- European Disability Forum
- Christian mission of the blind
- Public Union “Modern View”
- Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of the NKSIU
- Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charitable Foundation,
- Ukrainian center “Invasport”.
This event was held within the framework of the project "Crisis in Ukraine: Response and Recovery with the Needs of Persons with Disabilities, led and coordinated by organizations of persons with disabilities (Phase 2), implemented by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine with the support of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
