2020 with Sense

Published 30 December 2020 | By Boagiu Alina

We started the e-Sense project, through a meeting with the team project consisting of representatives of partners: Sense International Romania, Code for Romania, School Centre for Inclusive Education ”Cristal” Oradea, Special Technological Highschool "VasilePavelcu" Iasi and School Centre for Inclusive Education „Constantin Pufan” Timişoara. The project is funded by the Orange Foundation through the World through Color and Sound 2019 Program.

We organized a trip to the mountains where children and young people with deafblindness participated in communication and socialization activities, orientation and mobility - among others, for the first time for them, they learned to ski.

We organized the Beyond the Senses event - where the organization's partners and funders experienced deafblindness in the Sensory Tent, on the occasion of its 19th anniversary.

We started the Education with Sense International project, funded by the Nelumbo Foundation through Sense International UK, which aims to conduct an online course in the field of deafblindness and the formation of a group of young people with deafblindness in advocacy and leadership.

We organized our first online workshop in the field of deafblindness, part of the e-Sense project.

We have equipped special schools where children with deafblindness study with transparent masks, disinfectants and other protective equipment against the SARS-COV-2 virus, replacing the usual activities organized in schools on the occasion of International Helen Keller Week.

We equipped the partner schools in the e-Sense project with tablets for children with deafblindness and laptops for teachers.

We have created accessible videos, in sign language, with contrast, subtitles and text, addressed to people with visual and hearing impairments, addressing major issues of the current context of life - what this virus means, how to protect ourselves, what to do if we have symptoms, from where do we get information?

We developed the Sensi project - online safety for children and young people with sensory disabilities, a project funded by the Orange Foundation through the World through Color and Sound 2020 Program.

For families, we made and translated materials containing ideas for activities, games and exercises that can be done with children with deafblindness at home, with minimal costs, to continue the therapy that took place in schools, through the series of materials #thursdayplay.

For teachers, parents, psychologists, educators, social workers, doctors, physiotherapists, students - we organized for free the Online International Conference Deafblindness in the context of the pandemic.

We launched the Campaign I TOO HAVE A VOICE! on the occasion of December 3 - International Day of People with Disabilities - through which children and young people with deafblindness will have a better understanding of their rights, as described in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

At the end of the year, we thank all those who have been and are with us. We especially thank the companies that, despite a difficult year, have chosen to direct 20% of the profit tax to the cause of children and young people with deafblindness in Romania.