At the ceremony on the occasion of the successful completion of the Informal Educational Program of Disability Studies DISABILITY TODAY, held on July 4, 2024, in the premises of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA in Novi Sad, certificates were awarded to the first-generation participants who attended more than 70% of the theoretical classes and did the final paper.On behalf of the organizational team of the program DISABILITY TODAY, the present partakers were greeted by Veronika Mitro, program manager of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA and one of the creators and organizers of the program.Veronika Mitro voiced her satisfaction with realization of the program, the lecturers’, who came from different towns in Serbia engagement, and the active participation of the students in both groups – online and personal participation. She noted that, unfortunately, the organizational team didn’t promote the program sufficiently but that it was a success that an additional 58 persons, in addition to 30 trainees, followed one or more and some all of the program modules: personal assistants of trainees, sign language interpreters, lecturers, students on professional practice in IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA, and activists from organizations of persons with disabilities.
Veronika Mitro said that the organizational team of the educational program DISABILITY TODAY was more than satisfied that 22 trainees fulfilled the conditions for obtaining the certificate. Final papers deal with different topics and are very interesting and inspiring. Most of them treat the theme of personal assistance, independent living, and (in)accessibility but in various ways: theoretically, from the human rights perspective, research based on the survey, descriptions of communicational and architectural barriers, videos documenting good and bad practices, campaigns to raise awareness. Other presented themes are war veteran experience, a blind person’s experience of inclusion and education, discrimination in the health system, the language and culture of a deaf community, how psychology helps persons with disabilities, etc.- I am especially pleased that Olivera Pejak Prokes, a member of the Steering Commity of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA, a judge of the Appellate Court in Novi Sad and the founder of the Women’s Judicial Center, is with us today. She will ceremoniously present certificates to the participants – said Veronika Mitro.Olivera Pejak Prokes said she was pleased that the conclusions from the conference Why do we need disability studies? held in December 2023, were accomplished so soon.It is a great honor to be the one to hand out certificates to accomplished trainees and to be a part of this significant educational program. Although informal, DISABILITY TODAY opens new perspectives not only to persons with disabilities but to experts in various areas, including the one I am practicing – law. I hope we will transfer the whole program to a law faculty or academy soon – said Olivera Pejak Prokes.
Present certificate awardees were called out in alphabetical order to present their final paper shortly, share their experience of attending DISABILITY TODAY program, and give suggestions to improve the program in future. The attendees are satisfied with the organization and the subject of the program, organizational team, hostess and technical support. They suggest paying more attention to spreading the program out of the community of persons with disabilities into the media, the academic community, and the professional and general public.
Program DISABILITY TODAY, an informal educational disability studies program, was realized from April 7 to June 30, 2024. It lasted 32 lessons of theoretical lectures in eight modules and 15 hours of practical work. The modules included the following thematic blocks: Introduction to disability studies; Legal Framework of the Protection of Persons with Disabilities; From the movement for the rights of people with disabilities to the philosophy of independent living to community services; (In)accessibility and design for all; Experience and challenges of persons with disabilities; Culture, art, creativity and persons with disabilities; Visibility and activism of persons with disabilities; Women and disability.
Program DISABILITY TODAY was organized and created by a three-member organizational team of IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA. The team members were Andjela Kaur, Veronika Mitro, and Svjetlana Timotic. The following teaching team participated in the implementation: Olja Ilkic, Marija Vrebalov Djordjevic, Milesa Milinkovic, Tatjana Stojsic Petkovic, Miodrag Pocuc, Bojana Rudic Pocuc, Milena Stojanovic, Ena Todorovic, Sinisa Tucic, Otilija Velisek-Brasko, and Mimica Zivadinovic. Participants in the live library were Marina Jeremic, Branislav Medakovic, Marko Nestorovic and Suzana Ristanic. The technical support team were Suzana Belos, Marija Gobnai, Dajana Erceg, Mirjana Jaksic, and Dusko Medic.
The implementation of the DISABILITY TODAY program was supported by the Reconstruction Women’s Fund, the Women Against Violence Network, and members of the organizations IZ KRUGA VOJVODINA, Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities Serbia, and Association of Interpreters and Translators for Sign Language „Ruke govore“.
