General Objectives: Improving the quality of life of people with visual and other disabilities living on the territory of Plovdiv Municipality; Prevention of social exclusion of people with visual and other disabilities; Reduce social distances to visually impaired people. Specific objectives: Expanding the scope of social services offered in the NRCB Improving the quality of social services offered in the NRCB. Orientation of the social services in the NRCB to the individual needs of the consumers Implementation of good practices for social inclusion of people with visual disabilities

Activities and results achieved:

Providing and training a team of professionals to carry out the activities in the Day Care Center for People with Disabilities under NRCB. A team of specialists was provided and trained to implement the project activities. The differences between the internship and the training in the day center were analyzed, the issue of working with volunteer students and the maximum use of their resources was discussed. Modern technical equipment and tools for visual and physical rehabilitation were purchased. For the day-to-day office and entertaining therapies, games and materials for leisure activities were purchased. Two pottery wheels, a furnace, an extruder, a roller and materials were purchased for the Art Therapy Cabinet. A day center was set up with the necessary equipment to provide a range of services and provide an inclusive and stimulating environment.

Selection of Daily Center users and development of individual lesson plans

Individual work plans have been developed for all approved Day Care Center users. This work was done for each student of the NRCC by a needs assessment team, including teachers, psychologist and social worker. The training and rehabilitation plan was prepared on the basis of an entry test and was tailored to the individual wishes of the beneficiary. On the basis of the individual plans, the working groups were formed and a monthly timetable for training, rehabilitation and leisure time was prepared. During the work with each beneficiary, intermediate tests and / or interviews were conducted according to which the individual work plan was corrected.

Recruitment and work with volunteers for the Day Care Center

Two visits to Paisii Hilendarski University were organized in order to present the activities of the Day Care Center to the NRCB in front of the students specialty "Special Pedagogy" and "Social Pedagogy" of the Paissii Hilendarski University, where information brochures were distributed. Ten students were selected to carry out their internships at the NRCB, as well as to participate in the organization of the free time of the trainees. The students were trained, familiarized and participated in social activities, which will be a good preparation for their future professional realization. The NRCB already has a volunteer database to carry out specific activities, as well as sufficient human resources to carry out these activities.

Providing  of complex social services for 30 trainees with disabilities at the Day Care Center; organization of their free time

The trainees took part in trainings for making pottery, mosaics, castings, decoration items - aimed at both visually impaired and blind learners. The aim of the activity was to stimulate the psychomotor activity of the participants as well as to inspire their creativity, to satisfy their aesthetic needs. The training ended with organizing an exhibition of products. A deluxe album was released with mosaics and embossed images for visually impaired learning. Trainees were given motivation to step out of social exclusion, to express their individual desires and to work in small groups. Most of them have found their art in art therapy.

Diagnosis of the needs of visual and physical rehabilitation; Preservation and development of undamaged functions; regaining confidence in our own capabilities

Visual rehabilitation trainings aimed at exercising and optimizing the use of low vision were conducted. Kinesitherapeutic services were also provided, divided into two categories:

1. Passive kinesitherapy - Physical and psychomotor rehabilitation - conducted by physician physiotherapist. For physical rehabilitation a masseur-rehabilitator was appointed.
2. Active kinesitherapy - Use of the sports hall. Additional gymnastic rehabilitation balls and bedding were purchased for the gym.

Social, health, legal and psychological counseling

Twice a month, group and individual consultations were organized with the social worker, psychologist and lawyer. The social problems created by the disability were discussed; hidden discrimination, the disabled person and society.

Trainings

- Cooking training – DL Skills training - Orientation and mobility - Braille training and audio book training - Training on Internet use

Seminars, conferences

- Round table on the social services offered at the Day Care Centers for People with Disabilities: p - Seminar with volunteer students - National Conference on Art therapy as a form of social inclusion of people with disabilities

Information and publicity activities

- Press conferences and press releases were held

A brochure of the Day Center was published - Advertising materials were published - Two brochures were published - "Braille Code Acceptance" and "When You Meet Visually Impaired People" - A Luxury Album with Mosses and Patterns Released - Exhibition of pottery and mosaics , made by users of social services. - Dinner was organized in the dark, attended by representatives of Plovdiv Municipality, media, businessmen, social partners

Objective of the project: Preventing the social isolation of people with visual disabilities by increasing their employability through vocational training in 2 vocations

Activities:

• Equiping a computer room for training visually impaired people
• Admission and attendance of trainees
• Conducting training in the licensed profession "Office Secretary"
• Conducting training in the "Massage" profession as part of the licensed "Cosmetic" profession.
• Consuling direct beneficiaries on the labor market
• Communication with Labor Offices
• Conducting a state exam for acquiring a qualification in the licensed profession "Office secretary"
• Conducting a state examination in the "Masseur" profession as part of the licensed "Cosmetic" profession.

Achieved results:

• A cabinet for the computer literacy training of the office secretary has been equipped with desks and cabinets
• 16 visually impaired persons from all over the country with over 70% lost working capacity were accommodated at the NBR's boarding school
• 8 visually impaired persons received professional qualification or retraining under the licensed profession "Office Secretary"
• 8 visually impaired people have undergone vocational training in the "Masseur" profession as part of the licensed "Cosmetic" profession.
• 16 visually impaired people received knowledge and skills regarding their communication with state, municipal, non-profit and business institutions
• All Labor Bureau Directorates of the place of residence of the students were familiar with the training and the specific achievements and individual professional abilities of each student
• 8 visually impaired persons received a Vocational Training Certificate - qualified in the profession of "Office Secretary"
• 8 visually impaired persons received a Vocational Training Certificate - qualified in the profession "Massager"

Objective: The project was aimed at forming and enhancing the skills of blind and visually impaired people to move to and around public spaces by developing specialized tools and training for their use.

Activities:

• Creating an electronic carrier of maps of major routes for visually impaired people
• Development of tactile maps of the following sites: transport triangle Rhodope-South Bus Station - Railway Station, the area of ​​the National Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind; Central area of ​​Plovdiv with the adjoining building of Plovdiv Municipality
• Development of three-dimensional models of the Central region of Plovdiv and the region of the railway. station Plovdiv
• Development of an audio description / verbal map / of the transport triangle Rodopi-Bus Station South - Railway Station
• Development of an audio description of the area of ​​the National Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind
• Development of an audio description of the Central region of Plovdiv
• Purchase 30 MP3 players
• Record audio recordings on MP3 players
• Testing of the three types of products from the project - tactile map, three-dimensional mock-up and audio description with 10 visually impaired people
• Training of trainers to work with project products - tactile maps, three-dimensional models and route descriptions
• Training of 30 visually impaired people using the tactile maps of the routes
• Training of 30 visually impaired people using 3D models
• Training of 30 visually impaired people to use the route audio tracking

Results:

• Developed tactile maps of the transport triangle Rodopi-Bus Station South - Railway Station
• Three-dimensional model of transport triangle developed Rodopi-Bus Station South - Railway Station
• Developed tactile maps of the area of ​​the National Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind
• Developed tactile maps of the Central District of Plovdiv with the adjoining building of Plovdiv Municipality
• Developed three-dimensional mock-up of the Central District of Plovdiv with the adjoining building of Plovdiv Municipality
• Developed audio description of the transport triangle Rodopi-Bus Station South - Railway Station
• Developed audio description of the area of ​​the National Center for Rehabilitation of the Blind
• Developed audio description of the Central District of Plovdiv with the adjoining building of Plovdiv Municipality
• Purchased 30 MP3 players on which the route audio tracks will be recorded
• Three types of products were tested: tactile maps, three-dimensional models and audio descriptions with 10 visually impaired people
• 30 visually impaired people - trained to use the tactile maps of the routes
• Improving the quality of guidance and mobility training through the introduction of new didactic tools
• Long-term use of the products from the project and after its completion by all future students in the NRC.

The project carried out basic rehabilitation and vocational training of visually impaired people from the whole country in a boarding-house, daily and distance form; advising employers on the professional capabilities of visually impaired people and communicating with them; a link has been made with the labor offices to implement the state policy on tackling unemployment. During the project a reconstruction of the building attached to the NRCB was carried out and it was established in the Center for Vocational Training for People with Disabilities. 9 specialized offices and auxiliary rooms were furnished. The selection of the students was done at the request of the regional and regional organizations of the UBB. Each beneficiary went through an input level to assess needs and turned to the main rehabilitation team. After carrying out the main rehabilitation activities, consultation with an expert of the NRBC and according to his preferences, the client focused on vocational training in some of the professions offered by CVO to the NRCB - upholstery, handmade knitting, cosmetic massage, word processing and office secretary.

There were meetings with employers to present the potential opportunities of the students. A seminar was held with the instructors from the daily rehabilitation centers in Bulgaria on the topic: New aspects of vocational training for visually impaired people. A textbook on upholstery was published.