Narrative report about the summit for people with disability

by Ruslana Shamanska

Project of the on-line teaching English for people with disability started in September 2014. More than 80 participants from four cities studied Business English on-line and face-to-face once a week.

As a final meeting before summer holidays, all participants gathered together for English summit for disabled people in Zatoka, Odesa region. From the 1st to the 5th of July they spent 5 days on the territory of the rest base “Nadzbruchia”.

Different activities were conducted, such as:

Group presentations Business plans creation Human rights training Odesa trip English activities

Group presentations

First day of summit was the introduction day. All participants gathered in a hall, they introduced themselves, proposed rules of summit, divided into groups for creating business plans and chose the secret friends.

On the first and second day groups presented themselves.

Uzhorod group told about their NGO with Power point presentation. Odesa group organized the virtual English excursion around Odesa. Poltava group proposed to play the intellectual game about Ukrainian cities Kyiv group demonstrated funny video from their face-to-face lessons with

Kyiv famous places explanations. After video, they took the interview about the importance of learning English and finished with song “Study English

like you do”. This song became the anthem of our summit. Video link of the song

Everyday day, every night

There is English on my mind

Our group’s very good

We are studying all together now

And we're gonna show you how

You can read, you can speak

You can do it all the time

You can love, you can dream

You can travel round the world that’s why

It’s important in your life, your life

Study like you do… Study English like you do (3)What are you waiting for?

Ellie Goulding - Love me like you do (original)

Business plans

One of the aim of the project was getting job-skills and learning some essential competences for work. During all 5 days participants worked in six mixed groups creating business-plans. On the first day, they were divided into groups and the team leader was chosen. They got the examples of business plans in English and the structure of it. Every day groups gathered and discussed the details of the plan. Teachers of English monitored the process, helped with translation.

On the last day, participants had some time to prepare oral presentation in English. As the final event before the certificate ceremony, each group presented their plan. Some groups did a great job together, in some groups the leader had to do all work by himself.

Ideas of the business plans:

1. Ecofarm – rent the farm and produce natural food like cheese, milk, meat, etc – link to video presentation on Google-drive

2. Movable coffee shop- organize coffee shops on the low platform with wheels and people in the wheelchair can work as a seller – video 1, video 2

3. Beauty salon with handmade cards corner, where disabled person will work as an assistant - video

4. Tourist company for people with disability “Active life” (hiking, canoeing etc. ) video 1, video 2

5. Travel agency “Hope-hope USA and Europe” – organizing trips around the world for people with disabilities (providing accessibility in the hotels, restaurants, airports ) video

6. Centre of production and repairing of bicycle and wheelchairs “KUPO” (Kyiv, Uzhorod, Poltava, Odesa) video 1, video 2, video 3

After presentations of the business plans participants got their certificates.

Training about human rights

Besides practicing English participants of the summit had the opportunity to take part in the training which was provided by the Kyiv NGO “Foundation “High school of the professional politics”. Head of the NGO – Oleh Vostryh. Trainers Natalia Dulneva and Svitlana Marintsova.

During three days for 2,5 hours people with disabilities actively took part in training about general knowledge of human rights, gender discrimination and rights of disabled people. Each participant got the folder with book, notebook and pen.

Odesa trip

In addition to all learning activities, participants of the summit had the unique opportunity to visit Odesa (60 km from Zatoka). Some of them went to excursion around the city and other visited the Odesa Opera theatre, where they listened to opera “Figaro”.

English language activities

During last 10 months people with disability from four different cities were studying English on-line. So summit in Zatoka became kind of final exam in English. All participants tried to speak English at the summit.

In addition, they had a chance to read books “April in Moscow’ and “L.A. detective” in English. In the evening students watched a part of films with subtitles “Soul surfer” and “Treasure of nations- 1”. Teachers spent some time with participants playing games (lexical games with computer and communicative games “Activate”)

On the 4th of July American party was organized. Everybody decorated the hall with balloons, hats, maps, pictures and flags.

Teachers told some interesting facts about history, geography and famous places of the USA. Participants colored holiday cards, made puzzles, played quiz game, sang American anthem with karaoke and watched small educational videos about states and their symbols.

At the end of the party participants opened the secret friends, who were making small surprises for them during 5 days. It was touchable ceremony with hugs, kisses and new presents.

American party was the farewell party. Some of the participants did go to bed and went to meet the sunrise. And in the morning everybody were saying Good-bye and went home. Some of the participants commented:

Victoria Kulchytska, Poltava: “It was a great event. I saw my virtual friends from different cities in real life. This course in general gave me not only knowledge of English it changed my life, made me more confident”.

Sergiy Vinyk, Odesa “I am so glad to take part in such project. I am interested in American culture from my childhood, I like films and books about the USA, I listen to American music very often. That’s why I was so happy to celebrate the Independence of the USA here in Zatoka”

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