ENVITER ConferenceLisbon, 11.11.2015

Networking as a way of being includedIstituto Regionale Rittmeyer per i Ciechi di

Triesteby Valentina Di Luzio,

Donatella Rudez, Elena Weber

NETWORKING: THE WAY OF ISTITUTO RITTMEYERIstituto Rittmeyer is very

active in creating social networks: in this way it can make people know its own activities and the provided services. Therefore, these networks allow Istituto Rittmeyer to disseminate and to raise awareness for the informations concerning blindness and low vision. Since some years Istituto Rittmeyer has decided to turns some of these activities towards seeing population organizing events to spread the culture of the acceptance of the diversity.

•EVENTS IN THE DARK & BLIND CAFE•COUNSELLING GROUP•COOPERATIONS WITH SCHOOLS

EVENTS IN THE DARKCATEGORIES•Dinners in the dark •Snacks in the dark •Brunches in the dark

EVENTS IN THE DARKGOALSA really original experience Few hours for ‘seeing’ people as VIP(here you can find the video (infrared) about the experience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFsVaMP3rhM)

EVENTS IN THE DARK

SENSATIONSPeculiar intensityExploration of different sensesConvivial momentNew experience of communication and relationship

BLIND CAFEI

It was February 2014 when Istituto Rittmeyer opened the cafe (in Italian it is a bar).

TThe cafe is exploited by visually impaired young-sters.

TThe goals of this activity is the research of a different way to raise awareness and autonomy as well as a way to develop daily living skills, useful also for the job emplacement.

BLIND CAFEIt has been possible to

realize this activity thanks to the co-operation of the coffee specialized enterprise ILLY CAFFE’ that has its own premises in Trieste and that is known worldwide.

ILLY CAFFE’ provided also a special training course: casual barmen & barwomen.

Both clients and professionals attended the course, also to become a real bar team.

Till now BLIND CAFE, a new way of social drinking, resulted an extremely positive experience. (bar team at work)

COUNSELLING GROUP Istituto Rittmeyer promotes an

activity of counselling to facilitate VIP, their own families, teachers and professionals to deal with situations connected to blindness and low vision.

COUNSELLING GROUPThe group is composed by:- Istituto Rittmeyer, with Donatella

Rudez,- Blind Union (Trieste branch), with the

coordinator,- Counsel Group of the Library for Blind

(Friuli Venezia Giulia branch), with its own officer.

COOPERATIONS WITH SCHOOLS I

In order to promote its own activities and to increase intergenerational relationships, Istituto Rittmeyer decide to present a project concerning the music therapy with children and elderly VIP (guests of Rittmeyer elderly home) as beneficiaries.

COOPERATIONS WITH SCHOOLS

TTo encourage the guests of Rittmeyer Elderly Home to use their own competences, their own ability to communicate and to socialize, Rittmeyer equipe decided to use the music.

AThe group of Rittmeyer eldery home guests and a group of children attending a nursery school in Trieste are realizing a sort of choir, singing altogether common songs.

TThe intergenerational exchange between children and elderly is a moment of relief and regeneration for the elderly and one stage of knowledge for children.

The meeting between two different worlds - through a non-verbal communication – is leading to excellent results.

ENVITER ConferenceLisbon, 11.11.2015