photos: INVRA
Illustration: Dietwee ontwerpers
On Your Own Two Feet
Standing on your own two feet, giving shape to your life, making choices, developing your talents, entering into relationships, taking responsibility and fulfilling a role in society. For some people this is but a dream. They are partly or totally dependent on others. For instance people with a handicap who live in an institution or under the guidance of others.
Especially for these people INVRA has come up with the idea of starting an academy. The 'Academy for Independence' offers the course 'On Your Own Two Feet' to 225 people each year. The academy focuses on the individual and their personal development and therefore takes a person's abilities and learning possibilities as a starting point, instead of their disabilities. Making their limitation a fact, but nothing more than that.
The academy wants to contribute to the socialization of care, as supported by the government, in which as few specific rules apply to people with a disability as possible. This way contributing to the socialization of care. Socialization includes 'full citizenship for everybody'.
The goal of the academy is for people with a disability to have more control over their own lives. Self-guidance and the use of people's own motivation are key words here. By increasing independence it is expected that in the long run the academy will lead to a reduction of government expenses. This will be tested during the course of the project.
Goals
- Realization of an operational teaching institution: Academy for Independence;
- evidently increase the independence of people with a disability;
- realization of more self-control of people with a limitation;
- decrease the dependence of people with a disability on existing institutions and law and legislation;
- create possibilities for 'an entire life of learning' for people with a disability;
- disperse the success of the approach and the instrumentation to other parts of society like psychiatry, child care, education, care for the elderly.
Partners
INVRA Ltd is a private organization started by Gitty Scholten and Jos Flipsen, from here the idea of the Academy for Independence was formed. INVRA Ltd certifies people who work in the healthcare sector, so that they can work with the instrument INVRA-Living and the On Your Own Two Feet method. See also: www.invra.nl
At this moment INVRA, Epkis Foundation and d.o.b foundation are working together to investigate the practical and financial feasibility, possibilities and structure of the Academy. These activities are being carried out by Wietse Potiek and Thomas van der Heijden of Epkis Foundation, they are also working on a long-term plan for the realization of the academy.
Method
The On Your Own Two Feet method has been developed and tested in practice. The method is supported by the instrument INventarisatie Van Redzaamheids Aspecten-Wonen (INVRA). INVRA-Living maps skills that most people in our society apply daily. With INVRA-Living one can measure these skills with people, so that one can get insight into which skills people use or want to learn. Also, the learning results can be measured. It is a scientifically tested instrument which is characterized by objectivity, simplicity of use and in communication possibilities with others.
The plans
- Demonstrate the value for the participants and the social impact by means of scientific monitoring;
- Approach parties for (co)financing of the academy;
- Gain knowledge of and propagate methods to assist people with a disability to gain more control of their lives;
- Increase impact by setting up more branches around the country;
- Find/create space within Dutch Social Affairs' law and legislation, so that regular financing will be possible for the purchase of the courses On Your Own Two Feet offers.
Results of the pilot
In 2001 a pilot with 29 people was completed, of these 25 participants still live at a higher level of independency.
- During the pilot one person stopped.
- One person died.
- After the pilot two people still use the 24/7 hours of care.
Read more about the results and read the story of Kitty and Remco who have been living independently since the pilot.
Questions and obstructions
- Will it be possible to find enough support for the academy in the near future?
- How can we overcome resistance from, for example, parents and guardians?
- How will we get the desired support from the government so that in the future financial support will be given through subsidies?
- Is society really prepared to allow socialization?
- Will the present institutions dare to change, become smaller or even abolish themselves and start to look for another role for themselves in this sector?
- How can we create a society that thinks in terms of abilities instead of disabilities? (This could take a while, but can we make a start?)
Sustainability
From gained experience, the methodological approach of INVRA appears to have long-term effect. The dual goal of the Academy - training and knowledge centre - will contribute to this.
As interaction will take place with this approach between independent information and direct practical application, an exemplary model will occur that can be propagated more widely.
With thorough preparation, in which support is tested by all stakeholders and insights are provided for financing possibilities, the goals of the Academy for the long-term and on large scale are aimed for.
Savings for society
By taking part in the pilot, Remco and Kitty can now live far more independently. They only need to use a few of the special facilities. There is also an economic side to this revised situation. When Kitty and Remco lived in the institution the costs for society were approximately € 44.000 per year. The costs of 6 hours per week of domestic support are about € 5.000 per year.
The fact that savings can be realised is an important side-effect of this initiative. The initiators of this project want to provide insight into possible savings. The savings to society will be calculated during the development phase.
Budget
In an initial research and exploration phase INVRA bv, Epkis Foundation and d.o.b foundation invested, next to effort in time, € 18.000 (INVRA) and € 9.000 (Epkis). On the basis of the results of this phase project development started. A budget of approximately € 90.000,- has been made available for this. This budget is financed by d.o.b foundation € 65.000,-, Invra bv € 12.000,- and Epkis Foundation € 12.000,- .
The ultimate Academy Project will require annual exploitation costs of about € 1,5 million, to be specified on the basis of a business plan.
Term
The pilot phase of the academy will take 3,5 years including the start-up. After that the academy will continue ‘on its own two feet’.
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