VISION:INCLUSiON

How can international youth work activities be structured in such a way that young people with an impairment or disability can enjoy full access? And what needs to be put in place for that to happen? These are the questions that VISION:INCLUSiON seeks to answer. Between 2015 and 2017, international youth work representatives, community organisations, disability assistance providers, researchers and administration representatives teamed up to develop an inclusion strategy for the international youth work community. This strategy is currently being redeveloped for application at the international level.

All individuals have a right to social participation and education. Accordingly, young people with and without a disability should have equal access to international projects and exchanges. However, youth work organisations and young people with disabilities alike still face many obstacles in this regard. To address this, the project VISION:INKLUSiON was implemented between 2015 and 2017. International youth work organisations, experts and young people with disabilities joined forces to build a strategy to provide organisations with practical guidance as they develop their own inclusive international youth work activities.

In the second project phase, the outcome of the project, now known as VISION:INCLUSiON to reflect its international character, is being redeveloped for application at the international level. The focus is now on developing training concepts and supporting organisations in building international partnerships. An even greater emphasis will be given to the voice of those who stand to benefit from these efforts, namely young people with disabilities or impairments and disability community organisations.

The project seeks to achieve the following:

• Strengthening the international dimension – by making the strategy more international.
• Promoting implementation – by assisting organisations in developing inclusive international youth work activities.
• Increasing participation – by encouraging more young people, disabled and able-bodied, to participate.

To this end, organisations and experts will join international working groups and attend conferences to develop concepts and instruments designed to facilitate inclusive international youth work and increase the quality of the activities. Particular attention will be paid to training and partnership-building. Finally, the project will identify existing good practices and create new ones.

Young people will be invited to provide even more input than before by participating in the expert group and getting involved in new formats, such as an international youth barcamp.

VISION:INCLUSiON is run by IJAB – International Youth Service of the Federal Republic of Germany and receives financial assistance from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.