Creating opportunities for integration of people with disabilities

Baku, March 15, AZERTAC

bp yesterday announced the successful completion of a social investment project which marked the continuation of its efforts to help people with disabilities integrate confidently and effectively into society.

The project was designed on the basis of the international training method called DanceAbility®. It aimed to embrace inclusiveness in treatment and rehabilitation of people with disabilities via universally common communication techniques offered by the DanceAbility® method.

The scope included the DanceAbility® method training of the specialists of the rehabilitation centres in Baku, Yevlakh and Shirvan. As part of the project a total of 28 - 14 online and 14 offline – DanceAbility® training sessions were provided to some 52 staff members of the rehabilitation centres. All specialists trained by the project represent the State Medical and Social Expertise and Rehabilitation Agency under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.

The training sessions mainly covered such topics as self-expression, self-confidence, creativity, communication skills, empathy, improving mental and physical well-being and other.

In his address to the event held yesterday on the occasion of the successful completion of the project, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bp’s vice president for the Caspian region, communications and external affairs, said: “The core of this project was to help people with disabilities communicate in a language which is common to all of us – the language of movement and dance. This language has already proven to be very effective in lifting the barriers that hinder the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society. More than 200 exercises, which DanceAbility® uses, allow people of all ages to equally benefit from this method helping them feel self-confident and included.

“We believe this project has provided one of the unique and innovative opportunities for integrating people with disabilities into the wider society and therefore, we believe it will bring the satisfaction of self-confidence and self-expression to thousands of people. And indeed, by training over 50 specialists of the rehabilitation centres of Baku, Yevlakh and Shirvan we hope to reach out over 8,000 people with disabilities living in these areas.”

The total cost of the project was 42,950 AZN ($25,264) and this mainly included costs of the training scope and development of eight training videos.

The project was implemented by the local company - DanceAbility Azerbaijan LLC, which is currently the only local organization qualified to provide DanceAbility® training in Azerbaijan.