<< Background >>The project EFDI – Ecological Future Divers and Inclusive aims to enhance ecological competences and knowledge on ecological contexts among people with disabilities. By means of inclusive education and tailor-made offers for people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities, skills and competencies are developed that contribute to an ecologically conscious lifestyle and to an increasing awareness towards climate change and environment. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities state the right of persons with disabilities to education and that an inclusive education system on all levels and lifelong learning is ensured (Art. 24). But even today, adult with disabilities have education trajectories that are often marked by the transition into segregated work and residential without opportunity to acquire deep and comprehensive knowledge in sustainability education or ecological literacy. Ecological literacy requires knowledge of processes, nexuses as well as interest into the topics, but the educational biographies often do not impart this knowledge. So, the project interfaces this lack and the EU Agenda 2030 on climate and energy framework that intends among other to mainstream the Sustainable Development Goals. xx People with intellectual and/or complex disabilities are rarely considered and not often seen as target group in adult education and sustainability education. Together with various partners which are experts in the field of sustainability or disability, the EFDI project intends to prepare tailor-made educational measures for the target group. The core of the project will be to develop tailor-made material and methods that meet the learning needs of people with complex disabilities as well as of people with learning difficulties. Therefore, the project talks about both of this groups in one go: people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities. The different needs will be targeted and met through the means of internal differentiation within all results (e.g. easy-to-read material as well as multi-sensory activities). xx Additionally, the project will bring benefits for many other people who depend on easy language. Beside people with disabilities, many other people with fewer opportunities belong to the group of functionally illiterate people, have poor reading skills or have different mother tongues (appr. 25% of people). They may also benefit from easy understandable information and educational tools and methods in terms of ecological literacy. Furthermore, the participating and involved organisations will go through a change of approaches by developing methodologies, campaigns and initiatives, in this means. EFDI will thus be a starting point for a system change for service providers in the disability field and will on the other hand bring benefits to the organisations from the sustainability sector in giving the opportunity to meet and work for a new target group (people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities).<< Objectives >>The main aim of the EFDI project is to enhance the ecological competences and knowledge on ecological contexts in people with disabilities (as one group of people with fewer opportunities). Therefore, the project deals with the development of educational tools and methods that meet the needs of people with intellectual and /or complex disabilities. According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health of the World Health Organization, the group of people with complex disabilities include people whose mental and sensory functions and vocal and speech functions are impaired, and who may have severe physical, psychological and/or sensory or multiple disabilities in addition to intellectual disabilities. Especially when focusing on the learning and education and following the developmental psychological findings of Jean Piaget, they are rather in the sensorimotor phase. That means that their ability to learn and understand strongly depends on immediate wholistic experiences they can gather. Thinking and understanding is linear, so it depends heavily on cause and direct effect. Offers that focus on theoretically learning that relies on anticipation is not effective, things that are learned have to be done. They need support and specific tools for learning, e.g. multi-sensory tools. In difference to this group, people with intellectual disabilities have reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills. They talk about themselves as people with learning difficulties. Their ability to learn and understand is already orientated on the so-called circular mode, which means that content can be anticipated, relations and interrelations can be established and cross-linked. What this group needs to understand and learn is accessible information in an easy understandable language. The EFDI project intends to develop material and methods that meet the learning needs of people with complex disabilities as well as for people with learning difficulties. Therefore, the project addresses both groups in one go: people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities. The different needs will be targeted and met through the means of internal differentiation within all results (e.g. easy-to-read material as well as multi-sensory activities). The Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2015) show the close interrelation between social and ecological topics. People with fewer opportunities, like the EFDI’s target group, are more often in risk of being socially affected by ecological problems in Europe. Facing the interplay of social and ecological topics, it is about taking on an eco-social responsibility. This means that changes on various levels and approaches need to be done. This opportunity will open up for the target group through the project. EFDI addresses people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities as the ones who are active problem solvers for environmental challenges in their own living habits and also have an impact as problem solvers in their communities, countries and even in the European context. In this means the project focuses on understanding concepts that show interaction between society, politics, economy and climate change and how to reflect on these issues. In addition, the social dimension of non-formal learning also includes opportunities for people to get active, being heard and seen and participate in democratic life.<< Implementation >>EFDI Pilot-Testing of the Results Essential in the design of the entire EFDI project is ensuring the voluntary participation of people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities in the entire lifetime of the project. These target-groups are actively involved in the development of the EFDI Model by testing the results and reflecting regularly on initiatives of the project in all partner countries. The outcomes of these pilot testing will be incorporated into the development of the EFDI results. xx EFDI Basic Skills and Competences for Campaigning - an inclusive and diverse seminarIn the frame of the EFDI Project a learning, teaching and training activity will be conducted. The EFDI Basic Skills and Competences for Campaigning seminar is an inclusive and diverse seminar taking place in Bucharest. The participants of the seminar are a diverse group: people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities, staff of disability care organisations and staff of organisations from the sustainability sector. People with intellectual disabilities did not gain competences in public relation, marketing or in running campaigns during their school education or during their work experiences. Neither did the professionals during their education since this is not crucial for their profession. The idea beyond this seminar is to support and empower people with disabilities to advocate for climate neutrality and environmental protection, but also advocate for other topics that affect them. This support and related material are given within the project through the Result – EFDI Campaigning Set. The main focus of the training is to learn together in a diverse setting and to enrich the participant’s competences on campaigning. xx EFDI Campaigns During the project lifetime two inclusive campaigns for the ecological future will be developed and carried out. There is foreseen one street-campaign, it is prepared in the partnership with people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities and will be launched in one of the partner countries, as well as one postcard campaign which is produced in collaboration with people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities. xx EFDI Regional ConferencesInclusive conferences take place at the end of the project in Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Romania. The objective of the EFDI Regional Conferences is to promote the EFDI project, its results and environmental issues such as climate change and sustainability in adult education. EFDI Regional Conferences are planned as inclusive events, in terms of event design, accessibility and all supporting materials in Easy to Read.<< Results >>EFDI Curriculum: The curriculum’s initial aim is to address the needs of people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities in terms of ecological knowledge. It covers five topics: climate, food, mobility, consumption, biodiversity. Each topic will be designed in one module and will offer learning/teaching methodologies in three different application levels. This approach will ensure an inclusive implementation in adult education. xx EFDI Guidelines for Community Experiences: The guidelines offer a didactical framework in order to build up bridges between people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities and communities based on ecological topics. The guidelines include the five topics of the EFDI Model: Climate, food, mobility, consumption and biodiversity. In the guidelines the topics are systematically broken down to deploy and implement them in inclusive community activities. xx EFDI Campaigning Set: The purpose of this result is to empower people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities to launch campaigns for a better ecological future in order to engage as active problem solvers and to create opportunities for people with intellectual and/or complex disabilities to get active, being heard, and participating in democratic life. The Campaigning Set considers the five topics climate, food, mobility, consumption and biodiversity. For each topic ideas and materials for campaigning will be derived and it contains practical suggestions for the diverse target groups. xx The EFDI Multisensory Art and Toolbox aims to meet the need of people with complex disabilities to understand information and to learn on an emotional and sensory based level. Therefore, the five topics climate, food, mobility, consumption, biodiversity edited in a sensory-orientated way and thus motivate and activate people with complex disabilities to better understand the contents and to develop, further develop, and deepen their individual ecological skills and competencies. A toolbox will complete the range of multi-sensory materials and provide instructions and examples for props, activities and other supportive learning opportunities. xx The EFDI Image Film: A short film that will be developed by the partnership, will be a visual and artistic means to bring the subjects of ecological awareness and inclusion of people with disabilities closer to a broader audience. The image film will embody the cultural diversity and inclusive settings of the countries and participants in the EFDI Basic Skills and Competences for Campaigning Seminar and the EFDI Project.

The priority of our project is based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Countries should ensure that persons with disabilities have their fundamental right to live at the same level as others. The transition from childhood to adulthood is one of the key changes in personal life because it has a great impact on the life of person and the life of his family. The main goal of life long education of persons with disabilities is:1. Social education - Social rehabilitation - support of self-reliance, independence, self-sufficiency, through development and training of abilities, strengthening habits related to self-reliance and basic social activities,2. Work education - Work therapy - developing work habits and skills related to work and spare time activities under professional supervision with the aim to maintain or develop physical and mental skills and to integrate the client into society,3. Cognitive education - Alternative communication, aid with expressing the clients’ thoughts, exploring the world, time perception, memory work. Project team members are working with young people and adults, supporting and helping them to become more independent. They are trying to find better approaches to lifelong learning through alternative methodologies and ways to engage parents in this process. Furthermore, the project team members are trying to work with other institutions, and therefore share experiences with other professionals. Each country has different experiences with alternative methodologies in lifelong education , therefore it is very important for them to meet transnationally. Participants are employees of special schools, social institutions, sheltered workshops with years of experiences, who work in direct contact with young people and adults every day. They are engaged in day-to-day training and participating on creating their own individual plan that respects their needs. Quality of education is conditioned with quality professional training of educators. The main outcome of the project will be the recommendation of alternative methodologies: art-therapy, music therapy, ergo-therapy, hydrotherapy, hippo-therapy and alternative communication, supporting the development of gross and fine motor skills and cognitive functions. New innovative learning processes will help improve the quality of education for people with disabilities - helping them to be independent and being part of the community - social inclusion.Getting new approaches and learning processes will help improve the quality of lifelong education by the standards of each organization and strategy of the European Union that aims to improve the position of people with disabilities in society. We expect participants to introduce and bring new innovative methods and practices in the field of education for people with disabilities, bring the flexibility of teachers' thinking, especially in the search for new ways of education and problem solving. Willing to cooperate and share new insights through internal seminars in partner ´s countries and online material that will be offered to the professionals , families and lay public. Our on-line material with recommendations for alternative methodologies in education will be available on each partner organization´s website for free.