Towards Integration

The Strategic Plan of Vilnius City highlights safe social environment as one of the main areas of city development. The high level of integration of different social groups as well as equal opportunities for enjoying the rights to education and employment are very important for fulfill ing the above mentioned task.

Some of the groups have specific needs that must be satisfied in order to guarantee their participation in community life. Mentally disabled people is one of such groups. People with mental disability can hardly participate in the competitive labour market. Therefore Vilnius together with non-governmental organizations takes up every effort to help develop their working conditions and to ease the realization of their production.

Beside material benefits, which are used for the expansion of activities and allow for bonuses, the feeling of being needed and active, is crucially important to the disabled people and to their successful integration with society.

Education and Day care centers for disabled people produce quite a lot of quality goods and souvenirs that could be sold in the market. A professional training centre "Mes esame" ("We are") has opened a souvenir and information shop on a prestigious Pilies street in the centre of Vilnius. All the institutions working with disabled people have a possibility to display and sell their works in the shop. The shop offers a big choice of goods. One may find pottery, wooden articles, fancy works, wicker works, hand-woven and knitted things and other kinds of souvenirs. Visitors have an opportunity to get acquainted with activities of social institutions and non-governmental organizations working for the welfare of the disabled. Although the shop was opened only a few months ago, it has already attracted frequent buyers, and the turnover is growing relatively fast. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to get more information about the project or share with your experiences.