Despite all efforts to make public transport accessible to people in wheelchairs, there are still many places that are inaccessible to wheelchair users. Non-profit organization Borůvka Praha ops with operation three minibuses with a platform tries to simplify transportation for people with disabilities to their daily classes.
The possibility of transportation for education is one of the basic needs for the successful integration of people with a health disadvantage into everyday life. Many families of children with disabilities were interested in the possibility of barrier-free transport to the Jedlička Institute and ordinary schools in Prague at Borůvka Praha ops. Thanks to rented and specially adapted minibuses, together with willing drivers, they manage to get around on a daily basis up to 20 pupils and students to schools.
Project goal
The main goal of the project is to facilitate the path to education, sports and leisure activities for children and youth with physical disabilities. Thanks to accessible transport, the families of these children have more options for choosing a school and do not have to limit themselves to the immediate vicinity of their residence.
“Clients can be educated in regular schools among healthy peers, so they are more independent and independent. They will increase their self-confidence and lose their isolation from ordinary everyday life. At the same time, they will gain more social contacts and the family’s standard of living will also increase.” says Lenka Nádvorníková, director of the non-profit organization Borůvka Praha ops
Children and young people are thus detached from their parents, who can go to their jobs, which has a positive effect on the client’s overall standard of living. The main criterion for selection into the project is the impossibility of own transport and the location of residence.
How the project works and its results
At the beginning of the school year, but also during the course of the school year, based on requests and requests from parents and clients, a schedule of individual, regular, daily trips to regular schools in Prague and the Jedlička Institute is drawn up. The schedule is adjusted so that the organization can accommodate as many requests as possible. At the same time, however, they must take into account the capacity of modified minibuses. “The Borůvka Praha ops organization is currently able to transport more people, if they travel in the same direction and at the same time – for example from the boarding school at the Junior High School to the Klár Institute, etc. The maximum is currently 27 clients. The special minibuses travel up to 2,800 km per year for one client. However, the mileage for one of them is usually between 1000-1500 km,” adds Lenka Nádvorníková. Following the needs of children, their services are most used in the morning and afternoon hours. The project takes place throughout the school year.
What else does Borůvka Praha ops help with?
Each of us wants to live a full life and have the opportunity to realize ourselves as much as possible in it. One of the basic possibilities of human realization is work. However, not everyone has adequate conditions for this. Since 1998, Borůvka Praha ops has been helping children and adults with physical disabilities to join normal society. It is exceptional in that it helps these people throughout their lives. In childhood, transport to schools, then physiotherapy, a training work program and to top it all off is help with finding a job and employment itself.
“We help people with physical disabilities acquire work skills and subsequent employment in the regular labor market. However, we cannot do without the support of the public. Our work is long-term. Regular donations are therefore the greatest support for us. However, we appreciate every donation that reaches us. We use them for the development of all our projects. Thank you very much for every support.” adds Lenka Nádvorníková.
You can support Borůvka Praha ops, for example, here – https://www.darujme.cz/darovat/234
