Photography Project
The Photography Project aims to give disabled teenagers a voice through the creative medium of photography. It will be led in partnership with local artists, and all donations to the project will cover the costs of equipment and time commitment required to keep the project ongoing. We look forward to organising and welcoming you to an exhibition in the near future so please do keep an eye on this page for updates!
Aims
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To provide a forum through which young people can gain knowledge about their diagnosis.
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To give the young people an opportunity to self-advocate/speak out about their disability within their local community.
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To enable young people with the skills for which to educate others e.g. peers/members of the public.
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To help young people understand the concepts and importance of self-management as they transition into adulthood.
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To provide an opportunity for young people with a neuro-disability to meet each other in a social capacity.
This project is important because The Convention on the Rights of the Persons with disabilities states that young people with disabilities are among the poorest and most marginalised of the world’s youth. Estimates suggest that there are between 180 and 220 million youth with disabilities worldwide, and nearly 80 percent of them live in developing countries. All the issues that affect young people, such as access to education, employment, health care and social services, affect those with disabilities in a far more complex way. Attitudes and discrimination linked to disability make it much more difficult for them to go to school, to find work or to participate in local activities. In many communities, both rural and urban, they are often excluded from decision making processes due to low expectations of their capabilities and a lack of projects aimed at enabling inclusion. This has implications for self- management, impacting on abilities to carry out self-care strategies (Greenly 2006). Through increasing coping strategies with their condition and related knowledge, there is a potential reduction in stress and anxiety (Bartholomew et al 1991. Lazarus and Folkner 2008). The voices of disabled children and young people are rarely heard (Support and Aspiration Green paper 2011) but the UN Convention Rights of the Child Article 12 states that children have a right to be listened to and to be able to communicate their needs. There are additional benefits from gaining support of their peers when managing a disability (Lazarus and Folkner 2008).
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Projected Costs:
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17000 Baht
(£400; $489 US)
Target Group
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This project will target 15 – 20 young people aged between 12 and 19 years old with a neurodisability. The group will be invited to up to 6 sessions during November and December;
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Session Structure:
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Session 1: Ice breakers, Quiz, aim of group –diagnosis/ causes, and getting a diagnosis, types of CP and GMFCS levels where relevant. GMFCS curves. Practical session with photos – getting use to cameras.
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Session 2: Transition and human rights: self-management. What are the challenges faced as a YP living with a disability in Mae Sot. What are the challenges around access? What are the barriers that need to be knocked down? Fears/anxieties?
Practical session – trying to take photos/getting use to cameras. Discuss any photos taken and ask them to bring back to following session for discussion. Possible Skype with UK teenager(s) TBC.
Session 3: Introduction to photography basics with local artist. Consider individual themes for each child.
Session 4: photography practical
Session 5: photography practical
Session 6: photography final – select photos and construct blurb
Photographic Exhibition to be hosted at Gallery location – Borderline, Mae Sot – TBC
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Locations for the groups have been identified through our partner organisations and include Hsa Thoo Lei School, Charis Community Centre, Picturebook Guesthouse and Mingalar Church.
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