Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)

Larysa Yevdokymova discuss
achievements of the sport school for
disabled children and youth

In July, IATP centers throughout Ukraine hosted a series of events for support of disabled citizens. The network of IATP centers supports disabled people’s initiatives and contributes to their personal and professional development by providing free trainings on IT use for NGO staff and disabled people, providing a free Web hosting platform for disabled people to spread ideas and establish connections with Ukrainian and foreign partners, and by hosting online discussions addressing the issues and challenges facing disabled people in Ukraine.

• On July 16, the IATP center in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, sponsored a seminar entitled, “Internet Use for NGOs Working with Disabled People” for eight employees of local NGOs. IATP Site Administrator Yuriy Seliverstov and IATP Trainer Mykyta Shaleny explained how to search on the Internet for information of interest to the attendees, gave an overview of online resources for NGOs working with disabled people, including online libraries, websites of donors and NGOs bringing together disabled people. The trainers also emphasized the importance of the Internet for fundraising and organizational development and presented the website of Zakhyst (Protection), an NGO working to increase social and professional opportunities for disabled people, which was created as a result of IATP training. By sponsoring this seminar, IATP promoted information technology as an efficient tool for development of NGOs working with disabled people.

• On July 16, Larysa Yevdokymova (CC 02), an employee of the local school for disabled children, delivered a presentation at the IATP center in Sevastopol, Ukraine on her school. Nine ECA alumni learned about the history of the school, which was created in 2000, its successes, main activities, and challenges. As a result of the presentation, the ECA alumni volunteered to work at the school. Larysa Yevdokimova also signed up for IATP trainings on Internet basics. By sponsoring this seminar, IATP provided opportunities to ECA alumni to work for the benefit of the local community.

Mova members work with the Internet
at the IATP center in Vinnytsia

• On July 5, 9, and 16, the IATP center in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, hosted regular meetings of members of Molodizhna Organizatsiya Vinnytskykh Aktyvistiv (Vinnytsia Organization of Young Activists) – MOVA – bringing together local hearing impaired youth. One year ago MOVA’s website was posted to the IATP server as a result of IATP trainings. Impressed by the capabilities of information technology (IT) for their personal and professional development, they organized the MOVA Internet club, which meets at the IATP center in Vinnytsia, to explore IT use for people with hearing disabilities. The club members meet at the center every Monday to work with Internet resources and communicate with their friends and colleagues from other regions of Ukraine and abroad.