Summary
Building inclusive democracies depends on the active engagement of all citizens in public life. Political rights, such as the right to vote, stand for election and be elected, are fundamental human rights. Guaranteeing the respect of the political rights of persons with intellectual disabilities (PwID) is a democratic issue relevant to the whole population, raising questions about the inclusion and efficiency of democratic systems.Trainees will learn about democratic rights and how they can reinforce their civic skills and civic engagement through digital citizenship for an inclusive life.
Target Group
People with intellectual disabilities and supporters, including disability professionals, relatives and/or other stakeholders who can play a role in the exercise of rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. Their involvement in the training activities could be adapted to each scenario.
Aims
- To learn about democracy.
- To learn the main principles of democracy.
- To understand how democracy works.
- To know what democratic rights are.
- To know what are the legal instruments that address to democratic rights.
- To get an input concerning human rights and democratic rights.
- To know how to exercise democratic rights.
- To know how they relate with citizenship, political and public participation.
- To realise the connection between own lives, democratic rights and civic engagement.
- To know the importance of digital citizenship for an inclusive life.
- To learn how to use digital tools that can promote the exercise of democratic rights
Key Competences
- Civic skills (e.g. civic knowledge, cognitive civic skills, participatory civic skills, civic dispositions).
- Civic engagement skills (e.g. civic action; civic commitment; including electoral participation, individual volunteerism, advocacy, and activism).
- Digital citizenship skills (e.g. inclusive and respectful behaviour online; informed decisions and attitudes; civic engagement; be aware of online actions, potential dangers and how to avoid them).
Training Contents
- Democracy and democratic rights
- Brief history of democracy
- Principles of democracyUnderstanding how democracy worksDemocratic rights and responsibilities
- Important documents for human and democratic rights (according to the trainee’s profile)
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Other documents that are considered relevant
- Democratic rights and PwIDD: barriers and opportunities
- Attitudinal, communication, physical, policy and social barriers
- Recognition of rights; visibility and social recognition; accessibility; social roles and relations; community network (including digital belonging); participation opportunities and resources.
- Civic engagement and digital citizenship
- Definitions of civic engagement, digital citizenship, and digital literacy
- Types of civic engagement (e.g. electoral participation; civic participation; volunteering; activism and advocacy)
- Key enablers or constraints to civic engagement and digital citizenship for PwID
- Impact of civic engagement and digital citizenship for PwID: practical examples and successful experiences
Session Plan (for trainers)
