This time last year we promised that we would be even more active and cohesive, and that, within the limits of our possibilities, we would strengthen the cooperation between local civil organisations. We feel we have succeeded. We have new members, new partners, new projects, and took part in every meeting and event that we possibly could. More and more of our members take an active role in the life of our association, they contribute with their ideas, opinions, write blogs, organise and take part in public events, work in team projects, travel abroad, attend trainings, strengthening and shaping our community.

The events of 2109 in a nutshell:

We wrote lots and lots of grant applications, some of which have won. Our activities have been organised around two main projects:  Strengthening Civil Organisations 2019 – SCO/ECK (http://peoplefirst.hu/en/projects/erosodo-civil-kozossegek-eck-2019/).  As part of this project we have been exploring and assessing accessible hiking trails, and were co-organisers of the 3rd Barrier-free Tourism Day. As well as that, we have developed the methodology for barrier-free architectural consultations and have advised local tourist service providers. In cooperation with our partners in the tourism industry, we created a barrier-free tour of the city of Pécs, entitled ‘Hidden City’. Our project team members received remuneration for the work they did.

In November we participated in another successful SCO grant application, as a result the 4th Barrier-free tourism Day will take place in September 2020.

Our other main activity is our ‘sticker’ project, which we have won in collaboration with Pécs Community Foundation. This project has raised more awareness to our work within the community (http://peoplefirst.hu/en/projects/pecs-jovoje-alap-2018-kozossegi-kreativitas-projektek/).  This project involves the gap-filling activity of exploring barrier-free tourist attractions of Pécs. Our members visit various places, every single place visited is evaluated, and categorised based on its accessibility. Accessible places are awarded a sticker, designed by our members, which is then placed on the entrance door. Finally each place is then entered into a database on our website, with photos and a written evaluation. The database is available to the public both in Hungarian and English (http://peoplefirst.hu/en/akadalymentes-pecs/). Our project team members did this work, which is of invaluable importance, for a very modest payment.

In August we won another NFSZK FOF2019 grant, which means we can continue our sticker project, adding new criteria to the assessment.  (http://peoplefirst.hu/projects/nfszk-fof2019-matricas-projekt-2/ )  

Cooperating with and sensitising younger generations, especially those in secondary school, is very important to us. We have been successfully working together with the students of two secondary schools who are doing their community service. Secondary school students can continue to do their community service with our association.

According to the goals of the Local Action Program for Equal Opportunities we have joined forces with other civil organisations to establish an NGO network that would help the work of the local government. We attended and co-organised workshops. Setting up a disability committee is still a priority for us.

Instances of civil cooperation: we had several discussions at the regular afternoon meetings organised by Kerek Világ Alapítvány, in May we attended an open day for civil organisations (Nyitott Udvarok Napja), in June we attended a workshop organised by Civil Közösségek Háza on national and international good practice, as well as workshops on accessibility with the participation of local service providers. We are building a relationship with Kilátás Alapítvány, with the hope of future collaboration in the area of purchase of equipment. We took part in Szomszédság Akadémia, and have given a talk on social campaigns. Last but not least we are working together with Budapest NGOs to establish independent and assisted living.

Our international relations have broadened as well. We have been participating in international projects, have travelled, studied and worked abroad. We organised workshops for people living with disabilities on how to set up a business as a part of an Erasmus+ project, establishing FairShares social enterprise model in Hungary. Its final conference held in English, in Pécs was well attended. In March we developed a sensitising game in cooperation with our German partner, VSBI in Pécs, which we followed up by testing it in 5 German towns, with the help of our members. The goal of Peer AcT Erasmus+ project is to train peer mentors in accessible tourism. In May we attended an international conference in Osijek, and in November two of our members participated in Germany in a week-long training run in English. The training will be repeated in Hungary in early 2020, to pass on the knowledge to five other association members.

Realising the power of social campaigns we have started a number of them and participated in many others both nationally and internationally. Just to name a few of these:

In April we started the ‘Why’ campaign in which we explain briefly why certain things in the world of people living with disabilities are the way they are. Why, for example, disabled parking spaces are so much wider than regular ones; what the tactile guide stripes for the visually impaired mean etc.. To read about the campaign click on ‘Why’ on our homepage (http://peoplefirst.hu/en/miert/). 

In the international campaign InKLOsiv, we showed accessible toilets in Pécs.

In June, People First joined TASZ as a supporting organisation in their campaign for independent living and personal assistance, entitled ‘A Day off for Every Family’.

In October, within the framework of a campaign organised by ‘Lépjünk, hogy léphessenek Alapítvány’ we organised an open forum with the mayoral candidates, where our members talked about their experiences with support services in Pécs and studying at university; women raising children with disabilities; and everyday life in nursing homes.

Our website has a new menu entitled ‘Barrier-Free Pécs’, where barrier-free locations in Pécs can be searched for in various ways. This menu is both for locals who would like to plan their shopping, run errands or just go for a walk, and for tourists planning to visit Pécs. The menu is also available in Hungarian and English.

All the while we had lots of fun spending time together hiking, drinking coffee, exchanging ideas, discussing, convincing each other, visiting concerts, festivals and conferences, playing sports, working…

On 25th December we closed the year with a very cheerful Christmas party where – as always – we welcomed friends and people from Pécs.

To be continued in 2020.

Join us! Follow us!

14-17 April 2018. as a part of a program of Aktion Mensch Foundation a German delegation from Erfurt arrived to us for the preparation of the material for the Independent Living Center’s German-Hungarian tender. The group that mainly included disabled people was accommodated at Hotel Barbakán. Our programs consisted of: visit the Pécs marketplace, listening to the presentation on the Barrier-free Tourism Day at Tekeres, participation at the Orfű Medvehagyma Festival, visit to the World Heritage Zsolnay Quarter where we listened to a presentation about making the site barrier-free. We also made a visit to the Malomvölgy Social Home (several of our members live here) and the Cella Septichora Mausoleum another World Heritage monument in a wheelchair. The last day we held a workshop at the Center of Civil Societies about lifestyle possible for disabled people in Hungary. The lunch was provided by Bio Bia so the guests could try some good stuff. Finally we made a stop at Retextil where we had the chance to see a workplace employing a disabled community.

1-5 May 2018. it was our turn to make a visit to Germany by a minivan. We attended different presentations of which one was about life, living and labor assistance in Germany at the Landesverband Thüringen Interessenvertretung Selbstbestimmt Leben (at the National Organization of the Thüringen Advocacy of Independent Life). Later we got to know the president and other responsibles of the Erfurt Disability Council through an informative talk. We also had the chance to be present at the reunion for the assistance of the disabled people at Café B, where we participated in a workshop to discuss the main topics of the Aktion Mensch Project.

Our general assembly held on the 7th and 18th of June last year were important milestones because our whole Association got renewed. We elected new presidency, we established new constitution, new plans and new opportunities. The former president Gergő Berkes called out, the new board members Veronika Pataki as president, Roland Balogh vice-president and István Fazekas secretary, Right now could also greet 10 new joiners in our association.

And later we got into the groove!:

Bálint Lovescher designed a super logo for us and we opened up our bilingual website as a result of the expertise of Balázs Oláh and Róbert Rauch. We keep up with an intensive and bilingual appearance both on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks to the help of our accountant and solicitor we straightened up our legal and financial affairs and started to build national and international relationships.

Through our meetings we speeches, discussing our experiences and plans we tried to make community interaction and awareness as wide-spread as we could.

September 2018. we actively took part in the organization of the 2nd Barrier-free Tourism Day. As part of the organization board our responsibilities were volunteer registration and awareness, marketing, Facebook, press and the mobility of disabled people. One of our members, Csaba Pintér operated the Speckó special escape room during the programme.

In October 2018. we got the honor to participate in the description of Pécs city Local Equal Opportunities Program. It was a great pleasure to work with a fantastic group in detailing chapter 7 (which deals with the situation of disabled people). The final goal however is to convert these professional plans into reality with the same team.

We liked the idea of our members Alexa Dékán and we started to brainstorm on a project: what would happen if we would mark with stickers on the entry the restaurants/cafes/shops in Pécs the barrier-free access and and maybe even barrier-free toilets? It’s became a tender submitted for the Pécs Community Foundation and we have been one of the 3 winners of 17! The project is till end of August 2019, during this time we will stick the half world and we will put on the results the wheelmap.org international website too.

Also in September 2018 we made a contract with Leőwey Klára High School, so community service students can work with us. We like the kids very much and they are very useful: they can help us with translations (English class), organization, they are animators of Speckó sessions and can help in boccia trainings. Moreover apparently getting a better understanding of the disabilities world.

From 1th of November 2018 we participate in an international project. As a partner of Green-Active Social Cooperative we did the preparation of the Peer-Act Erasmus+ K2 Project. Early 2019 two members of us will participate in a one week international training in Germany and  further 8 People Fist members will be trained in barrier-free tourism in Pécs. More about it here: http://peoplefirst.hu/projects/peer-act-erasmus-ka2-nemzetkozi-project/

Between 19.11.-03.12.2018. we have been involved in an international campaign from Germany. The campaign inKLOsiv called attention for barrier-free toilets. People First HU looked for Pécs locations as good example (I Love Pécs Café, Janus Business Center).

In December we have been contacted by the Kodály Zoltán High School to work with us. We are very lucky to involve more young people and can sensitize in the disabled topic.

On 7. December we closed the year with a general assembly and we discussed the plans and had even new members.

We will be even more active and consistent in 2019, however we keep it essential that the local organisations achieve goals  together in collaboration!