STEPS

The interim report about the work of the Steps Project was written and sent to the European Union in May 2003. The documents contains the interim report and the reports from the partnerships in Lidingö, Rotterdam and Barcelona.
Download: Interim Report in English (file-type: pdf, file-size: 211 KB)

People with learning disabilities are one of the most marginalized groups in European society, rarely recognised as full citizens with equal rights. The European action research programme "STEPS" focuses on structures, instruments and methods to combat the discrimination of people with learning disabilities and aims at full participation and free access to material, cultural and social resources.
Download: Project description in English (file-type: pdf, file-size: 34 KB)
Download: Project description in Spanish (file-type: pdf, file-size: 29 KB)

In STEPS different municipalities with different cultural backgrounds, different social welfare systems and different traditions in social work are planing to improve, shape and change services for people with learning disabilities in order to reduce discrimination and exclusion. The partners from London/Canterbury, Barcelona, Lidingö/Uppsala, Rotterdam and Hamburg want to develop ways towards emancipation, participation and solidarity. The differences of structures and backgrounds in cities, services and institutions involved in STEPS are a chance to share experiences, best practices and also failures. Even taking these differences into consideration, the following ten starting-points have been identified as key challenges for STEPS and the local partnerships.
Download: Starting Point in English (file-type: pdf, file-size: 32 KB)
Download: Starting Point in Spanish (file-type: pdf, file-size: 38 KB)

Non-discrimination and inclusion means participation and valuing people. The partners in STEPS are looking for best practices and methods to meet individual needs according to individual preferences. Structures in politics and the institutions which do not correspond with this issue should be dissolved. New methods, financing structures and best practices will have to cope with the ambivalence of risk and shelter, the ambivalence between organised services and individual needs, and between care and autonomy. They should help to balance these ambivalences in order to support full participation, emancipation and solidarity.
Download: Perspectives in English (file-type: pdf, file-size: 45 KB)
Download: Perspectives Point in Spanish (file-type: pdf, file-size: 38 KB)

A stable network of local partnerships in five European municipalities, - joining perspectives of providers, administration and scientific research - is being developed in order to approach the following main objectives.
It is clear that every local partnership will have different priorities within these objectives and will contribute in its own specific way. Nevertheless every partner accepts the following points as main objectives in the second phase of STEPS.
Download: Objectives in English (file-type: pdf, file-size: 45 KB)
Download: Objectives in Spanish (file-type: pdf, file-size: 45 KB)
Download: Objectives in Spanish (Figure) (file-type: pdf, file-size: 38 KB)

Printable documents providing the working plans for the period September 2002 - August 2003 and for the period September 2003 - August 2004
Download: Schedule 2002 / 2003 (file-type: pdf, file-size: 13 KB)
Download: Schedule 2003 / 2004 (file-type: pdf, file-size: 10 KB)

Structures towards Emancipation, Participation and Solidarity