Short bio

My name is Aurima Blužienė. I work as a social worker at the Youth Day Centre where I work with adults with intellectual disabilities. I am also the coordinator of the work study, the aim of which is to develop work skills and abilities which we hope will be used in the future to integrate people with disabilities into the labour market.

My EPALE

I am excited that while engaged in social work, I keep discovering something new and keep learning new things. I heard about the EPALE platform during the international conference Day Centres Without Walls, where I shared good practices and successful results of the Colleagues project. I have the opportunity to gain motivation to act and keep moving forward. Not only to make useful connections but also to get creative ideas and to learn from other employees and organisations.

My Story

I was the coordinator of the project Colleagues in Panevėžys, which aims to implement the international work shadowing initiative DUOday 2021.

DUOday is a day when companies and organisations open their doors to people with disabilities. A person with a disability and an employee of the company spend this working day together - becoming colleagues, forming a duo - DUO. A person with a disability not only becomes acquainted with the company, but also tries out the usual tasks of employees, participates in meetings, communicates with colleagues, and has lunch together. Such a day gives businesses the opportunity to meet employees whose skills in the labour market are unduly underestimated, while people with disabilities gain valuable work experience and learn about the work culture of different organisations.

The Youth Day Centre has joined this international initiative. It gave us knowledge first and foremost, and knowledge is the first step towards inclusion and diversity. For our institution, this has become an opportunity to strengthen ties with local employers and provide better quality employment services. Recipients were able to test themselves in a real workplace and learn new things, get to know different jobs, make new acquaintances, showcase their talents and show that disability does not hinder work. With bold interest and getting to know each other, we open up opportunities for successful cooperation!

Any company or organisation, whether small or large, private, non-governmental or state operating in Panevėžys could become a participant of DUOday. We are proud to share that since the the DUOday initiative started on May 20 this year, as many as 28 disability-friendly companies have taken part in it, with 25 service users becoming acquainted with different job positions, many of them even with several positions. Service users are able to try out a wide range of professions, such as chef, florist, car mechanic, sales consultant, engineer, etc. We are so pleased that more and more employers are entrusting opportunities to people with disabilities - from small family businesses to international companies or even the most important state institutions. And they are not wrong - people with disabilities can work in a variety of jobs and create value in different teams, and it was a great opportunity for businesses to see “different” people and see how much we can do together.

We are pleased that the employment problems faced by people with disabilities are being raised at the highest level. The Presidency of the Republic of Lithuania also joined DUOday 2021. We are very proud to have had the opportunity to work with the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda. A participant from our institution worked with the President and his office, helped His Excellency to present the Global Lithuania Awards, and remotely attended a meeting with the World Lithuanian community together with the President. The day at the Presidency was full of the most amazing experiences and acquaintances.

Parents of DUOday participants say that after their children with disabilities take part in the initiative, they are more hopeful that they will be able to work and feel needed. After all, it is so important to believe that everyone is needed in the labour market. I very much hope that the day will come when every day in Lithuania will be DUOday and a person with a disability will be the norm in any organisation, not the exception.

Being the coordinator of this project in my city was not only a great responsibility and an invaluable experience, but also a joy as I was able to see the growth in self-confidence of the service users. I am also extremely pleased to know that my work contributes to the empowerment and well-being of service users.