On 4 June, a special training course entitled "Inclusive tandem - accompanying people with disabilities" took place at Schmidtbank in Chemnitz. The workshop was led by Fatima Maged, project manager of "Ehrenamt Inklusiv Chemnitz" and on behalf of Andrea Sciretta, project manager of "Kulturbegleitung - Teilhalbe Kultur", both projects are part of SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH.
The aim of the workshop was to familiarise the participants with the idea of inclusive tandems - in other words, the joint involvement of people with and without disabilities in everyday life and in voluntary work. In a theoretical part, the volunteers received valuable tips and practical advice on how to interact with people with different disabilities in a respectful and supportive manner. They discussed what non-discriminatory interaction can look like and what structures are needed to enable genuine inclusion. Questions such as "What is inclusion?", "How does an inclusive tandem work?" and "What concerns are there?" were discussed openly.
In the practical part that followed, the participants were able to experience for themselves, in tandem, what it feels like to live with a disability. One person took it in turns to do without a specific ability - such as seeing or hearing - and was accompanied by the other person. This impressive exercise not only promoted understanding, but also trust and empathy with one another.
The workshop was an inspiring example of how inclusion can be lived and organised in practice - with openness, commitment and mutual respect.