The aim of the project is to train and encourage people with disability to use multimedia platforms by means of which they would be able to successfully integrate and take part in the local cultural and scientific community upon completion of the project.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Niš
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
We will be working with young and educated people with different types of disability (physical disability or visual impairment). The project is devised at the suggestion of prospective project participants. Members of the target population the project is intended for are not familiar with the practical use of media technologies and haven’t had the opportunity to express their attitude online.
Working with this specific population is in accordance with the aims of our organization.
Potential project participants have a basic knowledge of computer technology and internet. Yet, they are not familiar with a whole range of possibilities which online multimedia platforms may offer.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Petar Milivojevic – https://www.facebook.com/petar.milivojevic.75?fref=ts
Marija Golubovic – https://www.facebook.com/mgolubovic2010?fref=ts
Other volunteers.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
We will encourage the participants’ personal and affirmative stories which will reflect their active involvement in cultural and scientific life, despite the challenges they encounter regularly. We assume that the target community is presented online in a one-sided manner, in the sense that the main focus has been so far on a more negative outlook on their life experience. However, we seek to support stories that are more inspirational highlighting more positive aspects.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
We have made contacts with different associations of persons with disabilities and agreed to cooperate closely with them in planning and implementing the project. Moreover, we plan to establish connections with the institutions where they studied or they are currently involved in, as well as with local media.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
Such collaboration and connections we have established with various organizations of persons with disabilities will facilitate the selection of the participants. Approximately ten participants are expected to engage in training activities.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Our partner, Petar Milivojevic, is a senior student at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, at the Department for Computer Science and Multimedia Content. He took part in the professional internship program at a local TV station (Niska TV) and this project will be part of his final exam. Marija Golubovic attended the school for web skills, entrepreneurship and journalism, organized by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS). The members of our organization who will take active role in project implementation are graduate philologists and, as such, they can provide professional assistance in writing scripts, whereas the president of the organization, Marko Radulovic, completed the School of Multimedia Journalism.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Marija Golubovic, one of the participants, has provided a 30-square-metre conference room suitable for organizing workshops and other project activities. As for the technical features, we own 5 desktop computers and 5 laptops with internet connection speed of 5 MB/sec.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Our organization is planning to maintain a long-term cooperation with different institutions of persons with disabilities. One of the participants and the main initiator of the project, Marija Golubovic, is a person with disability.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
Due to various kinds of disability (e.g. people with vision impairment), the participants may face different problems or have particular needs when using the multimedia content and platforms. However, our trained educators will take an individual approach in meeting their specific needs, thus assisting them in successfully overcoming such challenges.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The film, which will represent the final result of the project, will include special subtitles intended for people with hearing impairment. It will enable the project to affect a much wider community bringing together people with similar problems not only on a local level, but also on a global scale. The short film will be uploaded on the official YouTube channel of the organization and shared throughout different social networks. The number of views will serve as the evaluation of the project.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
The initial phase of the project will start immediately upon receiving the funds. The first month will be dedicated to delivering a series of workshops, whereas in the second month of the project, the focus will be on film editing. The promotion of the film will be done on an indefinite basis.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
The costs of transportation services
(special vehicles for people with disabilities) $500
Participation confirmation $50
Rewards for the best participants $70
Rewards for trainers $450
Rewards for script writers $450
Video equipment $430
Renting a room for workshops $200
Film promotion $100
Reward for translator $150
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
The promotion of the project and of other ideas of the participants.
Contact name
Marko Radulovic
Organization
Litera