“Strong Stories” is a television series consisting of 12 programs – successful cases of the formation of families of Ukrainians – parents of children with disabilities. Each episode shows how a family raising a child with disabilities, such as blindness, autism, epilepsy or cerebral palsy, works to give the child a fulfilling childhood and life.
According to the leader of the project, journalist Iryna Koval, “most of the families that will take part in the program are real ninjas and superheroes. Helping their own children to get back on their feet, they began to engage with others and help each other – they started unique artistic practices, educational and training initiatives and programs that contribute to the development, socialization and professionalization of children and youth with disabilities, and they themselves participate in them as volunteers.”
The head of the project – cultural manager, journalist Maria Gurska adds: “The examples of the heroes of the programs are extremely inspiring and motivating for the civil society as a whole, where mutual help and care becomes a pillar of society and a signpost for getting out of crises. As examples, we can mention the contribution of volunteers to the Revolution of Dignity, the resistance to aggression in the Russian-Ukrainian war, or the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The purpose of the program is to give action instructions to parents who are faced with the challenge of fully raising a child with a disability, to promote networking of such families and the spread of contacts between them, to raise the level of tolerance and respect for “otherness” in society, and to call officials to responsibility in the direction of implementing reforms of inclusive child rearing.
The project “Strong stories” can be seen on the Espreso TV channel already in September.
