The group for the self-advocating of persons with moderate and severe impairment in their mental development from Draga at Ig

How to enable an individual who underwent a moderate or severe impairment in his/her mental development to attain the status of an adult and to become to a largest possible degree also an independent person, who may live in accordance with his/her wishes and needs? In the Dolfka Boštjančič Centre in Draga at Ig they found the right answer to this in the self-advocating. Self-advocating is based upon the conviction that we are able to help persons with impairment in mental development to acquire the skills, which may enable them to be fully and with all rights integrated into ordinary life. These people require a lot of time and assistance to understand the basic rules and forms of the efficient conduct in the urban environment, yet it is worth all the effort since no one has the right to make decisions instead of themselves. The group was founded in 1999 and includes ten members, who are convening once per month. They are learning how to form and express their opinion on democratic decision making and assuming responsibility. The topics of their meetings are selected by themselves. The training of the "self-advocates" is led by two mentors: Barbara Hegeduš and Matej Pelicon. The dynamics of the group's activity is on an enviable level; they do their best to realise everything they have agreed upon and everyone is willing to undertake one part of the task. A part of one's is employment, and for that reason all members of the group are working. In their free time they prepare food, take care of horses, tend fruit trees, medicinal herbs and flowers. The group for self-advocacy is namely a form of the preparation for life within the residential groups out of the institute.