Unlocking Freedom

Unlocking Freedom through Adult Education Project Introduction

Unlocking Freedom through Adult Education (2015-2018) is an Erasmus + research project

exploring the role of adult education in supporting the de-institutionalisation of people with

disabilities in the community  This project is led by Disability Federation of Ireland, with

partners in Ireland (Maynooth University and Stewarts Care ltd), Bulgaria (the Institute for

Community-based Social Services Foundation), France (Universite Paris XII Val de Marne and

Centre de la Gabrielle) and Finland (Kehitysvammaisten Palvelusaatio).

The project has three key objectives:

• To improve the life-long learning opportunities and social integration of people with

disabilities through adult and community education;

• To bring local adult education providers together with local community based

services/facility operators with the aim of devising or adapting curriculum to support

their new role in including people with disabilities in their activities;

• To address the formal education needs of staff moving from institutional to

community based provision in order to challenge the institutional culture of the

organisation and to maximise their support to integrate people with disabilities fully

into the community

As part of the Unlocking Freedom project, Maynooth University developed a continuous

professional development programme for staff working with adult with diverse learning

abilities in adult, further and community education contexts.