My name is Tess Van Deynse. I have autism. I live alone in Hasselt. In my (free) time, I do a lot of volunteer work for inclusion and rights of disabled people. By Grip vzw, Groep Intro (project Handiknap), VFG (Flemish Federation for Disabled People) in the project called bar equipment (Caféploeg in Dutch). Grip vzw fights for inclusion for disabled people in Flanders region (Belgium). Also the right tochoose your life: where I want to live and with who, how to spend my free time, what I want to eat, … We do it through speaking in high schools, lobby work, taking actions against institutions and separate clubs for disabled people, fight against discrimination, …
We do it by sensibilising children about disability and animating them to participate in the regular youth work. With playing active games such as wheel chair parcour, walking with white sticks and a bandage, reading stories about autism, … The theme is how to communicate with disabled participants. Like other people.
We run a bar: we need to wash the dishes, to go round with drinks on receptions and events, to order drinks to clients. Like a normal bar. The aim is to sensibilise people, that we can work and talk with them. And we see work, and do what we must to do. Like everyone.
