In the context of the European project MINDful, a three-day training was successfully held at the premises of the Center for Lifelong Learning Kainotomia in Larissa, from 01 to 03 April 2025.
The MINDful project was designed to promote the integration of people with visual, hearing and physical disabilities in retail workplaces in rural areas of the EU. Its aim is to support retailers through appropriate training, so that they can hire people with disabilities, effectively support them in their work, organize the workplace and adapt the environment to be accessible and inclusive.
The project consortium, which consists of 6 partners from Greece, France and Spain, actively participated in the three-day training. During the first two days, the educational material developed by the consortium was presented, which includes thematic modules such as:
- General introduction to hearing, visual, and physical disabilities
- Inclusivity in the Hiring Process
- Inclusivity in Workplace Arrangement and Signalization
- Proper Behavior
- Crisis Management
- Policy and legislation at national and European level
It is important to mention that the training also included people from outside the consortium, with professional experience in the retail sector, who contributed substantially with their knowledge, opinions and experiences. Their presence enhanced the discussion and enriched the training process, giving a practical dimension to the theoretical approaches.
On the third day, participants visited a retail store to observe real-life practices promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.
The visit offered valuable insights, experience sharing, and practical knowledge on fostering accessibility and inclusivity in the retail sector.
This training session marked an important step towards the finalization of the so far developed project results, serving as a crucial initiative to validate the training materials in order to make them available to a broad audience of retailers across rural EU areas.
Stay tuned for the project’s next steps!
