Brussel Helpt: Charity drive gives boost to people with disabilities

Living in a bustling city like Brussels presents enormous challenges for people with disabilities. Everyday activities such as taking the metro, responding to emails or going to the pub with friends can be stressful and time-consuming. The most routine tasks require a disproportionate level of planning.

“Take public transport,” says Sara Luyckfasseel, a counsellor at the non-profit organisation Indivo. “When it’s running on time, most of us can get across Brussels pretty quickly. But people with learning difficulties need to overcome various hurdles before they are able to use the system effectively.”

They have to cross busy streets and find the right stop, she continues, “make sure they have enough change for a ticket, find the right platform, remember which tram they need to catch and get out at the correct stop.”

If they use the same route regularly, she continues, “it is often possible to learn these steps by heart. But when a bus stop is moved temporarily, or a metro station isn’t in service, it can throw their whole journey off course”.

A life like any other

Likewise, for blind and sight-impaired people, ordinary tasks such as getting dressed, using household appliances or looking after a baby can seem insurmountable if they do not receive the right support and training.

Another organisation, the Brailleliga, helps the blind and sight-impaired to lead independent lives by providing tailored, one-to-one support. Occupational therapists teach vital techniques and coping strategies, enabling visually impaired Brussels residents to cook at home, manage their money and time, care for children and make their way around the city.

The Brailleliga’s Vocational Training Centre provides bespoke training in subjects like office technology, foreign languages, reception management and telemarketing, culminating in qualifications that can lead to a job. Meanwhile, staff at its Consultation and Guidance Centre help the visually impaired to explore career opportunities, taking into account each person’s abilities and physical limitations.

Brailleliga also has a library stocked with braille and audio books, as well as a games lending library offering board games designed for people with differing levels of sight. The organisation relies on donations from the public for almost 80% of its funding.

Indivo, meanwhile, also arranges holidays across Belgium for those with a physical or mental disability. These include trips to the sea, and more active trips to the Ardennes. The staff provide varying levels of support to holidaymakers, depending on the nature of their disability.

Vital services

“A typical trip with us is not so different from any other holiday,” explains Luyckfasseel. “We go on various outings, enjoy ice creams on a terrace, have barbeques in the garden of our holiday home or just spend time relaxing in the sunshine.”

Indivo, which serves between 150 and 200 people a year, also arranges outings and activities closer to home, such as picnics, bowling and cinema trips. “During our activities, no one is focused on their disability – we just aim to have fun,” says Luyckfasseel. “I always go home happy when I know the participants have had a good time”.

Individuals with a disability living in the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde area can also arrange a free meeting with a hobby coach, who will assess their needs and help them take on new activities in their spare time. The organisation is officially recognised by the Flemish Agency for People with a Disability.

This year’s Brussel Helpt, the holiday charity drive organised by Brussels’ Dutch-language media group Bruzz, is raising money for Indivo and the Brailleliga. From now until early December, volunteers will be hosting fundraising events across the capital, including book sales, concerts and talks.

Both Indivo and the Brailleliga rely on donations to carry out their vital services. According to Luyckfasseel, Indivo will put the funding it receives towards material for outings and holidays, as well as subsidising the cost of participation in the organisation’s regular activity groups.

You can help

Bruzz is organising Brussel Helpt in collaboration with the capital’s 21 Flemish community centres, its Dutch-language libraries and Muntpunt, the Flemish library and information centre on Muntplein. Bruzz editor-in-chief, Jeroen Roppe, says the two organisations will be a focus for the media group throughout the campaign.

“Many people in Brussels are disabled, but I think most residents aren’t really aware of how they experience the city,” he says. “Everything is different, everything is difficult. These people have enormous problems when it comes to mobility and participating in public life.”

The campaign, he adds, aims to raise awareness of the problems faced by disabled and blind people, and make Brussels more accessible to them. There are many ways to get involved in Brussel Helpt. The simplest is to make an online donation. You can also take part in the dozens of fundraising events.

Highlights include a “jukebox party” where you can grab a hot meal and desert and try your hand at origami; a craft afternoon for children at CC Den Dam; an exclusive concert by Flemish rock band Black Box Revelation; and a screening of Tine Vanhee’s #We are Kabul!, a documentary following the lives of five Afghan women.

Brussel Helpt is also encouraging supporters to organise their own fundraising events via an online volunteering platform. Right from the comfort of home, you can pay to have your favourite song played on 98.8 FM.

The fundraising drive comes to an end with a concert at Ancienne Belgique, featuring artists-in-residence Stikstof, known for their experimental hip-hop with an authentic Brussels vibe. They’ll be joined by Belgian afro-pop queen Zap Mama.

Photo courtesy Bruzz. The Bulletin is on Bruzz 98.8FM every Sunday at 12pm