A million-user online platform is strengthening Latein American DPOs

The POETA model is is an accessible vocational toolbox for organisations, so-called DPOs, working with people with disabilities in the areas of life skills, technologies and vocational preparation. The POETA Social Franchise Platform replicates and expands the model for DPOs, in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Problems Targeted

In Latein America and the Caribbean, people with disabilities lack access to economic and educational opportunities. Further, organizations that support people with disabilities often have too litle resources to adequately provide them with access to vocational training and economional opportunities.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The POETA platfrom offers resources to strengthen and develop organizations working for people with abilities through a sustainable approach in five areas: economic, social, political, organizational, and technological. In addition, the platform provides these organizations with the necessary strategies, tools, and content in the areas of comprehensive training, economic opportunities, advocacy, awareness, visibility, and monitoring and evaluation. These include, for example, manuals, guides, and coursed in the areas of ICT, job readiness, and human development; and most of the content has been available as a manual for trainers and participants. The last element in the strategy is to build upon the use of the Trust Information System whereby an organization can track the participants´training, work done with partners, success stories, and periodic reports to analyse the work in the field. Currently, there are 36 courses and 7 consulting products (manuals and guides) available for free to the POETA Social Franchise members.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The POETA Social Franchise documents best practices and experiences from past projects and systematizes them so they can be easily replicated. The platform is also transferable to new organizations wishing to be part of the POETA Social Franchise Network. In 2016 the project is expected to intermediate 12,000 more economic opportunies. This work could be supported by a network of inclusive businesses, such as the one formed in Costa Rica in 2009. In that instance, national and international companies agreed to work with the project. The intermediators ensure that persons with disabilities were being employed, able to complete internships, and have access to educational and entrepreneurial opportunities.

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THE STORY OF RAFAEL DELGADILLO

“Rafael built his own alarm system which is now used in hotels.”

Rafael Delgadillo came to our POETA centre in San Luis Potosi when he was 19 years old. Deaf and from a low-income family, he was unemployed and seeking to enrol in our training centre to gain Information Technology skills that could help lead to a job. During the course of his training Rafael came up with a business idea. He realized that he could not “hear” emergency alarms in hotels or workplaces signalling the need to evacuate, and he decided to spend his time at the centre studying electronics and finding a solution to this problem. Rafael developed an alarm system that converts an audible alarm to a visual cue, which is now being installed in several public places so deaf people can be warned of the need to evacuate the premises. In fact, he has already sold his product to a hotel and restaurant chain, and is well on the way to a viable business.