The mission of the “EREO” Independent Living Resource Center is to promote independent and full participation in life for persons with disabilities through their empowerment.
More than half of the Center’s management and staff are persons with disabilities. The Center’s coordinator and more than half of the staff are persons with disabilities, which allows the organization to rely on personal experience and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges within the disability sector.
Since 2021, the Center has provided around 785 group and individual services to 921 people.
The main services of the “EREO” Independent Living Resource Center are free.
Information and Referral
Information and Referral
The first point of contact for service users is the Information and Referral Coordinator, who conducts an initial assessment of their needs. Based on the assessment results, beneficiaries are referred to other relevant service coordinators within the Center or to other service-providing organizations operating in the community. Referrals are provided across various sectors, including healthcare, assistive devices, education, employment, housing adaptation, transportation, community resources, as well as other public services accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. The coordinator follows up through feedback mechanisms to ensure that service users receive the support they need.
Peer Support
The Independent Living Resource Center, based on the needs of service users, forms peer support groups composed of persons with disabilities. Through their personal example and life experience, group members support others who are in similar situations (for example, married persons with disabilities, individuals with specific types of disabilities, etc.) through individual and group support, including seminars. Group meetings that address gender-related issues are organized separately for women and men, while in other cases meetings are conducted jointly. The Peer Support Service Coordinator, drawing on their own personal experience as a person with a disability, also serves as a source of encouragement and inspiration, motivating beneficiaries and supporting their independence through new ideas.
Independent Living Skills and Capacity Development Services
Armenian Sign Language training courses for people with hearing impairments and for people without disabilities Sign language interpretation for beneficiaries of the “EREO” Independent Living Resource Center, provided based on their needs in medical institutions, police departments, and other community, public, and private institutions. Interpretation services may also be provided online
The Center also organizes awareness trainings and meetings on the use of assistive devices, during which persons with disabilities receive information about assistive technologies, modern devices, and available tools.
Professional trainings are also organized for service providers and families of persons with disabilities to strengthen their capacity in supporting persons with disabilities.