© Jeannot Ries
Our colleagues from RTL recently paid a visit to the home for the blind in Berschbach, which helps people with disabilities integrate into the work force.
The Luxembourg Foundation for Blind People currently employees 32 people suffering from blindness or visual impairment. However, they have also started including people with other disabilities with the goal of doubling their employees over the next four to five years. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate a maximum of people in the regular professional world.
The home for the blind in Berschbach will continue organising a market next to the facility every Friday until 9 September. Although small profits are made, the focus of the market is to allow people with disabilities to work.
Thierry Lutgen, managing director of the Luxembourg Foundation for Blind People, provided further insight into their projects: "Our concept revolves around creating tasks specifically designed for our people and their capabilities. We try to make work as inclusive as possible so that everyone can fulfil their potential to their own satisfaction."
The foundation always tries prioritising long-term contracts with their clients, as this allows people to work through an entire year.
Daniel Sousa, who suffers from blindness, explained how a typical work week looks like: "I am here from Monday to Friday, working from 8.30am to 4.30pm. I go and work wherever I am needed."
Talking about future aspirations, Lutgen admitted that they were not able to get many people through to the regular job market so far: "We have one or two people who found long-term employment. Our future projects will therefore seek to align even more closely with regular professions."
At the moment, officials at the Foundation are working on a project that includes setting up a small shop and restaurant in a more central location.
