“Living Normally” - this is the name of the new experiential programme and exhibition at the Great World of Technology in Dolní Vítkovice. The programme aims to provide visitors with a personal experience of the challenges faced by people with disabilities in everyday life. It starts today and is primarily aimed at teenagers. “Our goal is to allow mainly students in their final years of primary and secondary schools to meet the world of people with disabilities. This includes not only physical disabilities but also mental health issues, such as severe anorexia,” said the director of the World of Technology, Kateřina Bonito. The entire Living Normally programme, funded by the Moravian-Silesian Region, is based on direct contact with people with disabilities. They will be the ones leading discussions with teenagers and preparing them for experiences in the new part of the interactive exhibition Body and Technology. There, visitors will have the opportunity to try out what it is like to live with a disability. They will learn how to use a wheelchair, how to navigate using touch, or what technical aids facilitate the lives of people with various disabilities. “The educational sessions are intended for schools, while the accompanying exhibition is open to the general public,” clarified the exhibition author on disabilities, Petr Vitásek. He searched for instructors among people with disabilities for about three quarters of a year, and it was, as he says, not easy at all: “They must be able to perform in front of an audience, have a personal assistant available, and have the time to do so.” The five selected instructors come not only from Ostrava but also from the Bruntál region. As part of the interactive educational programmes for schools (which will start this Thursday), participants will learn about various types of disabilities - sensory, physical, mental, and combined disabilities, including mental illnesses. “We would like visitors to leave us kinder and more understanding, to strengthen empathetic behaviour and understanding towards people with disabilities. After all, each of us can have our lives changed to one with a disability or caring for someone with a disability in just a second,” believes Vitásek. Activities of the Living Normally programme for schools are planned for every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of the school year. The extended exhibition Body and Technology is accessible to the general public during the regular opening hours of the Great World of Technology. The Moravian-Silesian Region funds the Living Normally programme through the project of the same name, which was successful and received direct grant support from the Employment Operational Programme of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. CONTACT: Eva Kijonkova, media representation of DOV, tel. 721 857 097