Focus on "Comme les Autres", an association supported by up foundation
For the European Week for the Employment of Disabled People (from 15 to 21 November), Up Foundation is raising awareness among the employees of the Cooperative Up about the support of disabled people and puts the spotlight on its partner, the association “Comme les Autres”.
Every year, in France, there are nearly 2,000 new spinal cord injuries (paraplegics and quadriplegics) *. Born from a personal and intimate story, the association “Comme les Autres”, located in 5 regions (Ile-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Région Sud, Nouvelle Aquitaine and Hauts-de-France), offers them a global individual support.
> Reconstructing and relearning: a challenge for people who became disabled following an accident
An accident causes a rupture and profoundly modifies people's daily lives. Mickaël JEREMIAZ, co-founder of the association, has experienced this. Following a skiing accident, witnessed by his brother Jonathan, Mickaël became a paraplegic in 2000.
It's like a second birth, you have to learn everything again in a new body. It’s an immense challenge, a non-linear journey, a reconstruction process that involves all spheres of life and requires a global remobilisation :
- Physical: reconciling with one's body, learning a new way of moving, adapting one's means of transport, etc.
- Psychic: fighting against depression by regaining self-esteem, self-confidence, confidence in others, the ability to project oneself into the future, etc.
- Social: breaking with isolation, avoiding withdrawal, regaining the ability to reach out to others, renewing sociability.
- Professional: completely rethink a professional project, identify and activate the levers for action.
At the end of his extraordinary reconstruction process, Mickaël became the number one in wheelchair tennis, in the world. In 2011, he and his brother decided to share their personal and professional experience beyond their inner circle and created the association “Comme les Autres”.
> A social support to overcome the obstacles to reconstruction
To remobilise people with motor disabilities after an accident and help them overcome the obstacles to reconstruction (which can slow down their return to work), the Association's action is based on the experience of strong sensations and emotions, the mix of able-bodied and disabled people and peer support :
- An individual social support project in 4 stages, co-constructed with the beneficiary, using tools directly inspired by collective intelligence methods (coaching, design thinking, etc.)
- Thrill-seeking sports activities, in the form of days or 5-day stays, which act as a common "adrenalin shot" and demonstrate that new spaces can open up for people with disabilities and thus new horizons for life, pleasure and physical, psychological and social reconstruction.
- Community activities to promote autonomy and social links.
- Sports activities to encourage regular practice of a sport.
- Targeted activities to act concretely on an identified obstacle (e.g. improvisation theatre sessions to develop ease and interpersonal skills, a treasure hunt in the city to encourage mobility, etc.).
Since 2011, Comme les Autres has organised 104 sports adventure trips, in which more than 1,000 people have participated (including more than 500 disabled people) and nearly 100 individual accompaniments each year.
> Immersing Up employees in a human adventure with Comme les Autres
"For 5 days, at the initiative of Paralympic champion Mickaël Jeremiaz, 5 wheelchair users and 5 able-bodied people will experience living together and letting go. A stay with strong sensations and emotions. Discovering oneself and others. With Frédéric Lopez, sponsor of the association."
In order to change the way people look at things and to raise awareness among Up employees, to promote the work carried out and its benefits, Up Foundation is broadcasting the documentary by the association Comme les Autres to the employees of the cooperative Up and is offering thme the opportunity to discuss and debate with the members of the association, regional coordinators and beneficiaries of the support programme after the broadcast.
A committed initiative that complements the financial support granted to the association by Up Foundation over the long term, and which testifies to Up Foundation's desire to encourage people in situations of isolation or dependence to act together.
To discover :