The summer has brought many positive surprises for Helpific
The summer has been an extraordinarily great time for the Helpific platform. We have received a lot of good news both from our home country, as well as from abroad. The campaign carried out in the Hooandja was very successful and soon we will start pilot projects in Croatia and Romania so that the community members would notice and support each other more.
HELPIFIC - MASSACHUSETTS
4:05:00 PM
Helpific gets a warm welcome in the US
Text: Kerti Kulper
Ashley Misleh, Helpific's International Correspondent in the US, says that they are still testing Helpific in the States, but the reaction has so far been very positive. We asked Ashley some questions to find out how Helpific is doing in the US.
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| Ashley: "Helpific will enlighten, educate and make huge impacts through it's use!" |
Volunteer work helps you to get to know yourself
Greta Kaupmees, magazine “Naised” (“Women”)
Translation: Liina Martinson, Helpific
What is the impellent power that motivates people to function? Do we only work to get paid? Do we only operate to get recognition or emotional charge? Why am I doing something? Every person has probably asked those questions from himself.
Keiu Roosimägi, who is a volunteer in three organizations – Helpific, Tallinn and Harju County Union of Disabled Women, Estonian Neurofibromatosis Union – explains what volunteer work means.
HELPIFIC NEWSLETTER | JULY 2016
3:05:00 PM
HELPIFIC SUMMER NEWS & ACTIVITIES
Helpific is a web-based support environment through which people with special needs can order volunteer helpers or paid services.
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| Lions Clubs International (LCI) President Dr. Jitsuhiro Yamada handing over diploma to Helpific |
Helpific meeting with the
president of the Lions Clubs International
On April 16th Helpific founders
Keiu Roosimägi and Annika Amenberg met the president of the Lions Clubs International (LCI), Dr. Jitsuhiro
Yamadaga from Japan. Helpific was acknowledged by a plate of thanks which is
awarded at big international level meetings. The plate of thanks depicts the
work of the winner of an every-year Peace Poster contest. Helpific was given
the work of the winner of 2013-2014, a repro of a 13-year old Chinese girl on
the theme of "Peace, Love and Understanding”.
Helpific deserves a place in the
finale of the Ajujaht (Brainhunt)
The finale of the Ajujaht (Brainhunt)
is over. In the finale of the business idea contest, SprayPrinter was announced as the
winner. Helpific did not come home empty-handed either - Startup Incubator Tehnopol gave Helpific
a special award – a gift card with the value of 5 000 euros that entails expert
consulting on working out a business model, preparations to investments and
taking in funds. The Leader of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, Martin Goroško
is convinced that Helpific services address a very solid and loyal target group
to whom the market is not offering a lot of alternative solutions. Read the analysis (in Estonian)
Earning extra money has never
been easier than now
Together with Autolevi, Bondora,
Fundwise, Goworkabit Estonia, Postpal, Shipitwise, Taxify, Toitla, Wisemile and
Uber, Helpific has established the Estonian Association of Sharing Economy. By common consent, Keiu Roosimägi
(Helpific), Enn Metsar (Uber) and Hannes Lents (Toitla) were elected to the
board. The aim of the Association is to promote and introduce the sharing
economy. The Association makes sure that taking part in the sharing economy and
contributing to the society through this would be available, acknow-ledged and
reasonably regulated by law.
- Sharing economy is stepping on the toes of capitalism? (in Estonian)
- The Minister of Economy and the entrepreneurs of sharingeconomy were discussing the cooperation, the Ministry will activate a morethorough survey
- Sharing economy as a test to the e-government (in Estonian)
Diversity Day in Helpific
The development of information
technology changes the society in many aspects – the minority groups that so
far have been hidden, will now come up better than ever before and will remind
us that the diversity of the society is an every-day reality and we need to
learn how to cope with it. Within the Diversity Day, it was discussed in
Helpific how to improve the involvement of disabled people in the society
through virtual as well as tangible environment. Read more
People with mental health
disorders on the labor market – danger or opportunity?
On June 11th on Stroomi Beach in
Tallinn, a family festival “There is a Person behind the Disability” was held,
where Helpific raised the discussion “People with Mental Health Disorders on
the Labor Market – Danger or Opportunity?”. Together answers were searched to
questions that people with mental health disorders need to enter the labor
market and the companies need to hire people with mental health disorders. Also
it was inquired what can be done by the professional service providers. The
discussion was held in cooperation with Tallinn Mental Health Center, Tallinn
University and Arcada University of Finland. Read more
You can’t apply diversity on
anyone, it has to come from inside
Helpific co-founder and Head of
Client Support, Triin Üksvärav gave an interview to the Hea Kodanik (Good
Citizen) portal, where she talked about what the job of a diversity adviser is
about and how involving different social groups is useful and necessary to
organizations; how to present an environment that attracts different people and
keeps them at work; and what are the problems and positive developments in the
field of diversity in the Estonian labor market. Read more (in Estonian)
Fears and prejudices about a
person with special needs have to be demolished
ISS Estonia is a pioneer in
promoting the employment of people with special needs – they have about 250
people with special needs on their payroll and today they are already sharing
their experience in cooperation with the Unemployment Office to other
companies. The Head of Human Resources, Helo Tamme told Helpific how they find
suitable solutions to the prospective employees, taking into consideration everyone’s
specialty. Although the cooperation between different organizations and private
sector is continuously developing in a positive direction, there is still a lot
of work to do. To continue this development, we need to demolish prejudices,
broaden the awareness and talk more about positive success stories in hiring
people with special needs. Read more
Lost years or a valuable lesson
of life?
28-year old Madis has been
through many hardships during the past 10 years of his life. At the age of 18,
doctors diagnosed Madis with schizophrenia, later also bipolar personality
disorder, but it all started with deep depression in adolescence, which was so
severe that was trying to take away the will to live. When life rolls tough
ordeals in front of us, it is important how we are able to deal with them.
Madis is sharing his experience in dealing with the illness and what it has
taught him about life. Read more
Appeal of the volunteers: how
much can a volunteer do?
Without volunteers who are
contributing out of the sense of mission and without payment, our society would
be poorer, more miserable and a lot of important things would be left undone.
Today a number of social initiatives are struggling alone with their budget
concerns. Representatives of a number of associations consisting of Estonian
volunteers ask, how long are the volunteers able to work if the State does not
support their activities? Read more (in Estonian)
Helpific as a big global
community
Helpific co-founder and CEO, Keiu
Roosimägi introduced Helpific in the magazine “Vaimupuu”. In addition to
introducing Helpific’s ideas and team, Keiu also wrote about their challenges
and future plans. Read more (in Estonian)
Fabulous stories, fabulous people
Helpific brings you the stories
based on the experience of people who have posted an offer or a request to help
through Helpific support environment. Read inspiring stories and join the
community here
Diversity is our every-day reality
6:06:00 PM
Raising awareness needs contribution from everyone
This spring, diversity day was celebrated all over Estonia to take notice of diversity values and the importance and exceptionality of every single person in an organization and in the society. Helpific celebrated this day by supporting Jüri Lehtmets in his discovery trip to the Shopping Race of Tallinn Department Store, and by organizing interesting lectures.
Within the Diversity Day, the Estonian Human Rights Center invited people to participate in several activities organized by different companies, and encouraged companies and organizations to organize open or reserved events to send a message to their workers, clients, and partners of how important it is to support the different needs of every member of the society.
Helpific is already in its essence a standard of diversity. Our team is represented by different nationalities, men and women in different age groups, disabled and not disabled people. Supporting diversity is the central focus of our mission – in promoting the independent life of people with special needs and in contributing to the formation of stronger communities, we wish to give every single person an opportunity to live a more meaningful life no matter their age, sex or special need.
At a shopping race on a wheelchair
On April 12th, Jüri and Tom were headed to the Tallinn Department Store to make sure how accessible it is for people with special needs. Their trip was full of interesting discoveries, which clearly showed that even following the building requirements with best interests, does not always guarantee that the environment will be comfortably accessible to a person in a wheelchair.
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| Jüri tries to maneuver near the elevator |
Already when entering the Department Store, the young men noticed that as opposed to many other institutions, there are ordinary doors and to open them, they need the help of a co-shopper. Jüri stated that in order to find the elevator, he needed to look very high up, because the instructions were only high above the ceiling and the viewpoint of someone sitting down low in a wheelchair had not been taken into consideration. Also, the merchandise locators had not taken into consideration the fact that while reversing from the elevator, one could accidentally bump into the fragile goods on the shelves.
Jüri pointed out several ideas that could make moving around in the Department Store a lot safer and easier for the visually impaired and people in a wheelchair. For instance, it would be wise to mark the routes, doors, stairs and steep inclines in a contrast color and/or Braille stones to avoid fallings due to steep change of land form, or other dangerous situations. In the elevator and other places, sound as an important source of information, should not be underestimated.
Unexpectedly, it was a bit complicated to find and use the inva-toilet. At first, one needed to find a sign or an attendant who would point to that direction and when the toilet was found, it became clear that it was behind security gates and the attendant was not able to open these gates. In the end, the best accessible toilet was found in the Children’s World of the Department Store where quite a high threshold for an electric wheelchair needed to be crossed to enter.
As a conclusion of their shopping trip, Jüri stated that for a client in a wheelchair, the non-accessible environment strongly overshadows the shopping experience even when the service is very attentive and at a good level.
Lectures on diversity and involvement
The Helpific Office held two interesting lectures on Diversity Day. At first, the Head of Food Trade in Tallinn Department Store, Kadri Aguraiuja, talked about her own experience in hiring people with special needs and following that, PhD Student in Public Management from Tallinn Technical University, Kari Käsper, gave a lecture on diversity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and accessibility.
Kari Käsper has been connected with diversity and involvement topics for several years and in the year 2009, he was one of the co-founders of the Estonian Human Rights Center. 72 companies have joined their Diversity Agreement, including Tallinn Department Store, Selver, Swedbank, SEB, Microsoft Estonia, Skype, and Transferwise. Käsper considers Helpific a very significant success story as it enables disabled people a better involvement in society through technology. When lecturing in Helpific, Käsper decided to focus mainly on three aspects:
- How technology is changing the society;
- What is the role of diversity and involvement in this;
- Topics related to accessibility and disabilities in these contexts.
Our communal structure and functioning is strongly dependent on the dominant technology – when technology changes, society also changes. We are living at an interesting time, at a breaking point where we have covered the installation phase of information- and communication technology (internet, social media, computer technology etc.) and it is time to start using it and to deal with the communal changes accompanying this. The environment, governance processes, and managing of companies is changing. Private enterprises adjust faster to changes, government organizations follow a bit later. The paradigm of the new thinking completely changes the behavior and structure of society, enterprises, and organizations. We are moving from mass production to a more personalized form of medicine, education, and other. We no longer need a certain critical mass of consumers in order to offer some services or goods. Information technology enables people to offer individual solutions at a low cost. You can no longer leave your brain at home when going to work – everyone is expected to use their head and to contribute to the organization’s work. This reveals that there is no average person – diversity is our everyday reality. Individuals who previously felt out of place, can now contribute and be equal and independent.
Changing society entails the restructuring of power relations. The world is somehow becoming smaller. We are living in a closely connected world. There are less and less countries with a closed system – what is happening in Ireland is affecting Estonia and vice versa. A huge part of our lives is transferring to an online-world that has no boundaries. Social media affects the thinking and behavior of the current generation in a significant way. We do not know yet, what will be the changes and dangers accompanying that. As opposed to the mass production paradigm, where effectivity is emphasized, new values will start to dominate. In a smaller world, minorities will become more visible and involvement will become more important than ever before. For some minority groups, life today is already much better.
Diversity and involvement helps us to switch to the new paradigm, because when using everyone’s brain, we can more easily take people’s specialties into consideration. The spectrum of potential candidates and talents has to broaden both in the Government as well as in private entrepreneurship. Today, there is not a single disabled person in the government, although 10 percent of the Estonian population is disabled. Representation of women and national minorities is also too low. We all have our subconscious prejudices and a fear of everything different from us, but in today’s society it has lost its function. When learning to communicate with people with a different skin color or people with disabilities, we can see that their values can be very similar to ours and very clear to us. For peaceful co-existence we need to communicate with different people even if it is not so easy in the beginning.
We see in politics, that the monopoly of authority is disappearing – in addition to their own government and people, countries are also influenced by international institutions and organizations, corporations, international NGO-s, and even individuals. There is a counter reaction to every reaction, progress always has setbacks. There is a fear that lack of hierarchy turns into an anarchy-like situation where nobody knows who is making the decisions and where. To move towards the right direction, we need a right amount of people who are thinking and moving towards that direction.
We, as a society need diversity, therefore we must guarantee everyone an opportunity to participate in this. Physical environment, work places, shops, and homes have to be designed in a way that everyone could have access to them. Services and goods need to be created in a way that they would be suitable to different people. This also applies to software. In reality, accessibility does not cost more if it is planned in the first stage. It is difficult and more expensive to make changes afterwards. The main problem in accessibility is not the lack of money, but the lack of awareness. The main thing that needs to change is the way of thinking. Raising awareness has to be dealt with in several angles, this work is not only for a single person, organization or government – everyone has to participate.
Edited by: Katrin Suik
Edited by: Katrin Suik
Translation: Liina Martinson
© Helpific
© Helpific
