VMU signed a cooperation agreement with “Socialinis taksi”
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) On December 15th, at the Rectorate meeting, signed a cooperation agreement with the Public Institution “Socialinis taksi” – a social services provider with a unique assisted transportation service. This service helps to organise travel for people with disabilities to places of economic and social employment (work, various organisations, hospital, university, cinema, theatre, shop, meeting, etc). “Socialinis taksi” also provides career counselling and, from 2022, will provide counselling for families with children with disabilities, providing information on the help and support available to them. The agreement signed between VMU and “Socialinis taksi” will aim to create a close cooperation in the field of social initiatives and partnership, providing mutual assistance to improve the provision of services to persons with disabilities.
“We would like to thank VMU for the long-standing cooperation with “Socialinis taksi”, for the socially responsible approach and for the support in the growth and expansion of our activities. This partnership and the sharing of resources between VMU and “Socialinis taksi” provides better opportunities to make a better social impact by creating and implementing various projects, organising events, or making education and other places more accessible to people with disabilities”, said Solveiga Ratkevičiūtė, the head of “Socialinis taksi”.
In Kaunas City, “Socialinis taksi” the assisted transportation service was started in 2015 in cooperation with VMU. The service was temporarily suspended in 2020, highlighting the problems of urban mobility for people with disabilities. VMU has drawn attention to the existing problems and, by initiating a discussion with Kaunas City Municipality, has contributed to the renewal of the service and its return to Kaunas in 2021.
Dr Vilma Bijeikienė, Vice-Rector of Communication, shares her thoughts that VMU has always upheld the principles of an open, socially responsible and diversity sensitive organisation:
“This year we have established a disability policy called “University of inclusive opportunities”, which will open up more pathways for young people with disabilities to study and meet their needs and allow the community to better understand each other. In the Disability Policy of the University of inclusive opportunities, we have envisaged close cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The main aim of this cooperation is to disseminate information about each other’s initiatives, to organise collaborative projects, and to create synergies between the services offered by the university and NGOs. One example of such cooperation could be the counselling of parents of children with disabilities by the “Socialinis taksi” NGO, which could be complemented by our Disability Coordinator, who could provide more information and guidance on study opportunities at VMU, encouraging and motivating to pursue a higher education”.
“Close cooperation with various non-governmental organisations helps to ensure not only better dissemination of information between them, but also better accessibility of the services provided to people with disabilities or their family members. We are glad that we will be able to contribute to the provision of services of the Public Institution “Socialinis taksi” in Kaunas City. We hope that this cooperation will not only meet the goals of VMU as an inclusive university but will also help to increase public education and awareness in the field of disability”, said Miglė Janušauskaitė, VMU Disability Affairs Coordinator.
Find out more about the “Socialinis taksi” service.
