Beyond Barriers: Digital Empowerment for Youth with Disabilities

“Beyond Barriers: Digital Empowerment for Youth with Disabilities” is a collaborative initiative that aims to create a more inclusive digital world for young people with disabilities in Indonesia. This project, jointly led by Happy Place Indonesia and Bullyid App, focuses on equipping youth with disabilities with essential digital literacy skills and online safety knowledge. The initiative recognizes that while the digital realm offers immense opportunities, youth with disabilities often face unique challenges in navigating it safely and effectively.

Through these efforts, “Beyond Barriers” aims to empower youth with disabilities to confidently and safely engage in online spaces, fostering their personal growth, education, and social connections while mitigating the risks of cyberbullying and online harassment. The project will focus on providing practical, accessible information directly to the youth, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to thrive in the digital world.

The rights of street children and children with disabilities to education and achieving their dreams remain critically under-supported. Street children often face barriers such as forced labor and late-night work, depriving them of education. Similarly, children with disabilities struggle to access proper facilities and supportive environments for learning. Both groups require spaces and programs to enhance their hard and soft skills through engaging and relevant activities.

Project Objectives

Develop inclusive online safety and digital literacy modules tailored for youth with diverse needs, to enable this modules accessible publicly.

Conduct direct awareness programs for children with disabilities, leveraging Happy Place Indonesia’s existing outreach.

Launch an awareness campaign to highlight the stories and experiences of young people with disabilities in the digital world.

Project Activites

Development of Inclusive Digital Literacy Modules

Development of Inclusive Digital Literacy Modules

Development of Inclusive Digital Literacy Modules: This activity involves creating tailored online safety and digital literacy content for youth with disabilities. The modules will be designed to be accessible and engaging for various types of disabilities, ensuring that the information is comprehensible and useful for all participants.

Direct Awareness Programs

Direct Awarness Programs

Leveraging Happy Place Indonesia’s existing outreach programs and presence in various regions of Indonesia, the collaboration will conduct in-person workshops and sessions for children with disabilities. These hands-on programs will bring the digital literacy content directly to the youth who need it most. At least 50 youth with disabilities will participate in these workshops, which will provide hands-on, tailored digital literacy and online safety training to empower them with essential skills for navigating the digital landscape safely and effectively.

"Beyond Barriers" Awareness Campaign

“Beyond Barriers” Awareness Campaign

This public-facing campaign will highlight the stories and experiences of young people with disabilities in the digital world. By utilizing both organizations’ social media platforms and partnerships, the campaign aims to raise broader awareness about the digital challenges and triumphs of youth with disabilities. The campaign is expected to reach over 10,000 accounts through social media and other digital platforms, ensuring a wide reach that will help raise awareness about the digital experiences and needs of youth with disabilities, fostering greater understanding and inclusion.

Online Safety Resource Hub

Online Safety Resource Hub

The collaboration will develop a centralized, accessible online platform that hosts all the digital literacy and safety resources created through the initiative. Designed with user-friendliness in mind, the hub will ensure that youth with various disabilities can easily navigate and benefit from the resources. Over 100 downloads of the online resource hub are expected by the end of this year, representing individuals actively engaging with and benefiting from the digital literacy modules and safety resources, further promoting inclusivity and empowerment in the digital space.