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i am Disabled:

a new Way of being in the World

At Fremtidslinjen (the Way to the Future) teachers, counsellors, and pedagogues
work with pupils to fulfil their dreams of leading independent lives. This is why
everyone is offered to take part in the youth education centre’s mobility project, no
matter what the severity of one’s affliction is.

a sHared understanding
shortly after having been opened in 2011,
fremtidslinjen, an stu* youth education
centre located in the city of Køge southwest of
copenhagen, ventured into a mobility project
called poseidon. Despite leading a very young
organization, the head of institution, Morten
ellehauge, knew from the start that he wanted
mobility to be an option for his pupils.

“Our pupils want to see themselves as ordinary.
they compare themselves to ordinary young
people, and it is a great sorrow for them that
there are certain things they have not been
able to do,” says Morten ellehauge.

it was a precondition that the receiving insti-
tution in Germany matched fremtidslinjen in “Our pupils want to see themselves as ordinary”, says
terms of struggles the young people are deal- Morten Ellehauge, head of Fremtidslinjen.
ing with. “We found that in Koppelsberg when
we first visited the school in plön in the early
spring of 2012. We had instant chemistry and a everybody: the pupils are used to being ex-
shared understanding of our target group and cluded, and this must not happen at fremtids-
challenges.” linjen. even the severely afflicted are therefore
offered to take part in the mobility project.
a great challenge for the institution is bringing
staff on board the project. “you need fiery souls
to start something like this,” ellehauge smiles, WHAT IS AN STU?
noting that convincing all staff members that In Denmark, young people under 25 who
mobility brings outstanding results was difficult. cannot complete a regular youth educa-
tion are offered an STU; an individually
everybody is included designed youth programme that looks at
young people with special needs want to live the pupil’s special needs in a pedagogical
close to home, to what they know, to where way and aims to enable disadvantaged
they feel safe. this makes travelling all the youngsters to take charge of their future.
more difficult. but the offer must be open for

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