A farm as an environment for work participation of people with intellectual disabilities

Uvod: Kmetija ponuja delovno okolje z velikim potencialom za zaposlovanje oseb z motnjo v duševnem razvoju. Kombinacija smiselnih aktivnosti v stiku z naravo in širok nabor nalog so le nekatere ponujene prednosti. Zato se takšne prakse vedno pogosteje pojavljajo tako v Sloveniji kot v svetu. Pridobitev dela za osebo z motnjo v duševnem razvoju pomembno vpliva na kakovost njenega življenja. Kako svoje delo in delovno okolje na kmetiji doživljajo in opišejo osebe z motnjo v duševnem razvoju, je osrednja tema diplomskega dela. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je raziskati, kako osebe z motnjo v duševnem razvoju doživljajo svoje delo na kmetiji in kakšen vpliv ima okolje kmetije na njihovo počutje in zadovoljstvo pri delu. Zanimali so nas njihovi občutki v povezavi z načinom dela in vplivom dejavnikov okolja. Metode dela: V diplomskem delu je uporabljen kvalitativni pristop raziskovanja. Podatke smo zbirali s polstrukturiranim intervjujem, katerega vodilo je bilo ocenjevanje delovnega okolja. Ciljna populacija so bile osebe z motnjo v duševnem razvoju, ki se vključujejo v delo na kmetiji. Raziskovalni vzorec je štel pet oseb z motnjo v duševnem razvoju, ki preko programa socialne vključenosti delajo na Eko-socialni kmetiji Korenika. Intervjuji so bili zvočno posneti in prepisani v transkripte, ki so se analizirali s tematsko analizo podatkov. Rezultati: Z opravljeno analizo smo izpostavili pet tem: 1. privlačne naloge in način dela, 2. kmetija kot delovno okolje, 3. občutki na delovnem mestu, 4. odnosi, 5. pomen zaposlitve na kmetiji. Udeleženci so se strinjali, da je delo na kmetiji zanje primerno. Izpostavili so različne dejavnike, ki vplivajo na potek dela na kmetiji, in prednosti ter slabosti. Velik poudarek je na odnosih med sodelavci in nadrejenimi, ki jih vodijo k vzpostavljanju dobrih odnosov in jih primerno usmerjajo pri delu. Razprava in zaključek: Delo na kmetiji ima velik vpliv na življenje zaposlenih z motnjo v duševnem razvoju. S spodbujanjem k socializaciji in produktivnosti se zaposlenim izboljša samopodoba, izkazujejo veliko mero samospoštovanja in spoštovanja do dela. Upamo, da bodo prednosti dela na kmetiji za osebe z motnjo v duševnem razvoju postale prepoznavnejše in pogostejša praksa za izvajanje doma in širše.Introduction: The farm offers a working environment with great potential to employ people with intellectual disabilities. A combination of meaningful activities in nature and a wide range of tasks are just some of its advantages. For this reason, such practices are becoming more and more common both in Slovenia and worldwide. For a person with an intellectual disability, getting a job significantly impacts their quality of life. This thesis\u27s central theme is how people with intellectual disabilities experience and describe their work and the working environment on the farm. Purpose: The thesis aims to explore how people with intellectual disabilities experience their work on the farm and how the farm environment affects their well-being and job satisfaction. We were interested in their feelings about the way they work and the impact of environmental factors. Methods: The thesis uses qualitative approach. We collected data through a semi-structured interview based on the work environment assessment. Our target population included people with intellectual disabilities involved in farm work. The research sample consisted of five persons with intellectual disabilities working on the Korenika eco-social farm through the social inclusion program. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into transcripts, which were analyzed using thematic data analysis. Results: Five themes emerged from the analysis: 1. attractive tasks and working methods, 2. the farm as a working environment, 3. feelings at the workplace, 4. relationships, 5. the importance of working on the farm. Participants agreed that working on a farm was suitable for them. They emphasized different factors influencing the work process on the farm and the advantages and disadvantages. Interviewees report a strong emphasis on the relationship between colleagues and supervisors, who lead them to build good relationships and guide them in their work. Discussion and conclusion: The work on the farm has a major impact on different areas in the lives of employees with intellectual disabilities. By encouraging socialization and productivity, employees\u27 self-esteem improves, and they show a high degree of self-respect and respect for work in general. We hope that the benefits of people with intellectual disabilities working on a farm will become more visible and a more common practice to implement in Slovenia and abroad