Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS) is a charity organisation that works solely with children and adults with profound and multiple mental disabilities (PMLD) and their families. PAMIS is a charity that started 25 years ago by two members of staff. Now, PAMIS have several offices all over Scotland and over twenty members of staff. PAMIS have always had a vision of having people with profound and multiple learning disabilities at the heart of their organisation. Their commitment is to help people with PMLD feel that they are valued members of society; that individuals receive all of the help and support that they need to take part in everyday life; choices, abilities and needs underlay all provisions and policy that affects their lives; and the knowledge and experience that family carers have is recognised. To achieve this PAMIS offers several different services including practical help, advice, information and training; individual support as well as contact with other families so that each family does not feel alone; assistance to gain better access to community resources; and the opportunity to influence policies and services.
PAMIS are involved in several different projects that are all associated with helping disabled people. One of the projects that PAMIS is involved in are Digital Passports. Digital Passport is an online e-book that contains information about an individual. This digital resource bridges communication problems between professionals who could all be working with the same child. This means that all of the information about one individual would be in one place that anyone who works with this individual can access. Having these digital passport also encourages partnership working between family carers, paid carers, healthcare and educational workers.
PAMIS have also created Multi-Sensory Storytelling. This is where a story is created to help an individual facilitate change, support learning and development, access mainstream education and connect communities and cultures to those who are visually impaired. These stories can be created to help someone overcome a big change in their life or they could just be to tell a well-known fairytale or folktale.
References
PAMIS (no date) Promoting a more inclusive society. [online] Available at: http://pamis.org.uk/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017].
