On 8 September, a meeting was held at the Department of Social Work of the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kaunas kolegija Higher Education Institution with Tomáš Kasprzak, a PhD from the University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland). The meeting was also attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Education, Albertas Juodeika, Head of the Department of Social Work, Virginija Kondratavičienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr Salomėja Karasevičiūtė and Dr Inga Mikutavičienė. During the meeting, the research project ‘Being a Deafblind Employee in Poland and Lithuania — On the (Non-)Presence of Deafblind People in the Labour Market’ was discussed, which will be implemented in cooperation with researchers from the Department of Social Work of Kaunas kolegija. During the project, research will be conducted in Poland and Lithuania, with a special focus on the situation of people with hearing and visual impairments in the labour market. The research will last one year and is funded by the Polish National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki).

This project is important not only from an academic point of view but also from a practical point of view. Its results will contribute to a deeper understanding of the situation of people with hearing and visual impairments in the labour market, will allow identifying the challenges they face and possible inclusion solutions. It is expected that the research findings will be useful for policymakers, employers and social workers in order to create a more inclusive work environment. Cooperation between Polish and Lithuanian researchers also strengthens international academic ties and provides an opportunity to share experiences and good practices.