The Olika men lika project

Olika men lika is a three-year inheritance fund project. It is run by ABF Malmö in partnership with the organisation Tahrir. We mainly work in Malmö, but also in Skåne and the rest of Sweden.

People with functional impairments who are not comfortable with the Swedish language are currently excluded from major parts of Swedish society. For example, they often do not have the opportunity – or even the knowledge – to get the support they are entitled to.

The Olika men lika project aims to produce models, tools and strategies to develop how we can include people with functional impairments who have a mother tongue other than Swedish, so that they can take part in society on equal terms.

Language justice

The key to achieving this is a method we call language justice. This helps us analyse how language barriers are created and remain. By using another method, participant involvement, we can put linguistic justice into practice by giving the target group what they actually ask for: concrete immediate help with their situation, often in connection with authorities.

This means that our project involves close cooperation with interpreters. The interpreters enable people to express themselves in the language they are most comfortable with. The interpreters have undergone further training in simultaneous interpreting and language justice.

Our meeting place with drop in

Our project arranges a meeting place with drop-in visits, where visitors can meet other people in a similar situation. We offer support to people who experience difficulties getting the support they are entitled to in contact with various authorities and organisations. At our drop-in people can get support when applying for various support efforts, for example, or when appealing a decision.

We also cooperate with other organisations that want to establish contact with authorities and politicians in order to influence the various bureaucratic processes and decisions that are particularly important for people with functional impairments, who are not comfortable with the Swedish language.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us! We are here for you, and for those who – together with others – want to create more opportunities for a free and independent life. A life on equal terms.

Together, we can create a better life for everyone!