Jana Offergeld

I am a social pedagogist from Germany, currently doing my PhD on participative research with persons with mental disabilities. In the summer of 2012, I spent six weeks as a research and monitoring intern at Mental Disability Advocacy Center (MDAC) in Budapest. I was introduced to MDAC during the International Diploma Course in Mental Health Law and Human Rights at the ILS India in 2010. The organisation's determination to improve the poor human rights situation of many persons with mental disabilities and the versatility of strategies applied to do so truly left a lasting impression and I have been following its work ever since.

The internship at MDAC gave me the perfect opportunity to gain valuable work experience regarding the context of human rights and disability and to obtain an insight on the work of an international NGO. As a researcher in the disability field, I find it particularly important that my findings have practical relevance and contribute directly to the improvement of the living conditions of persons with disabilities.

My work experience at MDAC exceeded all my expectations. My main responsibilities included a systematic review on supported decision making, researching national legal frameworks and law reforms and identifying best practise models to provide background information for MDAC's advocacy and capacity building efforts. Besides the frequent, constructive interactions with my supervisor, the other interns and I were also invited to participate in staff meetings, brainstorming sessions, phone conferences and other staff activities. This not only made me feel very welcomed but also enabled me to understand how my work contributed in the grand scheme of the organisation’s projects.

I truly enjoyed working with the skilled and determined staff at MDAC and this experience has reinforced my desire to actively contribute to the improvement of the human rights situation of persons with mental disabilities on an international scale.  

Jana Offergeld