On December 2 and 3 2023, members of the Council of Administration (CA) gathered in Brussels and remotely for a hybrid board meeting of Autism-Europe (AE) to discuss (future) activities and priorities at the EU-level for the autism community. Next to AE’s Irish member AsIam unveiling the theme of 2025 Autism-Europe’s next International Congress in Dublin: “Quality of life: Research, policy and practice”, members approved a second term for AE President Harald T Neerland and his renewed executive committee.
Council of Administration members received an update on the proposal for a European Disability Card to be agreed on by the EU in early 2024. CA members from countries where the EU Disability Card was introduced as a pilot project shared their experience about the scheme. Members from countries that have national disability cards highlighted the benefit of a European card, while members from countries where no national disability cards exist hoped it would be a step forward for better recognition.
In addition, members hoped that people from third countries residing in the EU would also be eligible for the future EU disability card. In relation to freedom of movement, members also discussed the issue of autistic people being subjected to discriminatory practices to get their driver’s licenses in some EU countries.
Adam Harris, AsIam CEO and chair of the Autism-Europe International Congress in Dublin (Ireland) in 2025, presented the theme of the event: “Quality of life: Research, policy and practice”, which was chosen through a participatory process with the European autism community. AE members will visit the venue for the congress during the Annual General Assembly in May 2024 in Dublin.
On the agenda was also the Autism-Europe’s upcoming multiannual awareness campaign to be launched in 2024. In relation to our future campaign, members also discussed how to engage in the European elections 2024. Stay tuned for further update on how to engage and support our new campaign in the new year!
Finally, CA members approved President Harald T Neerland for a second term in office. He also presented his renewed executive committee, which will include Marta Roca and Stef Bonnot-Briey as vice presidents, Liga Berzina as Secretary, Adam Harris as treasurer, Zsuzsanna Szilvasy as former president and Monique Post.
After the CA, a public online side event dedicated to the skills validation process and how it can benefit autistic people, gathered over 70 participants. The training session was part of the Erasmus+ project Talenti Latenti and featured a range of presentations from partners from Italy, France and Spain.