Autism Europe

European Day of Persons with disabilities: online conference this year
2020-12-01 - 2020-12-02 | Online
The European Day of Persons with Disabilities (EDPD) conference usually takes place in Brussels and is co-organised with the European Commission. This year, the EDPD will be a hybrid meeting, with some speakers in the room and an online audience. It will take place in the morning, on 1 December and 2 December.
The Access City Award event, which is linked to the conference, will take place on December 1 from 15:00 CET, with the anticipated participation of the Commissioner for Equality.
This year the conference’s topics are the next Disability Strategy (day 1) and COVID 19 (day 2).
More information and registration

Tackling Trafficking and Gender-Based Violence Online and Off
2020-11-26 16:00 - 16:45 (Europe/Paris) | Online
In their first Facebook live, STOP THE TRAFFIK CEO Ruth Dearnley meets David Miles, Head of Safety at Facebook. They’ll be talking about how platforms like Facebook and NGOs can team up in the fight against human trafficking. Human trafficking is a hidden, detestable crime, but using the power of technology, every person has a chance to defeat it. Watch the conversation and learn more.
Click here to register
About the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence:
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November-10 December) is an annual international campaign calling for the elimination of violence against women and girls. It is coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and mobilises individuals and organisations worldwide around actions to increase awareness, foster discussions and build tools and networks to fight against all forms of gender-based violence. In support of this initiative, the UN Secretary General calls for global actions to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations.

Safe online, safe at home: Together against gender-based violence
2020-11-25 16:00 - 16:30 | Online
As life moved inside home and social interactions went online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, data shows an alarming increase in harrassment and violence against women and girls online and offline. Raising awareness, providing resources and putting preventing measures and tools at the disposal of women who are facing such threats is now more important than ever.
In conversation with EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, Facebook’s Global Head of Women’s Safety Cindy Southworth will discuss the challenges and best practices in the fight against gender-based violence online and the priorities of the European Commission for the next 5 years. In this opening event, Cindy will also explore the tools and measures Facebook is putting in place to protect women and girls on its platforms.
Click here to register for the event
About the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence:
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November-10 December) is an annual international campaign calling for the elimination of violence against women and girls. It is coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and mobilises individuals and organisations worldwide around actions to increase awareness, foster discussions and build tools and networks to fight against all forms of gender-based violence. In support of this initiative, the UN Secretary General calls for global actions to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations.

Work to Inclusion: Jobs for people with intellectual disabilities in the labour market - Online
2020-11-24 15:00 - 16:30 | Online
As the goal of the project is to foster the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the open labour market through diversity management, in this event we will bring the perspective of companies sharing their experiences and knowledge of employing people with intellectual disabilities.
As the COVID-19 pandemic brought deep impacts in all areas of the life of people with intellectual disabilities, the employment situation is no different. Even though it is too soon to have a precise picture of the effects, there are some important impacts we can already see. In the event, we will also talk about the impact the pandemic has had on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe when it comes to employment.
Speakers confirmed: Klaus Candussi – Managing Director at Atempo, Melanie Wimmer – Staff member of Atempo, Anouk Van Hoofstadt – Senior Researcher at Antwerp Management School, Sarah Stemgée – Human Resources Director at Antwerp Management School, Thibeau Bastien – Junior Researcher at Antwerp Management School.
Click here to register

Webinar on "Ending violence against women and girls with disabilities in the European Union"
2020-11-24 10:00 - 17:00 | Online
Women and girls with disabilities constitute 16% of the total population of women in the European Union, and 60% of the overall population of 100 million persons with disabilities. This corresponds to an estimated 60 million of women and girls with disabilities (equivalent to the total population of Italy).
Even before COVID-19, women and girls faced multiple forms of violence. Data show that, on average, they are 2 to 5 times more likely to face violence than other women and girls. In the EU, 34% of women with a health problem or a disability have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime.
Violence may include domestic and gender-based violence, institutional violence, forced sterilisation, contraception and abortion, and harassment, including sexual harassment.
Despites being more at risks of becoming victims of violence, women and girls with disabilities received limited support due to lack of awareness, accessibility, and reasonable accommodation. They also face barriers in accessing justice.
Several policies of the European Commission have the potential to combat and end violence against women and girls with disabilities, in particular the Gender Equality Strategy and Strategy for Victims’ Rights adopted earlier this year, and the EU Disability Strategy to be adopted in 2021.
The Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention is also a fundamental instrument to end gender based and domestic violence.
How can we ensure that women and girls with disabilities are included and have the opportunity to lead all initiatives to combat violence in the EU?
Objectives:
The webinar will aim to:
• Identify forms of violence faced by women and girls with disabilities
• Discuss with EU actors and partners, including EU institutions, agencies and women’s organisations, how to work together to end violence against women and girls with disabilities
The webinar will provide International Sign interpretation and captioning.
Click here to register

Assemblée Générale Annuelle 2020 d’Autisme-Europe.- EN LIGNE
2020-11-07 - 2020-11-08
Conformément aux statuts de notre organisation, nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à l’Assemblée générale d’Autisme-Europe. En raison de la situation du Covid-19, l’Assemblée générale a été reportée en novembre 2020. L’événement sera EN LIGNE, du 7 au 8 novembre 2020.
Ordre du jour :

Présentation du rapport du Comité exécutif
Présentation du rapport d’activité de 2019
Présentation du rapport financier de 2019
Présentation du programme de travail de 2020

Une réunion du Conseil d’Administration ainsi qu’une visite d’étude auront lieu en conjonction avec l’Assemblée générale.
Tous les documents de travail en lien avec les réunions seront envoyés ultérieurement par e-mail aux participants inscrits.
Pour de plus amples informations, nous vous prions de contacter le secrétariat d’Autisme-Europe : secretariat@autismeurope.org

Autism-Europe General Assembly 2020.- ONLINE
2020-11-07 - 2020-11-08
In accordance with the statutes for our organisation, we are pleased to invite you to attend Autism- Europe’s Annual General Assembly. Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the date for the General Assembly has been pushed back to November, 2020. It will take place ONLINE from the 7-8 November, 2020.
Agenda:

Presentation of the executive committee report
Presentation of the activity report: 2019
Presentation of the financial report: 2019
Presentation of the work programme: 2020

All the working documents related to these meetings will be emailed to registered participants at a later date.
For more information, please contact Autism-Europe’s Secretariat: secretariat@autismeurope.org

Conference on COVID-19 and disability- Building a better future.- Online
2020-10-30 10:30 - 17:00
The online Conference ‘COVID 19 and Disability’, hosted by the European Disability Forum,and Lebenshilfe is open to all. It will explore the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities in Europe. Recommendations for policy-makers at National and European level will draw up.
The Conference will be in German and English, and there will be live captioning in German and English. There will be International Sign language interpretation.
The full programme will be soon available here.
Please register through this link

Creating employment opportunities in the EU institutions for people with intellectual disabilities.- Online
2020-10-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Online
The aim is to raise the debate about how EU institutions could make sure they are also fostering the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
Speakers
Stefan Trömel – Senior Disability Specialist at the International Labour Organization (ILO), Rebekka Wiemann – Equal Opportunities Officer at the Council of the European Union, Silvia Muñoz – Project Manager at Plena inclusión and Katrin Langensiepen – Member of the European Parliament (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany), member of the Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament.
Click here to register

Webinar on advocating for strong national adoption of the European Accessibility Act
2020-09-30 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
The aim of this Webinar will be to provide an overview and transposition status of the European Accessibility Act and to give recommendations on how to advocate for strong national adoption of the Act.
The European Accessibility Act has been one of the most important European Union (EU) laws for strengthening right of persons with disabilities for equal access to services and products in the EU. It sets EU-wide minimum accessibility requirements for certain services and products available in the EU internal market. While it is a significant step towards reaching accessibility in the EU, this EU law can still be strengthened during national adoption by EU countries. The deadline for the adoption process is 28 June 2022.
To help the European Disability Forum (EDF) members and other disabilities advocates negotiate strong adoption of the Accessibility Act by their governments, we organise this webinar to:

provide an overview of the Act, including its scope, objectives, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, the role of the national surveillance authorities;
advise organisations of persons with disabilities on how to effectively advocate for ambitious transposition of the Act.

Speakers

Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, Senior Expert, Disability and Inclusion Unit, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Alejandro Moledo, Policy Coordinator, EDF
Mher Hakobyan, Accessibility Officer, EDF

The webinar will provide International Sign interpretation and real-time captioning (English). The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join.
Register here

Online event: Web Accessibility Directive Deadline - Are we accessible yet?
2020-09-23 15:00 - 18:00 | Online
The European Disability Forum invites you to an online discussion on the Web Accessibility Directive, co-organised with Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission.
The Web Accessibility Directive, adopted in 2016, sets 23 September 2020 as the date by which all public sector websites across the EU will have to be accessible for persons with disabilities. So, the online event will mark this important milestone for digital accessibility and participation in the EU.
Key stakeholders will highlight achievements and remaining challenges in terms of practical implementation of web accessibility from different perspectives, including policy makers, Member States, activists, users, academia and accessibility professionals.
The programme will become available on this page soon. Register now and save your spot (places are limited).
The online event will be public, free-of-charge, and recorded. International sign interpretation and live captioning will be provided.
Contact: Mher Hakobyan (EDF Accessibility Officer) mher.hakobyan@edf-feph.org
Please register through this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8130383120502176781

Online discussion on the Web Accessibility Directive
2020-09-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Online
The European Disability Forum holds an online discussion on the Web Accessibility Directive, co-organised with Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission.
The Web Accessibility Directive, adopted in 2016, sets 23 September 2020 as the date by which all public sector websites across the EU will have to be accessible for persons with disabilities.
Thus, the online event will mark this important milestone for digital accessibility and participation in the EU. Key stakeholders will highlight achievements and remaining challenges in terms of practical implementation of web accessibility from different perspectives, including policy makers, Member States, activists, users, academia and accessibility professionals.
The programme will become available on this page soon.
Register now and save your spot (places are limited).
The online event will be public, free-of-charge, and recorded. International sign interpretation and live captioning will be provided.

Webinar- Why is the EU still investing in institutions for disabled people?
2020-09-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Online
This webinar on EU Funds is organised by the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL).
Agenda
Moderated by Nataša Kokić,
EU Funds for Our Rights Campaign Coordinator, ENIL

Welcome and introduction – Kapka Panayotova, Advisory Group ENIL and
MEP Katrin Langensiepen (10 min)
Gerard Quinn, Professor of law at the University of Leeds and the Wallenberg
Institute in the University of Lund – Legality of investing into institutions under
international and EU law (10 min)
Theory vs practice: reports from three Member States:
Petra Flieger, Independent researcher, Austria (5 min)
Kristof Kornyei, Equality Project Officer, TASZ, Hungary (5 min)
João Varela, Centro de Vida Independente, Portugal (5 min)
Jonas Ruškus, CRPD Committee member: Current concerns in Central and
Eastern Europe and the obligations of States Parties under the CRPD (10 min)
Catherinne Pedreros, Secretariat of the CRPD committee: Reporting
investments into institutions and what action can be taken by the Committee
and/or other parts of the UN (10 min)
Steven Allen, Co-Executive Director (Advocacy), Validity Foundation: Legal
accountability for use of EU funds (10 min)
Nomunds Popens, Deputy Director General, DG REGIO, European
Commission: Concrete measures taken to prevent building/renovation of
institutions following COVID-19 response – (10 min)
Maria Moustakali, Office of the European Ombudsman: Recent decisions and
the Ombudsman’s follow-up, as well as role of the CPRD independent
monitoring framework in monitoring EU Funds investments (10 min)
Q&A (30 min)
Conclusions – Kapka Panayotova, Advisory Group ENIL (5 min)

Register here

#EUvsDiscrimination Webinar
2020-09-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
In this webinar, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the Commission’s upcoming guide showcasing practices for reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities.

The European Commission launched the #EUvDiscrimination campaign a year ago, and collected several promising practices of reasonable accommodation in the workplace for persons with disabilities. The Commission is now releasing a guide to showcase and promote these practices.
This webinar will be an opportunity for the European Commission, representatives of the disability movement and the author of the Commission’s upcoming guide to discuss these practices and the situation of employment of persons with disabilities in the EU.

Register for the webinar
Download the agenda

Social services and COVID-19: What role for EU?
2020-06-25 10:00 - 12:00
Social Services provide crucial care and support to millions of people in Europe, helping older persons, persons with disabilities, children, people at risk of poverty, homeless persons, migrants, people suffering from domestic violence and many others to live better, healthier and more active lives. Social services are essential services.

COVID-19 has impacted the lives of people across Europe, no more than for the millions who use and provide social services every day. Social service providers have moved quickly to ensure they can maximise the care and support they provide, whilst also ensuring that those involved can do so in safe and healthy conditions. The use of technology has played a huge part in achieving that. Yet, COVID-19 has also meant that many forms of face-to-face
support have not been provided, that many social workers have worked under significant pressure and that the financial stability of some service providers has been put at risk.
The European Union is now focusing its attention on recovery, discussing a 1.8 trillion euro investment plan. The President of the European Commission – Ms Ursula von der Leyen – has referred to a debt of gratitude towards care workers.
Will this be translated into action? How will the European Union be supporting social services in the months and years to come? What actually do those involved in social services need from Europe?
Join the online summit on 25 June, 2020 to discuss: “Social services and COVID-19: What role for EU?”

View the programme here and register here.

Launch of the Lancet Group Commission on the institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children
2020-06-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Online
How can we move children from institutions to families? Launch of the Lancet Group Commission on the institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children
The movement of children from institutions to families is a much needed and long overdue process which could change millions of young people’s lives for the better. This Lancet Group Commission advocates global reform of the care of separated children through the progressive replacement of institutional provision with safe and nurturing family-based care. It provides essential information on both the global scale of institutionalisation and its physical, social, and mental health consequences, and presents a pragmatic roadmap for carefully managed change.
Momentum for this global transformation of care is building, led by evidence-based and practical leadership from sectors including child health, child protection, and social welfare. Governments, voluntary organisations, and health and social care professionals must work together so that action is timely but not precipitate, building a sustainable future of child-centred care.
This online launch features a panel discussion with Commission authors Edmund Sonuga-Barke (King’s College London), Philip Goldman (Maestral), Patricia Lim Ah Ken (UNICEF Rwanda), Marinus van Ijzendoorn (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Chris Cuthbert (Lumos), and Ionica Adriana (lived experience advocate).
The launch of will take place at 15.00 CET on Wednesday 24th June 2020.
You can register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7410741764188412940

EDF Webinar "Left behind? Women with disabilities during COVID-19"
2020-06-19 14:00 - 15:30 | Online
With the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination, abuses and human rights violations against women and girls with disabilities have worsened. What are the specific issues faced by women and girls with disabilities during the pandemic? How can we ensure that intersectionality be a mandatory component to the response to the pandemic to ensure that no women and girls are left behind?
The webinar will aim to:
• Outline the specific issues faced by women and girls with disabilities during the pandemic
• Discuss with EU actors and partners, including women’s organisations, how to work together to protect the rights of all women during and after the pandemic Share good practices and learnings on how to ensure responses to the pandemic that are inclusive of women and girls with disabilities
Moderator: Ana Peláez Narváez, Vice-President, European Disability Forum
Agenda
Opening and setting the scene – Ana Peláez Narváez, Vice-President, European Disability Forum
• Updates on situation of women and girls with disabilities – EDF women’s committee
• Good practice on actions taken during the pandemic – CERMI Women Foundation
• Response to the pandemic by the European women’s movement – Joanna Maycock, European Women’s Lobby
• Collecting data on women with disabilities – Dr Marre Karu, European Institute on Gender Equality
• The impact of pandemic on the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy – Gender Equality Unit of the European Commission (tbc)
• Recommendations on next steps: nothing about COVID-19 without women with disabilities
o European Parliament FEMM Committee (tbc)
o UN Women Liaison Office to the European Union (tbc)
Q&A / open floor
The webinar will provide real-time captioning and international sign. The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join. Here is the link for the real-time captioning https://www.text-on-tap.live/index.html#e=nxWG8sCUQS

Register here

Webinar: “Safety through inclusion: The case for emergency deinstitutionalisation”
2020-06-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
In this webinar, a panel including persons with disabilities and experts in disaster management, human rights and service provision will discuss the need for “emergency deinstitutionalisation” of persons with disabilities and how this could be achieved. The term “emergency deinstitutionalisation” refers to protecting disabled peoples’ basic rights to live in the community, getting them the support required to leave the institution in the short term, and subsequently providing any additional support and access to mainstream society, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim is to achieve the transition as fast as possible, while preventing against homelessness, absence of formal support services and over-reliance on informal care.
Speakers will include:

Catalina Devandas Aguilar, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Danlami Umaru Basharu, Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Dr George Nikolaidis, Chair, Lanzarote Committee, Council of Europe

The webinar will cover the following topics:

Immediate threats to the health and life of children and adults with disabilities in institutions, and the need to move people out of institutional care settings;
Emergency protections against irreparable harm through human rights law and international human rights systems;
How to protect persons with disabilities through community inclusion and emergency deinstitutionalisation;
The elements of emergency deinstitutionalisation strategies;
The role of a potential international commission to protect people with disabilities in institutions by calling for urgent deinstitutionalisation and development of community-based supports a matter of priority;
The feasibility of developing Emergency Deinstitutionalisation Guidelines, and for such guidance to be formally annexed to the International Health Regulations.

Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted in graphic detail the dangers inherent in congregate forms of residential care. Viruses spread like wildfire in institutional settings and pose a mortal threat to persons with disabilities, older persons, and children in alternative care. Emerging evidence shows the rates of mortality in institutions have been exceptionally high, in some cases accounting for between 40 – 60% of all deaths.
Many countries have initiated emergency strategies to respond to the heightened risks faced by sections of the population at increased risk of infection, including providing emergency shelters for the homeless, adopting decongestion strategies in penal facilities, and implementing schemes to provide remote primary health care assistance. A number of countries are in the stage of lifting emergency measures and planning for a possible second wave of the virus, including better preparedness of social and health care services.
But many countries have pursued failed strategies in the field of residential social care which have focused on locking down institutions and prohibit any contact with the outside world, instead of triggering emergency procedures to rehouse people with proper support in the community. Such responses continue, even where the rest of the population has been allowed to return to many of the usual activities.
Practical information:
The webinar will be held on Zoom. Closed captioning will be provided. International Sign will be provided if required by any of the registered participants.
There will be a follow-up webinar Friday June 12 organized by Disability Rights International (DRI) on challenges and implementation in the Americas, featuring: Maria Soledad Cisternas, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Disability, Amalia Gamio, Member, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Joel Hernandez, President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Esmeralda Arosemena, Commissioner & Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Children, IACHR, and Silvia Quan, President, Colectivo Vida Independiente, former member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For more information, see here.

To register click here

Conférences en ligne ASD-EAST
2020-06-08 08:00 - 2020-06-28 17:00 | Online
Le projet ASD-EAST a le plaisir d’annoncer quatre conférences en ligne pour présenter le programme de formation pour enseignants et le matériel de formation du projet à des enseignants spécialisés et autres parties intéressées de toute l’Europe. Les partenaires du projet ASD-EAST ont décidé de tenir ces conférences virtuellement en raison de la situation actuelle du COVID-19. Les conférences seront présentées sur le site web du projet ASD-EAST par les pays partenaires, à savoir la Belgique, la Croatie, la Pologne et la République de Macédoine du Nord. Les vidéos des conférences resteront accessibles aux participants pendant trois semaines, du 8 au 28 juin.
Ce qui est prévu au programme :

présentation du programme de formation pour les enseignants et le matériel développé par le projet ASD-EAST ;
exploration du rapport de recensement ;
discussion des résultats dévaluation
présentation des recommandations du projet pour les décideurs politiques
diffusion d’informations sur les formations des partenaires locaux du projet

Nous espérons que vous vous joindrez à nous pour cet événement afin de prendre connaissance de nos conclusions et d’avoir l’occasion de discuter de problématiques avec des personnes qui soutiennent les enfants autistes dans l’éducation.
Inscription aux conférences :
Belgique
http://asd-east.org/online-conferences/brussels/
Croatie
http://asd-east.org/online-conferences/zagreb/
République de Macédoine du Nord
http://asd-east.org/online-conferences/skopje/
Pologne
http://asd-east.org/online-conferences/krakow

En ce qui concerne le projet ASD-EAST :
Le projet ASD-EAST vise à aider les enseignants spécialisés à promouvoir l’inclusion des enfants autistes dans l’éducation.

ASD-EAST Online Conferences
2020-06-08 08:00 - 2020-06-28 17:00 | Online
The ASD-EAST project is delighted to announce four one-day online conferences to share the projects teacher education curriculum and training materials with specialists teachers across Europe. ASD-EAST partners have decided to host the conferences virtually due to the current COVID-19 situation. The conferences will be hosted on the ASD-EAST website by partner countries Belgium, Croatia, Poland and Republic of North Macedonia. The videos from the conferences will remain available for attendees to access for three weeks from the 8th – 28th June.
The conferences will:

Outline the teacher education curriculum and training materials developed by ASD-EAST
Explore the mapping report
Discuss the evaluation findings
Present the projects’ recommendations for policy makers
Provide information about the projects’ local partner trainings

We hope that you will join us for this event to hear about our findings and to have the opportunity to discuss issues with people who support children with autism in education.

About the ASD-EAST Project:
The ASD-EAST project aims to support specialist teachers in addressing the inclusion of children with autism in education.

European Commission Webinar: Helpdesk on Support to Social Services to Respond to Covid-19 Crisis
2020-06-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
On 3rd June 2020, 10h00-12h00 CEST, the European Commission will be hosting a virtual helpdesk, in the form of a webinar, that will provide advice to social services on how to access the EU’s Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII and CRII Plus).
Launched in response to the outbreak, the initiative seeks to re-direct unspent EU Structural Funds to national, regional & local communities fighting COVID-19. Bringing together the European Commission, Managing Authorities, support services providers and users, this webinar will address how this initiative can boost funding for social services.
The webinar will be the opportunity for you to engage with the European Commission and Managing Authorities and shape the measures that can boost CRII funding for social services. If you have additional or pressing funding needs linked to your response to the COVID-19 outbreak, this event will provide a unique space to communicate with the European Commission and Managing Authorities and potentially transform your funding needs into EU funded projects!
Click here to register

CANCELLED: Europe in Action conference: Quality education for all.- Vienna, Austria
2020-05-27 - 2020-05-29 | Catamaran, Johann-Böhm-Platz 1, Vienna, 1020, Austria
This conference has been cancelled due to the current Covid-19 situation.
Europe in Action is an annual conference which brings together more than 200 people with intellectual disabilities, their families and professionals. They discuss issues important to them and share experiences and ideas to advance inclusion. Europe in Action 2020 is organised by Inclusion Europe together with Lebenshilfe Austria. The topic fro 2020 is Quality education for all.
The conferences are organised by Inclusion Europe and a national partner organisation (Inclusion Europe member). The first Europe in Action conference was organised in 2003. The latest Europe in Action took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, in June 2019.
Register here

Advancing inclusive education throughout the life-span

The conference aims at setting the stage looking at aspects of education as an essential part of life.

The goal is to start a conversation for inclusive education becoming the new normal.
The keynotes, workshops and “walkshops” demonstrate how well-working examples of good practices can be facilitated and turned into new perspectives.
Discussions focus on how crucial stakeholders, policy makers, teachers, students, families and communities can take action and contribute within their areas of responsibility.

Areas of education
The different stages of education form the basis for the conference:

Pre-school
School
University
Vocational training and further education
People with disabilities as teachers and education professionals

Programme concept note

The Istanbul Convention: preventing and combating violence against women and girls with disabilities
2020-05-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Online
This webinar will be an opportunity to hear from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) on the relevance of the Istanbul Convention for women and girls with disabilities and how to contribute to its implementation with the goal to end violence against all women and girls. We will also be joined by some organisations of persons with disabilities who monitored the implementation of the Convention and reported on violence of women and girls with disabilities to GREVIO to hear about their experience.
Moderator: Ana Peláez Narváez, Vice-President, European Disability Forum

The speakers will address the following points:
• The Istanbul Convention and its importance for the disability movement
• The role of GREVIO as a monitoring mechanism: how to contribute from the civil society to the process
• Sharing good practices: reporting on women and girls with disabilities

Agenda:
14:00 – 14:40
The Istanbul Convention and its importance for the disability movement
Christina Olsen, Administrator, Secretariat of the Istanbul Convention monitoring mechanism
Questions & Answers
14:40 – 15:20
The role of GREVIO as a monitoring mechanism: how civil society can contribute to the process
Biljana Brankovic, Member of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO)
Questions & Answers
15:20 – 16:00
Panel on sharing good practices: reporting on women and girls with disabilities
• Luisa Bosisio, Italian Disability Forum
• Isabel Caballero, CERMI Women’s Foundation
• Claire Desaint, Femmes pour le Dire, Femmes pour Agir
Questions & Answers
The webinar will provide International Sign interpretation and real-time captioning (English). The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join. Here is the link for the real-time captioning https://synchshare.de/live/edf.
Register here.

Online conference: ‘Road to employment for Persons with Disabilities.’
2020-05-04 10:00 - 2020-05-05 16:00
EASPD and LADAPT are delighted to announce a new online conference: ‘Road to employment for Persons with Disabilities.’
Via the conference’s online panel discussion and workshop sessions, expert speakers and participants from across the world will come together to exchange and discuss how we can work to promote inclusive employment for persons with disabilities.
Held on the 4th-5th May the conference will:

Explore how we can all work together to create new opportunities for the employment of persons with disabilities;
Discuss the impact of inclusive employment within the lifecycle of individuals;
Identify the concrete steps that must be taken towards more inclusive employment in the EU;
Learn from the latest innovative practices in the social service and business sector via the winners of our ‘Employment for All’ Award.

Real-time captioning in English, as well as French and Croatian interpretation will be provided. To read the full programme, click here
To register, click here

POSTPONED: Conference: 'Thriving & Autism - Preparing for Success in Adulthood'
2020-04-30 | The Poseidon Hall, AX Seashells Resort, Dawret il-Qawra, Saint Paul’s Bay, 1902, Malta
Conference postponed until a later date.
This one day conference explores the importance of preparing children with autism to have successful and fulfilling lives in adulthood. It will take us on a journey which starts with early intervention and moves on to school years. It addresses issues such as autism and girls, sexuality, mental health, parenting as well as employment.
The conference will draw on the personal and professional experience of autistic people and those working in the field and will be valuable to all stakeholders – from persons with autism to parents as well as professionals working directly with the autistic community.
More details and registration

Webinar on "European Electronic Communications Code: Ensuring accessibility of telecom services for persons with disabilities"
2020-04-22 16:00 - 17:00
The European Disability Forum is delighted to announce its Webinar on “European Electronic Communications Code: Ensuring accessibility of telecom services for persons with disabilities”.
This webinar will aim to:

provide an overview of the Code, including its scope, objectives, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, the role of the national regulators and Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC);
advise organisations of persons with disabilities on how to effectively advocate for ambitious transposition of the European law with stronger provisions on accessibility and protection of consumers with disabilities in national law, notably through the promotion of relevant accessibility standards and the European Accessibility Act;
introduce the main recommendations of the EDF toolkit on transposition of EECC, which will be published before the webinar.

Moderators:
• Marie Denninghaus: EDF Policy Coordinator
Speakers:
• Hannele Lahti: Policy Officer, European
• Alejandro Moledo: EDF Policy Coordinator
• Mher Hakobyan: EDF Accessibility Officer
The webinar will provide real-time captioning and international sign. The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join.
Link for streaming text https://www.streamtext.net/text.aspx?event=CFI-EDF
Register here

Webinar on "Poverty and social exclusion of persons with disabilities"
2020-04-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
The European Disability Forum is delighted to announce its Webinar on “Poverty and social exclusion of persons with disabilities”.
Join the European Disability Forum and the European Anti-Poverty Network for our free webinar on the 22nd of April, between 11:00 and 12:00 CET. This webinar will be an opportunity to present the key outcomes of our research and summarise the main issues persons with disabilities still face with regards to poverty and social exclusion. We will hear first-hand some personal testimonies of persons with disabilities who have lived experience of the issues presented. We will also be joined by a representative from the European Anti-Poverty Network to discuss what actions are taking place in the field of poverty at the EU level, and how the needs of persons with disabilities can be mainstreamed into them. Finally, we will invite a representative from the European Commission to explore how future EU policies might address this issue, including the future Disability Strategy.
Moderator: Haydn Hammersley – Social Policy Officer at EDF
Speakers:
• Vera Hinterdorfer – Vice-President of the European Anti-Poverty Network
• Elena Schubert – European Commission, Policy Officer – Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion – Social Affairs – Disability and Inclusion
• Stijn Broecke – Senior economist in the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Loredana Dicsi – EDF
The webinar will provide real-time captioning and international sign. The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join.
Link for streaming text https://www.streamtext.net/text.aspx?event=CFI-EDF
Registration here

34th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe (CEFEC) Inclusion by employment.- Dortmund, Germany
2020-03-18 09:30 - 2020-03-19 16:00 | Messe Dortmund ( or Westfalenhallen), Rheinlanddamm 200, Dortmund, 44139, Germany
With the 34th CEFEC conference in March 2020 in Dortmund , Social Firms Europe CEFEC focuses on companies under the motto “Inclusion through work” and contribute to an inclusive European labor market.
Around 100 inclusive companies will present their broad portfolio of services and products at the fair.
For more inclusion in the European labor market, CEFEC seeks dialogue with politicy-makers . CEFEC will welcome Katrin Langensiepen as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament. They also expect representatives from the EU Commission, the BMAS, and the European Disability Forum.
Both in plenary and inworkshops , CEFEC will address important issues concerning the employment of people with disabilities and disadvantages. They talk about the success factors of inclusive employment and the benefits of working together in European networks for more inclusion in the labor market. Leadership in inclusion companies, training of people with disabilities and promising business concepts in the field of “Green & Social Business” are further topics that we take up in our workshops.
In addition to the inclusion trade fair, best practice examples play an important role at the CEFEC conference. With the award of the Rudolf Freudenberg Prize and the European Social Firm of the Year Award, inclusive and social enterprises are honored for their special business ideas and employment concepts.
More information

Congress of Autismus Deutschland: Autism - Strength or Disorder.- Lübeck, Germany
2020-03-06 - 2020-03-08 | Musik- und Kongresshalle Lübeck, Willy-Brandt-Allee 10, Lübeck, 23554, Germany
Autism-Europe’s member Autismus Deutschland invites you to its 16th Autism Congress from 6 to 8 March 2020 in the beautiful Hanseatic city of Lübeck. The topic of the congress “Autism – Strength or Disorder” will be examined from many sides. I look forward to stimulating lectures and exciting discussions.
***The conference is currently fully booked***
Autismus Deutschland celebrates its anniversary looking back on 50 years of self-help, in which parents have managed to set up therapy centers and residential facilities for their autistic children in order to enable them to live with dignity and the greatest possible independence.
Since 1979, the Schleswig-Holstein State Association (Help for the Autistic Child, LV Schleswig-Holstein eV), based in Neumünster, and the Regional Association Elbe-Trave (autism Elbe-Trave eV) based in Lübeck, have been working politically and therapeutically since 2014 improving the care of people on the autism spectrum.
Download the programme flyer (in German)

Shaping the EU agenda for disability rights 2020-2030.- Brussels, Belgium
2020-02-26 | European Economic and Social Committee- JDE Building, 99 rue Belliard – 6th floor – Foyer, Brussels, 1040, Belgium
The European Economic and Social Committee will hold a conference to shape the new EU agenda for disability rights 2020-2030 on 26 February 2020 in the EESC’s premises.
The aim of the conference is to present the EESC’s proposal for the new strategy at a crucial moment in the EU landscape. With a new European Commission, a new European Parliament and a new budget programming period, it is now the perfect timing for a new Disability Strategy that fully takes into account the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCPRD), the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The conference will tackle various areas of work of the EU, drawing attention to the crosscutting character of disability rights.
More information and registration
