The European Network incluD-ed participated in the High-Level Conference on Disability organized by the Latvian Presidency of the EU
Lun, 18/05/2015
The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union held on 11 and 12 May the "High level meeting on Disability: from Inclusive Education to Inclusive Employment for People with Disabilities" in Riga. The meeting’s objective has been to consider and debate the progress and challenges in the EU relating to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in connection with the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020.
The European Network on Inclusive Education and Disability, incluD-ed, an initiative led by Fundación ONCE and co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the Spanish Operational Programme "Fight against Discrimination 2007-2013", running up until 2015, was invited to join the event.
In the session entitled "Inclusive Education: doing away with barriers", held on May 11 afternoon, Carla Bonino, Transnational Cooperation Coordinator of the European Programmes Unit at Fundación ONCE presented the work of incluD-ed as an "multi-stakeholder" and “multi-instrument” experience that seeks to promote inclusive education in Europe through various channels, as a pillar to foster equal opportunities, social and labour inclusion not only for people with disabilities but for all. Having founding partners from France (Association des Paralysés de France, APF), Finland (Kynnys) and Czech Republic (Rytmus), and associate members from five other countries (Austria, Ireland, Iceland, United Kingdom and Romania), the network has carried out multiple activities. A highlight has surely been the “Conference on Inclusive Education and Disability” held at the European Parliament on April 9, 2014, with the delivery of a statement to encourage inclusive systems in Europe and the production of a video afterwards.
The Riga meeting under the Latvian Presidency has been structured in two days and featured speeches by senior representatives of the Latvian Government, as well as personalities from the European Commission, the European Agency for Human Rights and Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Education, other national governments, disability organizations from different EU countries and, of course, the European Disability Forum.
Carla Bonino, on behalf of incluD-ed, described the experience of the network in a shared session with Nevena Peneva from the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, Victoria Soriano, Deputy Director of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education and Catherine Naughton, Director of the European Disability Forum. The session was moderated by Irena Kowalczyk-Kedziora from the Council of Europe, DG II-Democracy.
This event has been an important milestone to continue promoting disability and the importance of education and employment as pillars of social inclusion on the European agenda, and to remember that there are still major challenges for full implementation of the Convention UN on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The European Network incluD-ed feels a great honor and satisfaction to have been able to join this debate.
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Read about the meetings’ conclusions on the website of the Latvian Presidency
See the full presentation by Carla Bonino (Transnational Cooperation Coordinator European Programmes Unit. Fundación ONCE) "The experience of incluD-ed Network: promoting inclusive education in Europe"
