Programme

Enhancing communication skills for children and adolescents with intellectual developmental difficulties

Registrations 

08:45 - 09:30

Welcoming Remarks

• James Crowe, President of EASPD
• President of the NET (Diktyo), Greece
• Sophia Zacharaki, Minister of Social cohesion and family affairs, Greece

Keynote Speech

Moderator: Konstantina Leventi, EASPD

• Cristóbal Javier Miralles Insa, ROGLE Research Group, Spain

10:00 - 11:00

Panel 1: What do businesses need to do to be more inclusive?

This panel discussion will explore the essential strategies and actions businesses must adopt to create a more inclusive environment for employees with disabilities. It will also examine how support services collaborate with companies and support in creating more inclusive employment opportunities. By sharing best practices, the panel aims to provide actionable insights that businesses can use to advance their inclusivity efforts and contribute to a more equitable workforce.

Moderator: Kamil Koungor, ENIL

• Dimitris Tourlidas, VTC Margarita, Greece
• Theresa Shearer, Enable Scotland
• SME Europe
• Wilfried Kainz, Zero Project                                          

11:30 - 12:45

Panel 2: What support do persons with disabilities need to work on the open labour market?

This panel discussion will explore how different models can support persons with different disabilities to access open labour market opportunities. By examining promising practices from Malta, Sweden and Greece, the session aims to highlight the multifaceted approach needed to ensure that persons with disabilities can access and sustain meaningful employment.

Moderator: Antonio Garcia, Espurna Fundación, Spain

• Esmeralda Micallef Zarafa, Lino Spiteri Foundation, Malta
• Christel Witgeers, EMINO, Flanders (Belgium)
• Patrick Luypaert, EMINO, Flanders (Belgium)
• Albin Falkmer, Samhall, Sweden
• Christalena Katami, ELEPAP, Greece

Workshops:

1)Accessing and retaining employment in the open labour market

This workshop will address comprehensive strategies for facilitating the successful entry and retention of persons with disabilities in the open labour market. The focus will be on both preparatory measures and support to retain employment in the open labour market.

Moderator: Sydney Von Ihering, EASPD

• Luca Solymoskövi, Never Give Up Foundation, Hungary
• Panagiotis Athanasopoulos, PLOES, Greece

2)Strengthening capacities of public employment and integration services

This workshop will explore the crucial role of Public Employment Services (PES) in facilitating the employment and integration of persons with disabilities into the open labour market. The discussion will focus on how PES can collaborate effectively with social services to provide comprehensive support that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by persons with disabilities.

Moderator: Rachel Vaughan, EASPD

• David De Pauw, Actiris, Belgium
• Dimitra Protopsalti, DYPA, Greece

3) Ensuring reasonable accommodation at work

This workshop will address the critical role of reasonable accommodation in creating inclusive and accessible workplaces for persons with disabilities. Participants will explore practical strategies for implementing reasonable accommodations, including modifications to the work environment, flexible work schedules, and the use of assistive technologies.

Moderator: Carmen Hilario, EASPD

• Evert Jan Hoogerwerf, AIAS Bologna, Italy
• Noemi Marchiotto, AIAS Bologna, Italy
• Konstantina Kirimi, PLOES, Greece
• Vicky Simitopoulou, PLOES, Greece

4) Boosting hiring and combating stereotypes

This workshop will focus on effective strategies and positive actions that businesses can take to increase the hiring of persons with disabilities and dismantle persistent stereotypes. Participants will explore initiatives that have effectively supported integrating persons with disabilities in the open labour market.

Moderator: Lilith Alink, EASPD

• Javier Guemes, Fundacion ONCE, Spain
• Kati Katsouda, Theotokos, Greece

5) Sustaining employment through vocational rehabilitation schemes

This workshop will examine the role of vocational rehabilitation schemes in sustaining employment for persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on those that acquired a disability by accidents and chronic diseases. Topics will include rehabilitation programs that facilitate reintegration into the workforce, sustain employment, and adapt to new job roles post-disability, encompassing both physical and psychological aspects of rehabilitation.

Moderator: Laura Jones, Independent Consultant

• Stef de Cock, Maatwerk, Belgium
• Chara Papadopoulou, Association of People with Multiple Sclerosis, Greece

Conference Dinner

Please be advised that the dress code is formal or cocktail attire. This excludes casual clothes such as T-shirts, shorts, jeans, trainers, flip-flops, and casual shoes.

Morning Huddle

Moderator: Timothy Ghilain, EASPD

• Barbara Merrill, ANCOR, USA
• Donna Martin, ANCOR, USA

 09:50 - 11:00       

Workshops on Enabling Legal Frameworks

6) Leveraging state aid to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities

This workshop will explore how state aid can be effectively used to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The session will delve into various forms of state aid, including subsidies, funding programs, and how these resources can be harnessed to support the hiring, training, and retention of employees with disabilities.

Moderator: Irene Bertana, EASPD

• Mathias Maucher, Social Services Europe
• Albin Falkmer, Samhall, Sweden

7)Creating jobs: the role of public procurement

This workshop will focus on the significant role public procurement plays in creating employment opportunities, particularly for persons with disabilities. We will also examine case studies of successful inclusive procurement initiatives, discuss legal and policy frameworks that support these efforts, and identify best practices for integrating social criteria into public contracts.

Moderator:Miguel Buitrago, EASPD

• Michael Longhino, Chance B, Austria

8) Enabling Vocational Education and Training for open labour market employment

This workshop will focus on the pivotal role of vocational education and training (VET) in equipping persons with disabilities for successful employment in the open labour market.

Moderator: Tavishi Rekhi, EASPD

• Peter Saxenhofer, Insos, Switzerland 
• Ingrid Pammer, BBRZ, Austria 

9) Supported employment legislation and promising practices

The workshop will explore the supported employment model, which has been recognised in Europe for many years. While some countries have established a legislative framework for it, others have not. The supported employment approach receives less attention and resources, despite being evidence-based and contributing to the full implementation of the right to work in line with the UNCRPD and the SDGs for inclusive work for people with disabilities.

The workshop will also demonstrate how a supported employment organisation can showcase its quality of work using the Supported Employment Quality Framework as a quality assessment tool. This evaluation helps identify growth and development opportunities for your organisation.

• Nerise Oldfield-Thompson, BASE, UK
• Karen Warson, SUEM Belgium

10) Navigating the Greek Legal System

• Evangelia-Christina Andreadi, Make it Work project, Greece
• Kaiti Katsouda, Member forum Supported employment of the NET - Hellenic Association of Supported Employment, Greece

This workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Greek legal system, focusing on recent developments, reforms, and ongoing challenges relevant to open labour market employment for persons with disabilities.

 11:00 - 11:30         

Supporting different target groups to access the Open Labour Market 

Workshops

11) How to best support people with autism and intellectual disabilities?

Moderator: COMM IN project

• Antonio Garcia, Fundacion Espurna, Spain
• Aliki Panagiotakou, Alma, Greece  
• Melachri Zoi, Alma, Greece 

This workshop will focus on varied and cutting-edge strategies to integrate people with autism and intellectual disabilities into the open labour market. It will focus on tailored communication strategies, structured work environments, and supportive employment.

12)How to best support people with visual and sensory disabilities?

This workshop will focus on varied and cutting-edge strategies to integrate people with visual and sensory disabilities into the open labour market. It will focus on work place adaptations and the use of assistive technologies, such as tactile indicators, and auditory support tools.

Moderator: Fabrizio Fea, EASPD

• Rafael Georgiev, NASOR, Bulgaria
• Chrysella Lagaria, Black-Light, Greece
• Christiana Zotou, Amimoni, Greece

13) European Sectoral Skills Strategy: B-WISE project

Moderator:Ivana Davidovska, EASPD

• Nóra Györke, EASPD
• Margo Liatira, EV ZIN, Greece 

14)

15) Research insights on making a more inclusive open labour market

Moderator: Kalianne Farren, EASPD

• Filippo Sinicato, European Disability Forum 
• Pau Castellvi Canet, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain

Panel 3: Moving Forward: How to create jobs on the open labour market?

This panel session will address how EASPD and stakeholders can work together to implement systematic change to create open labour market opportunities for persons with disabilities.

• Fabrizio Fea, EASPD
• Charis Αsimopoulos, Western Attica University, Greece
• Jyrki Pinoma, Inclusion Europe

Concluding Remarks

• Dionyssios Serras, The NET, Greece

 15:30