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Dissemination Seminar on the main results of the 'European Research Agendas for Disability Equality'

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

11.00 - 17.00

Hotel Leopold

Rue du Luxembourg 35

Brussels, Belgium

 

The dissemination seminar has been organised in response to the interest expressed in the project "European Research Agendas for Disability Equality" (EuRADE) during the briefing seminar organised at the European Parliament, in January 2009. It brought together representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities with key stakeholders in research including European researchers, research policy-makers, research funders, research promoters who are interested in disability research and research collaboration.

In this context, the seminar provided an opportunity for organisations of persons with disabilities who developed research project outlines and invited key stakeholders to share insights on how these may be developed into full research proposals in partnership with academic institutions and supported within the European Research Area and national and regional research programmes.

 

The section below gives a linear overview of the seminar and is aimed at providing you with all documents that have been distributed, discussed and/or reviewed at this event.

 

 

 

PROGRAMME 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of this research is to ensure the equal treatment for disabled air passengers and those with reduced mobility, in particular in accordance with recent changes in the European Union Regulation on the rights of air passengers with disabilities (Regulation (EC) 1107/2006). Drawing from the knowledge and experience of persons with disabilities and all the different stakeholders involved in the implementation of the provisions of the regulation both at European and national level (including organisations representing persons with disabilities), the research will explore how and the extent to which the regulation has been implemented so far. In particular, it will seek to collect quantitative and qualitative data about advancements and major challenges/barriers encountered when implementing the regulation and their impact on and implications for persons with disabilities. Information collected will be used to identify and articulate good practices that will help achieve equal treatment for all passengers when travelling by air, including persons with disabilities. The research will also focus on enhancing the participation of organisations representing persons with disabilities in the implementation process. This will be achieved by engaging and promoting collaboration with the air services/industry stakeholders, policymakers, enforcement bodies and other relevant stakeholders such as academics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The aim of the research is to understand and enhance organisational capacity for the collective representation of psycho-socially disabled people in Europe. Using participatory and consultative methods, the research will document and assess the capacity of existing organisations to represent the voices and interests of psycho-socially disabled people. In this context, it will focus on the capacities and strategies of a) representative organisations controlled by psycho-socially disabled people; b) traditional /mental health/ organisations; and c) national disability umbrella organisations. The research will seek to investigate the types of existing organisations that represent the voices and claims of psychosocially disabled people in European countries, the resources available to these organisations and the extent to which they are democratic and representative. It will also analyse how psycho-socially disabled people, within these organisations, position themselves in relation to the political discourses, identities and claims of disabled people s organisations. Finally, the research will enable to explore how the collective claims of psycho-socially disabled people can be most effectively represented both at the national and the European levels, and the resources that may be required to build that organisational capacity. This will be achieved through undertaking internet based surveys combined or supported by telephone interviews over a period of 2 to 3 years. Potential partners include: University of Leeds and Mental Health Europe.

EuRADE Dissemination Seminar - Research Project Outline Erik Olsen (PDF)

 

 

 

The purpose of this research is to promote the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in education, with a particular focus on the role of personal assistive relationships. Building upon the experiences of persons with intellectual disabilities and those who facilitate their participation in education, the research will seek to identify the different types of assistive relationship available to disabled students in different European countries and to what extent these models have been applied to supporting students with intellectual disability education. It will also explore how students with intellectual disability, and the people who support them, experience assistive relationships. With the a view to providing examples of good practice and suggesting ways to widen access and participation , the research will also investigate the key characteristics of a successful assistive relationship that promotes autonomy and full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in education and the potential to apply such good practices in other contexts. This will be achieved through reviewing existing research and knowledge, observation in natural contexts, and interviews. The research will involve comparative research covering different European countries. Data collected will be discussed and analysed by focus groups including persons with intellectual disabilities, assistants and teachers. The research will be conducted in collaboration with a university and relevant disabled people’s organisations (e.g. National Councils, organisations of people’s with intellectual disabilities).

 

 

 

 

Based upon article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) - Living independently and being included in the community - and upon article 8 of the European Disability Action plan which establishes the right of disabled people to employ personal assistants of their choice.-This research will investigate and develop the key concepts of independent living in order to facilitate its wider understanding and application in different contexts. Thus, the research will attempt to see how far the understanding of the concept of independent living converges between different European states and distinctive groups of stakeholders through investigating the interplay between states, disabled people s movements and European policies in the processes and understanding of independent living. For example by examining the current personal assistance (PA) strategies to assist disabled people to live independently, the key issues and barriers in supporting independent living nationally, and the impact of state support, or the lack of it, on disabled people’s independence. The project will be initialized through  a review of relevant academic and activist literature on the key concepts of independent living in order to provide a base-line definition and latterly  to formulate a grid tool to be used as a template for measurement and on-going refinement regarding issues of independent living. One outcome will be to develop knowledge and build recommendations for European political actors and bodies in order to mainstream the application of article 19 of the Convention. Quantitative and qualitative methods may also involve a statistical analysis of PA users, content analysis of national policies related to independent living, and interviews or focus groups with key stakeholders. Partners in the research will include organisations ‘of’ disabled people and disabled people with experience of independent living issues, PA users, academics, national government agencies dealing with issues of social services/personal assistance and key representatives from the Unit for the Integration of People with Disabilities at Directorate General of Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities at the European Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dialogue with researchers - Minutes (WORD)