ERGASIAMOU.GR: Job search platform for people with intellectual disabilities
ERGASIAMOU is the first job search platform for people with intellectual disabilities in Greece created by VTC MARGARITA and co-financed by the World of Difference program of the Vodafone Foundation.
Stories4ALL: Best practices, Training, Digital Skills
Stories4ALL aims to support the educational community to explore alternative learning pathways that focus on the development of creativity and digital skills, as well as the social inclusion of students with visual impairment (VI). The project focus on digital technologies/tools such as image design/editing, digital story creation tools, and 3D printing.
Burnout FREE ECI Project: Best practices, Training, Certification
Burnout FREE ECI Project aims at empowering parents with children with disabilities and professionals in the Early Intervention field in order to tackle the issue of parental and professional burnout.
EASPD International Conference: Quality of Life & Support Services: From Words to Action, 13-14 October 2022
The conference will aim to inspire support services to implement modern quality measurement models focusing on improving the quality of life of the people they support. Hosted in St Paul’s Bay, Malta the conference will take place on 13th-14th October 2022.
Rationale of the conference
Measuring the quality of services for persons with disabilities is a challenging mission for most service providers. The challenges arise not only from the lack of a mutually agreed definition on what quality is but also on how it can be measured efficiently and how it can further help services improve!
Even if, in most of the countries, the assessment of quality in services is set out in legislation, they do not specify methodologies, indicators, and do not define quality. In certain countries the assessment of quality follows procedures, such as formal inspection visits, that often do not provide services with the necessary means to develop and improve. However, there seems to be a general interest, also on the EU level, to improve the quality of services and the quality assessment processes.
This conference is co-organised with Agenzija Sapport, an EASPD member and Malta’s National Agency that provides professional and innovative services to enhance the quality of life of persons with disabilities and their families.
The conference will aim to inspire support services to implement modern quality measurement models focusing on improving the quality of life of the people they support. It will further showcase how such models can help service providers move forward towards better quality, empowering and person-centred forms of support, aligned with the UN CRPD principles.
This conference will:
- provide participants with a good understanding on the situation across Europe on innovative quality measurement systems.
- discuss the challenges and opportunities that this process may bring for support services.
- will bring two experiences from Scotland and Malta on how different levels (macro – meso – micro) can work together to support service development and improvement.
- conclude with representatives from the EU, public authorities, services providers, and persons with disabilities identifying the next steps.
Highlight of the conference:
- Participants will have the opportunity to participate in training sessions focused on different elements related to the operation/ management of a service, on person-centred and family-centred planning, quality measurement models and co-production, among others.
Learn More: https://www.easpdconference.eu/
Two-Day Conference: "Social Dialogue in the Field of Social Services in Greece"
On June the 2nd and 3rd, a two-day conference was held in Athens as part of the European FORESEE program on Social Dialogue in the field of Social Services in Greece.
The two-day conference was attended, among others, by: the Federation of European Social Employers, the European Federation of Public Service Unions, the Secretary General of Social Solidarity and the Fight against Poverty, TO DIKTYO, SKLE, OMED and the University of West Attica.
The participants had the opportunity to obtain, from the guest speakers, a clear and documented picture of the definition of Social Dialogue in Europe and Greece, both at institutional and actual level.
The necessity to strengthen the Social Dialogue in Greece was particularly highlighted since, as it was pointed out, although the State has the necessary institutional framework, the necessary steps regarding the ability of employers’ and employees’ organizations to cope with its formal and substantive conditions, have not been taken.
EQUALvet promotes inclusive education and training
EQUALvet will develop a vocational training program and a certification scheme for people with intellectual disabilities in three professions: cook assistant, gardener assistant and cleaner. EQUALvet is an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Union.
BYOD: Bring Your Own Device
BYOD is an ERASMUS + project that aims at the training of people with Intellectual Disabilities in the use of applications in their personal mobile devices to improve their employability.
I-DECIDE: Supported Decision-Making using Digital, Literacy and Numeracy Skills
I-DECIDE is an Erasmus+ project that aims to strengthen the self-advocacy of people with intellectual disabilities through the expression of their own decisions. The project has developed a series of tools for supporters on how to implement supported decision-making practices.
B-WISE: Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises
B-WISE is an Erasmus+ project that aims to develop a European strategy (Blueprint) to address the digital skills needs in the Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) sector.
NET and EASPD Event
In a beautiful and emotionally charged meeting, the newly established Greek “NET” of Service Providers for People with Disabilities, the Greek State and the pan-European umbrella of -20,000 and more- service providers for People with Disabilities, EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities), made the official announcement of the start of their cooperation at national and European level.
The event was honored by the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Panagiotis Pikrammenos and the Ministry of Labor & Social Affairs, in the presence of the Minister Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, the Deputy Minister Mrs. Domna Michailidou, the Secretary General of Social Solidarity & Solidarity. Stamatis & the Head of Policies for the Support of Children with Disabilities Mr. Dimitris Nikolski. The Attica Region also honored the event, through its representative, Deputy Regional Minister of Finance & Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Region Mr. Nikolaos Peppas & the Authorized Advisor of the Social Welfare Department of the Office of the Governor of Attica, Mrs. Eugenia Barbayannis.
The event was accompanied by the presence of the General Secretary of EASPD, Mr. Luk Zelderloo, his important associates and the newly elected representative of Greece in the Board of EASPD, Mrs. Agapi Papadakis.
In his greeting, Mr. Zelderloo pointed out that “… what these organizations have achieved by setting up the” NET” is unique… they have managed to get out of their safety box and think ambitiously. And this is exactly the network, to think ambitiously “, a fact that was also signed on behalf of” NET “by the Chairman of the Board. and President of I.P.AP. “The Virgin”, Mr. Erotokritos Neophytos saying that “Our goal is to use all scientific tools and best global practices to contribute to the creative development of our special population.”