The conference "EF for PwD. How European Funds are changing the lives of persons with disabilities"

The Podlasie Sejmik of Persons with Disabilities, in cooperation with the Polish Forum of Persons with Disabilities, with the Warsaw School of Economics: Department of Social Policy and the Office of Accessibility and Support for Persons with Disabilities, the Association Institute of Independent Living, and AccessibleEU, invite you to the conference "EF for PwD. How European Funds are changing the lives of persons with disabilities".

Organizers:

Polish Disability Forum, Podlasie Sejmik of Persons with Disabilities, Association Institute of Independent Living, Warsaw School of Economics

Patronage:

The event was held under the patronage of the Minister for European Union Affairs during Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2025.

When?
26th of February 2025, from 10:00 to 16:00

Where?
Building C, Auditorium I, School of Economics, aleja Niepodległości 128, Warsaw

There's also a possibility to join us online.

Fill out the APPLICATION FORM today: FORM

(To translate into English, right-click anywhere on the page and select ‘translate’)

The conference aims to present the effects of the implementation of European Funds and their promotion, by showing the possibilities of using EU funds to implement the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the principles of social inclusion.

All possible efforts will be made to make the event accessible to you in various ways. During the conference the following will be provided: interpretation in PJM, subtitling, induction loop, lift and comforter, possibility to use the TOTUPOINT system. In addition, the entire conference will also be interpreted in Ukrainian and English.

The conference is carried out within the framework of the partnership project ‘Activities to inform and promote European Funds among NGOs’, co-financed by the European Union under the Technical Assistance for European Funds 2021-2027.

Conference program

10.00-10.10 Welcome guests and start of the conference
- Dr hab. Agnieszka Chłoń Dominiczak, Prof. SGH Warsaw School of Economics, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Dr. Krzysztof Kurowski, Chairman of the Polish Forum of Persons with Disabilities/President of the Association Institute of Independent Living
10:10-11:50 Block I „European Funds for Persons with Disabilities. How does it work?” – moderation: Aleksander Waszkielewicz
- “European funds as a catalyst for change in policies for persons with disabilities in European Union member states”- Ioannis Vardakastanis, President of the Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO), European Economic and Social Committee
- ‘Advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities through European Funds’ - Gunta Anča, Vice-President of the European Disability Forum
- Panel discussion ‘In compliance with the Convention - experiences in EU projects for persons with disabilities’
  - Monika Zima-Parjaszewska, PhD - President of the Board of the Polish Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PSONI)
    Needs)
  - Gunta Anča - SUSTENTO Latvijas Cilvēku ar īpašām vajadzībām sadarbības organizācija (Latvian Organisation for Cooperation of People with Special
  - Ramunė Lebedytė-Undzėnienė - Lietuvos negalios organizacijų forumo (Lithuanian Forum of Organisations of People with Disabilities)
- Questions for speakers from the audience
  - Moderation: Aleksander Waszkielewicz
11:50-12:20 Break
12:20-13:50 Block II „European Funds and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Opportunities, challenges and barriers”
- Presentation of the national report of the project on the compliance of EU projects with the Charter of Fundamental Rights „EU Funds for Fundamental
  Rights”, Dr. Magdalena Kocejko (the Warsaw School of Economics, the Association Institute of Independent Living)
- Panel discussion “Are the rights of persons with disabilities respected in EU fund projects”
  
  Participants:
  - Dr. Monika Wiszyńska-Rakowska, Office of the Ombudsman
  - Dr. Krzysztof Kurowski, the Polish Forum of Persons with Disabilities/ the Association Institute of Independent Living
  - Marcin Sośniak, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
  - Moderation: Dr. Magdalena Kocejko, the Warsaw School of Economics
13:50-14:20 Break
14:20-15:50 Block III „European Funds for Persons with Disabilities. Accessibility – what is not being talked about?” (series of conversations – hosts: Małgorzata Tokarska, Dr. Krzysztof Dobosz)
- Accessibility costs
  - Robert Jagodziński, President of the Management Board of the Foundation for Active Rehabilitation (FAR)
  - Jacek Zadrożny, digital accessibility expert with over 20 years of experience
- Who are we overlooking?
  - Agnieszka Bal, digital accessibility expert with over 20 years of experience
  - Maciej Ryszawy, self-advocate, author of the fanpage ‘Maciej in the Spectrum’
- Accessibility beyond standards
  - Alicja Jankiewicz, Honorary President of the Lublin Forum of Organisations of People with Disabilities - provincial parliament
  - Dr. Justyna Kapturkiewicz, Head of the Office for Accessibility and Support for Persons with Disabilities; Warsaw School of Economics
- MRU, or the mechanism for reasonable accommodation in practice
  - Anna Bizub-Jechna, Horizontal Policy Coordinator, Department of European Social Fund, Office of the Marshal of Pomorskie Voivodeship
  - Przemysław Herman, Deputy Director of the European Social Fund Department in the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
15:50-16:00 Closing remarks