Conference Feedback from Senator Martin Conway
It was my great pleasure to attend the conference in Vienna recently. I believe the conference has gone a long way in raising awareness regarding the importance of implementing the ratification of the U.N convention on people with disabilities in various countries. I have done some media following on from my attendance at the conference. [...]
Conference Feedback from Germain Weber
I have to congratulate the organizers of the International Conference on Good Practices for Persons with Disabilities for this excellent conference. Presentations, contents, debates were of high level, venue design convincing and accessibility realized; support and service well based on the needs of the delegates and a fine catering. Thanks for all of this! Focusing [...]
Conference Feedback from Charles Siegal
Thank you for your note. It was my pleasure to participate. All of the arrangements, including the driver and the hotel (Trend Savoyen), were excellent. I would like to participate next year and will try to submit materials related to employment issues. I believe those are essential to the disability community. Take care. Charles Siegal
Conference Feedback from Åse Kari Haugeto
Thank you so much for setting up such an interesting and eyeopening event. It was a very well organized conference with a big variety of speakers. I found it especially useful during the sessions where the audience was allowed to ask questions. Thank you also very much for letting me inform the audience about the [...]
Disability Equality in Austria
It is true that the Act has been a step forward for advancing disability equality in Austria. However, improvements are urgently needed! Other laws, such as the Americans with Disability Act or the UK Equality Act, include already injunctive reliefs. The introduction of these kind of reliefs would enhance truly the right to accessibility for [...]
The Right to Live Independently in Sweden
Personal assistance has been described as ‘a revolution’ and is considered the most important achievement of the disability reform. The system of cash payments towards eligible individuals created a competitive market for personal assistance services consisting of about 15,900 assistance users, 230 local governments and over 1,100 private entities, these last employing a total [...]
Reduction of suicide – the Swedish Personal Ombudsman
Support by a Personal Ombudsman shows highly positive response rates and reduces guardianship, isolation, drug addiction, homelessness, suicide and violence amongst the individuals addressed. As well, calculations have shown that PO operations reduce costs by approximately €80,000 per assisted person over a five year period! That is why Sweden decided to expand this system on [...]
The Right to Inclusive Education – Impressive numbers!
Italy is, so far, the only European country in which almost all (99.6%) disabled pupils, out of a total of 170,000 (in 2007-2008), were included in mainstream schools. In Italy inclusive education is achieved with the help of over 90,000 specialized teachers for learning support and an additional 25,000 educators employed by the schools. As [...]
Access to Justice for persons with intellectual or mental disabilities
78% are victims of crime As established by the Investigation and Testimony Procedures Law, in Israel, a Special Investigator is now assisting police interrogations of persons with disabilities. In addition, the law provides for important adaptations to the testimony given in court, including the exemption from cross-examination as a witness. From 2007 to 2010, there [...]
Conference Feedback from Esther Sivian
It was indeed an honour and a pleasure (!) to participate in this very well organized and very innovative and interesting conference. The opportunity to share knowledge and to associate with so many people from different countries dealing with the same issues that we deal with, daily, was exciting and of high value. Thank you for [...]