ZERO PROJECT CONFERENCE 2015
INDEPENDENT LIVING AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION:
INNOVATIVE POLICIES AND INNOVATIVE PRACTICES
FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
25–27th February 2015, United Nations Office/Vienna International Centre (VIC), Austria
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
United Nations Office/Vienna International Centre (VIC), M Building
17:00h-18:00h
Registration & Welcome
Innovative Policy and
Innovative Practice
Award Ceremony 2015
Martin ESSL & Michael FEMBEK, Essl Foundation,
Austria
Celebrating practices
and policies that enable
persons with disabilities
to live independently and
to access public and
political life
18:00h-20:30h
Jakob VON UEXKULL & Ingrid HEINDORF, World
Future Council, United Kingdom
Silvia BALMAS, European Foundation Centre, Belgium
Lenín Voltaire MORENO, UN Special Envoy on
Disability and Accessibility, Ecuador (via video)
Representatives of Innovative Policies and Innovative
Practices 2015
Welcome Reception
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
United Nations Office/Vienna International Centre (VIC), M Building
08:00h-09:30h
Registration, Coffee and Tea
Welcome
Christine STIX-HACKL, Permanent Mission of Austria
to the UN in Vienna
09:30h-10:15h – A
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
Martin ESSL, Essl Foundation, Austria
Jakob VON UEXKULL, World Future Council, United
Kingdom
www.zeroproject.org
English-German
Lourdes MÁRQUEZ DE LA CALLEJA, EFC'sEuropean
Consortium of Foundations on Human Rights and
Disability, Spain
Video: The Zero Project’s Innovative Practices and
Policies 2015
Chair: Caroline CASEY, Kanchi, Ireland
Opening Keynotes
10:15h-11:00h – B
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Daniela BAS, Division for Social Policy and
Development (DSPD), UN DESA Focal Point on
Disability, USA
Facundo CHAVEZ PENILLAS, Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),
Switzerland
Javed ABIDI, Disabled Peoples International (DPI),
India
Chair: Caroline CASEY, Kanchi, Ireland
11:00h-11:15h
Break
The Lumos Approach:
How DeInstitutionalization
Works in Eastern
Europe
Elena SAFTESCU, Alina CEBAN & Efimia CHIHAI
(supported by Eugenia Godojora and Natalia Rotaru),
Lumos Foundation, Moldova
Children explaining,
communicating and
inspiring
11:15h-12:30h - C1
Room: MO1
Veliko KRASIMIROV VELIKOV, Diana VELIKOVA
VELIKOVA, Mihaela DINKOVA IVANOVA & Dafinka
GROZEVA NIKOLOVA (supported by Aneta Teneva
and Boyan Nikolaev Tenev), Lumos Foundation,
Bulgaria
Veronika PESTOVA, Veronika ODVARKOVA, Nikola
KÖHLEROVA (supported by Ingrid Hanzlikova and
Zlata Bruzkova), Lumos Foundation, Czech Republic
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Chair: Georgette MULHEIR, Lumos Foundation,
United Kingdom supported by Mihaela IVANOVA, selfadvocate, Bulgaria
New Professions for
Persons with
Disabilities
Elisabeth KRÖN, Specialisterne Austria
11:15h-12:30h - C2
Chair: Georg SCHÖN, Ashoka Austria
Frank HOFFMANN, Discovering Hands, Germany
Gregor DEMBLIN, Career Moves, Austria
Room: MO3
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
www.zeroproject.org
Worldwide Data and
Statistics on
Independent Living and
Political Participation
Daniela BAS, Director of the Division for Social Policy
and Development (DSPD), UN DESA Focal Point on
Disability, USA: The inclusion of disability in the
Sustainable Development Goals
11:15h-12:30h - C3
Maria Alarcos CIEZA MORENO, World Health
Organisation, WHO: The Model Disability Survey and
the Community Based Rehabilitation Indicators
Room: MO2
Silvia BALMAS, European Foundation Centre (EFC),
Belgium: Results from the Zero Project Indicators 2015
Chair: Michael FEMBEK, Essl Foundation
Voting and Elections in
the Global South
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
11:15h-12:30h - C4
Room: MO6
Virginia ATKINSON, International Foundation for Electoral
Systems (IFES): Strengthening electoral systems to be
inclusive and accessible for all citizens with disabilities
Libisi MAPHANGA, Electoral Commission of South Africa: The
Universal Ballot Template
Suraj SIGDEL, International Foundation For Electoral
Systems, Nepal: Training to actively engage in civic
rights
Wilson N. RUVERE, Jairos Jiri Association:
Enfranchising People with Disabilities in Zimbabwe
Chair: Virginia ATKINSON, International Foundation
for Electoral Systems (IFES)
12:30h-14:00h
Lunch Break
The Personal
Assistance Budget
Damjan TATIC, UN CRPD Committee of Experts,
Serbia (via video)
Innovative Practices and
Policies – Presentations
Jamie BOLLING, European Network for Independent
Living (ENIL): The Right to Personal Assistance in
Sweden
14:00h-15:30h - D1
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Dirk VANDERSTIGHELEN, Flemish Agency for People
with Disabilities, Belgium: The Flanders’ Personal
Assistance Budget
Tove Linnea BRANDVIK & Vibeke MELSTRØM
MARØY, ULOBA, Norway: Building a business:
Personal assistance as a tool for independent living in
Norway
Javier ARROYO MENDEZ, Aspaym Madrid, Spain:
Free personal assistance in Madrid
Peter LAMBREGHTS, Onafhankelijk Leven vzw,
Belgium: The European situation of Personal
www.zeroproject.org
Assistance
Chair: Jamie BOLLING, European Network for
Independent Living (ENIL), Sweden
The Barometer of
Inclusion: Comparison
of Independent Living
in Austria
Albert BRANDSTÄTTER, Inclusion Austria: Results of the
2014 “Inklusionsbarometer” – A survey on independent living
comparing the situation in the nine Austrian provinces
14:00h-15:30h - D2
Max RUBISCH, Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and
Consumer Protection (BMASK), Austria
Room: MO3
Herbert PICHLER, ÖGB Chancen Nutzen Büro, Austria
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Thomas DRIESSEN, alphanova Steiermark, Austria
Service Providers &
How Change Can Be
Successful
Franz WOLFMAYR, European Association of Service
Providers for Persons with Disabilities, Austria
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
Alison HARNETT, National Federation of Voluntary
Bodies, Ireland: The Next Steps Project: Service
Providers jointly offering individualized support
14:00h-15:30h - D3
Room: MO6
Chair: Albert BRANDSTÄTTER, Inclusion Austria
Tara DOHENY, Genio Trust, Ireland
Maarit AALTO, Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social
Issues (NVC), Sweden: Community housing for people
with intellectual disabilities
Corina ZOLLE, Rhein-Main Inklusiv, Germany
Errol COCKS, Curtin University, Australia
Chair: Luk ZELDERLOO, European Association of
Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities
(EASPD), Belgium
www.zeroproject.org
Consultation:
Technology and
Disability-Inclusive
Disaster Risk
Reduction (DiDRR) Organized by
SCRPD/DSPD/UNDESA
Daniela BAS, Division for Social Policy and
Development (DSPD), UN DESA Focal Point on
Disability, USA
14:00h-15:30h - D4
Mechthilde FUHRER, EUR-OPA Major Hazards
Agreement, France
Room: MO2
Michael FEMBEK, Zero Project, Essl Foundation,
Austria
Hiroshi KAWAMURA, Disability Caucus-HFA2 Focal
Point, Consultant on DiDRR/United Nations, Japan
Aqeel QURESHI, Global Alliance on Accessible
Technologies and Environments (GAATES), Japan
Natalia ILIEVA, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
(ABU), Malaysia
Benjamin DARD, Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM),
Haiti
Alex ROBINSON, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB),
Indonesia
Inclusive-DRR Adviser ASB, Disability-inclusive DRR
Network (DiDRRN) partner, Indonesia
Chair: Akiko ITO, Secretariat for the CRPD, DSPD UN
DESA, USA
Co-Rapporteurs: Betty DION, GAATES, Canada, &
Hiroshi KAWAMURA, Disability Caucus-HFA2 Focal
Point, Consultant on DiDRR/United Nations, Japan
Independent Living for
Everyone: Innovative
Strategies of Cities,
Regions and their
Networks
Johanna PACEVICIUS, Assembly of European
Regions (AER), France
14:00h-15:30h – D5
Elena CURTOPASSI, Veneto Region, European
Network for Social Authorities (ENSA) and European
Local Inclusion and Social Action Network (ELISAN),
Belgium
Room: MO7
Interactive discussion in working groups
Chair: Edwin MERMANS, Department of Social and
Cultural Development of the Province of Noord
Brabant, The Netherlands
15:30h-15:40h
Break
Supported DecisionMaking
Oliver LEWIS, Mental Disability Advocacy Center,
Hungary
Innovative Practices and
Maths JESPERSON, PO Skane, Sweden: The
www.zeroproject.org
Policies – Presentations
Personal Ombudsmen system in Sweden
15:40h-17:00h - E1
Linda PERRY, Vela Microboard Association, Canada:
How Microboards work
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Cher NICHOLSON, Health & Community Services
Complaints Commissioner, Australia
Chair: Eilionoir FLYNN, National University of Ireland
Galway, Ireland
Peer Support Models
for Austria
15:40h-17:00h - E2
Room: MO3
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Klaudia KAROLINY, Independent Living Initiative of
Upper Austria, Austria: Peer counseling as an
approved profession
Tamara GRUNDSTEIN, Independent Living Austria
Self representatives and self advocate groups
Chair: Walburga FRÖHLICH, atempo, Austria: How to
make peer support work
Technology and
Software that support
Independent Living
John MCLACHLAN, Scope, United Kingdom: Connect
to Control. Affordable equipment to make PCs
accessible
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
Kristina TSVETANOVA, BLITAB, Austria: A tablet for
the visually impaired
15:40h-17:00h - E3
Presentations of new technologies and hands-on
exercises to support the digital inclusion of all
Room: MO7
Chair: Dave SHEPHERD, Barclays Bank, United
Kingdom
How Disaster Risk
Reduction and Fire and
Life Safety is DisabilityInclusive
CJ WALSH, FireOx International, Ireland
15:40h-17:00h - E4
Room: MO6
Ase Kari HAUGETO, The Delta Centre, Norway
Marnie PETERS, Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies
and Environments (GAATES), Canada
Betty DION, Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and
Environments (GAATES), Canada
Chair: Mukhtar AL-SHIBANI, Global Alliance on Accessible
Technologies and Environments (GAATES), Saudi Arabia
Stephanie OUEDA, L’Oreal, France
Corporate Strategies
Supporting
Employment and
Inclusion
Sunita Rebecca CHERIAN, Wipro Technologies, India
15:40h-17:00h - E5
Cecilia CONDE, European Network for CSR+D, Spain
Yves VEULLIET, IBM, Belgium
Chair: Maria TUSSY, Fundación ONCE, Spain
www.zeroproject.org
Room: MO2
Rapporteur: Susan SCOTT-PARKER, International
Business Disability Forum, United Kingdom
17:00h-18:00h
Break & Time for moving to UniCredit Center Am
Kaiserwasser, Eiswerkstraße 20, 1220 Wien (appx. 10
min. walk from UNOV/VIC)
Special Evening Event, UniCredit Center Am Kaiserwasser
“Alles Walzer” - Waltz
for All
Welcome & introduction by moderator Monika
KALCSICS, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF
18:00h-21:00h - F
Welcome by Martin BACHL, Unicredit Bank Austria
Location: UniCredit
Center Am
Kaiserwasser,
Eiswerkstraße 20, 1220
Wien (9 min. walk from
Welcome by HE Peter LAUNSKY-TIEFFENTHAL,
Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign
Affairs
UNOV)
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Opening by Franz Joseph HUAINIGG, Member of
Austrian Parliament
Live music by MoZuluArt and AMBASSADE String
Quartet
Show act by the high-level-class wheelchair dance
couple Brigitte KRÖLL and Werner KAISER
Interview with Johanna MANG, Light for the World,
Austria & Michael FEMBEK, Zero Project, Essl
Foundation, Austria
Inclusive dance show act & workshop by the inclusive
dance company „ICH BIN O.K“
Reception & Dinner
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
United Nations Office/Vienna International Centre (VIC), M Building
8:00h-08:45h
Registration, Coffee and Tea
Zero Project Highlights
& GAATES Award
Caroline CASEY, Kanchi, Ireland
Mukhtar AL-SHIBANI, Global Alliance on Accessible
www.zeroproject.org
Ceremony
8:45h-09:10h
Room: MO1
Technologies and Environments (GAATES), Saudi
Arabia
Betty DION, Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and
Environments (GAATES), Canada
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
New Models for
Community-based
Living
Joris VAN PUYENBROECK, Hogeschool Universiteit
Brussel: "Proefwonen" – fast access to affordable
homes
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
Yakir PNINI-MENDEL & Orly FRUCHTER, Israel
Unlimited: Supportive Housing - Helping young adults
to live independently
09:15h-10:45h - G1
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Roberto MEZZINA: Trieste - De-Institutionalization and
Community Living since 1980
Borka TEODOROVIC, Association for Promoting
Inclusion, Croatia: Living alone with individualized
support
Natalie DREW-BOLD, World Health Organization,
Switzerland: Promoting Rights and Community Living
for Children with Psychosocial Disabilities
Chair: Ines BULIC, European Coalition for Community
Living (ECCL)
Self-empowerment and
Political Participation
in Austria
Elisabeth KOMP, DIÖZESAN-CARITASVERBAND
KÖLN, Germany: „Today I decide!“ – A 2-day-course
to kick-start political participation
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
Johannes UNGAR, Innovia, Tirol
09:15h-10:45h - G2
Chair: Erwin BUCHINGER, Disability Ombudsman
Austria
Room: MO3
Astrid EICHSTÄDT, European Ombudsman, Belgium
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
The Right to Vote for
Everyone
Innovative Policies,
Practices & Indicators –
Presentations
09:15h-10:45h - G3
Room: MO2
Hitomi SUGIURA, Tokyo Law Advocacy Office;
Nagase OSAMU, Ritsumeikan University and Inclusion
International; & Seikichi NAGOYA, Japan:
Enfranchising people under guardianship
Tomislav IVASKOVIC & Damian JANUSEVIC, Association for
Self Advocacy, Croatia: Voting without legal capacity
Alexander PREOBRAZHENSKIY, Council of Europe,
France
www.zeroproject.org
Patrick CLARKE, International Disability Alliance,
Ireland
Chair: Maureen PIGGOT, President of Inclusion Europe
10:45h-11:00h
Break
Self-empowerment and
Self-representation
Felipe RAMOS BARAJAS, Organization of American States:
Regional network to promote legal capacity for persons with
psychosocial disabilities
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
11:00h-12:15h - H1
Room: MO6
Janina GAARDE RASMUSSEN, Socialstyrelsen: Study kit
about citizenship and personal rights, Denmark
Matthijs VAN TRIGT, Patrick SCHELFHOUT, Tina
GOETHALS & Danny VANDERPERRE: Our New Future Coaching for political discussions and participation across
Flanders
Peter LAMBREGHTS, Onafhankelijk Leven vzw, Belgium:
Freedom School – 5-day-training for an active role in society
Chair: Inmaculada PLACENCIA-PORRERO, European
Commission
How to Support
Candidates and
Political
Representatives with
Disabilities
Innovative Policies –
Presentations
11:00h-12:15h - H2
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Helene JARMER, Member of Parliament, Austria
Jude PALMER, Managing Director Digital Outreach &
Iain NEWTON, Access to Elected Office Programme
Manager, United Kingdom: Access to Elected Office for
Disabled People Fund
Martin BABU MWESIGWA, UN CRPD Committee of
Experts & National Union of Disabled Persons of
Uganda (NUDIPU) & Helen Grace ASAMO, Member of
Parliament of Uganda: Reserved seats for persons with
disabilities
Hendrietta BOGOPANE-ZULU, Deputy Minister of
Social Development, South Africa: Ensuring equal
access for Members of Parliament
Chair: Luis GALLEGOS, Chair of G3ict and former
Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UNO at
Geneva
Rapporteur: Irina MORENO, Assistant to UN Special
Envoy on Disability and Accessibility, Ecuador
International Peer
Support Models:
Empowering Persons
Ian LOYNES, Spectrum CIL: How User-ledorganisations work in the United Kingdom
Silvio SAGRAMOLA, Info-Handicap,
www.zeroproject.org
with Disabilities
Innovative Practices and
Policies – Presentations
11:00h-12:15h - H3
Room: MO2
Luxembourg: Funding a national disability information
and meeting center in Luxembourg
Julia KISCH, Independent Living Movement Upper
Austria: Peer counseling as an approved profession in
Upper Austria
Michael PAUL& Banane NAFEH, Disability Rights UK:
Helpline and platform on personalized care
John MCLACHLAN, Scope: Activities Unlimited - a
“Brokerage” for short family vacations
Chair: Errol COCKS, Curtin University, Australia
Cooperation between
East & West for
Political and Social
Participation in Europe
Vasyl NAZARENKO, Union of Disabled People Organisations
of Ukraine
11:00h-12:15h - H4
Room: MO3
George DZNELADZE, Coalition for Independent Living,
Georgia
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Davud REHIMLI, Union of Disabled People Organisations of
Azerbaijan
Patrick CLARKE, International Disability Alliance / European
Disability Forum / Down Syndrome International, Ireland
Co-Chairs: Ilja SEIFERT, Allgemeiner Behindertenverband in
Deutschland e.V. (ABiD), Germany, & Monika THARANN,
Stiftung West-Östliche Begegnungen, Germany
12:15h-12:30h
Break
Towards Accessible
Elections and Voting
Processes
Ana Cristina LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Ministry of the Interior, Spain:
Voting and participating in the electoral process
Innovative Practices and
Policies – Presentations
12:30h-13:45h - I1
Room: MO2
Video by New Zealand’s Electoral Commission: Improving
access to electoral events
Corinne CLERMONT, Nous aussi, France: Guidelines for
accessible elections in Europe
Maria FINSTRÖM, Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired:
Accessible candidates lists for elections
Kate HEWITT, SCYTL, Australia: Software for the Visually
Impaired Citizens in Australia
Chair: Martha STICKINGS, European Union Agency for
Fundamental Rights (FRA), Austria
New Concepts and
Ideas for Living in the
Andreas VEGA, VbA-Selbstbestimmt Leben München:
Persons with disabilities employing their assistants
www.zeroproject.org
Community in Austria
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
12:30h-13:45h - I2
Room: MO3
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Birgit ROTHENBERG, Mobile - Selbstbestimmtes Leben
Behinderter e.V. Dortmund: An all-round support program
Corina ZOLLE: Rhein-Main Inklusiv e.V.: Personal assistance
as an employer model
Martin MÜLLER, Institut für Sozialdienste Vorarlberg: The
model “Fundament” – Living self-reliant
Bernadette BROS-SPÄHN & Wolfgang SPÄHN, Gemeinsam
Leben - Gemeinsam Lernen e.V.: IGLU - Inclusive flat-sharing
in Ludwigshafen, Germany
Chair: Katharina MEICHENITSCH, Diakonie, Austria
Solutions from the
Global South
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
12:30h-13:45h - I3
Room: MO6
Kerry-Jo LYN, Director of Projects and Strategic
Initiatives, Digicel Foundation Jamaica: Social
enterprises financing independent living
Stanley BAWDEN, The Living Link: Creating careers
from disabilities in South Africa
Jose RAMIREZ, Jr, Disabled Peoples International:
Fighting Leprosy – the ignored disability
Video: Supporting and Implementing a National Project
to foster the Access to Health and Education for
Persons with Hearing Impairment in Papua New
Guinea
Chair: Johanna MANG, Light for the World, Austria
UNDP’s Approach to
Addressing Disability:
From Normative
Standards to
Partnership and
Programming
Marianna HARUTYUNYAN, Agency of the Ministry of
Labor and Social Affairs, Armenia: International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
12:30h-13:45h – I4
Sladjana PESIC, Ministry of Labour and Social
Services, Montenegro: Social Welfare and Child Care
System Reform - Design, plan, implementation of
community-based social services
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Andrei VOLENTIR, Central Elections Commission,
Moldova: Promotion of access for persons with
disabilities to voting stations and voting process
Anna ZAKREVSKAYA, Department for Social
Protection of the Institute of Labour, Ministry of Labour
and Social Protection, Belarus: Innovative approaches
for CRPD ratification, monitoring of changes in the lives
of persons with disabilities and the impact of social
protection interventions
Chair: Milica BEGOVIC, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), Istanbul Regional Hub, Turkey
www.zeroproject.org
13:45h-15:00h
Lunch Break
The Dynamics between
Major International
Development
Stakeholders’ Disability
Programmes,
Resources and
Respective Roles
Daniela BAS, Division for Social Policy and
Development (DSPD), UN DESA Focal Point on
Disability, USA
15:00h-16:00h - J1
Michelle FUNK, World Health Organisation (WHO),
Switzerland
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Leah MAXSON, United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), USA (will be replaced by:
Alexander PREOBRAZHENSKIY, Council of Europe,
France)
Milica BEGOVIC, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), Istanbul Regional Hub, Turkey
Chair: Frederique WIEMEIJER, Zero Project, Essl
Foundation, Austria
Women’s
Empowerment
Susan DUNN, Women's Institute on Leadership and
Disability (WILD)
Innovative Practices –
Presentations
Carol BOSCH, Cape Mental Health - Sexual Abuse
Victim Empowerment Programme in South Africa
15:00h-16:00h - J2
Chair: Rana KOTAN, Sabanci Vakfi Foundation, Turkey
Room: MO3
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
16:00h-16:15h
Break
Final Plenary: Zero
Project 2015 & 2016 –
The Way Forward
Michael FEMBEK, Essl Foundation, Austria
16:15h-17:15h – K
Room: MO1
Simultaneous translation:
English-German
Ingrid HEINDORF, World Future Council, Switzerland
Helene JARMER, Member of Parliament, Austria
Akiko ITO, Secretariat for the CRPD, UN DESA, USA
Patrick CLARKE, International Disability Alliance,
Ireland
Susan SCOTT-PARKER, International Business
Disability Forum, United Kingdom
Chair: Shuaib CHALKLEN, former UN Special
Rapporteur on Disability & Councillor of the World
Future Council, South Africa
www.zeroproject.org
Co-funded by
the PROGRESS Programme

of the European Union”

This publication has been produced with the financial support of the PROGRESS Programme of the European
Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Martin and Gerda Essl Sozialpreis
gemeinnützige Privatstiftung and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
www.zeroproject.org