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ZERO PROJECT
Explanation
The Zero Project
For many years the Essl family have carried out social activities,
especially for people with disabilities.
In the year 2007 Martin and Gerda Essl founded the Essl Foundation.
The Essl Foundation takes care of all the social activities of the Essl family.
One of these activities is the Zero Project.
The Zero Project is a new way of working
for the rights of people with disabilities all over the world.
The goal is a world with zero barriers.
The Zero Project Report
The basis for the project is the ‘Zero Project Report’.
This report shows good examples of practices or policies.
The report helps to improve the rights of people with disabilities.
A practice could be a project
or a product or a service for people with disabilities.
A policy could be a law or regulation
or a plan of action.
There have already been two reports.
The first report was about employment.
The second report was about accessibility.
There will be a new report every year.
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The Zero Project 2015
Now the Zero Project Team works on the report for the year 2015.
The new report is about:
independent living and political participation.
Independent Living
Independent living means for example:
Deciding for yourself where you want to live,
or with who you want to live,
or what you want to do in your free time.
Therefore people with disabilities need for example:
personal assistance or assistive technology.
The following list gives you an idea
about what kind of practices or policies on independent living
the Zero Project is looking for:
1. Choices and decision-making
 Equal recognition before the law
 Choice of living arrangements
 Assistance in living arrangements
2. Community-based services
 Personal assistance of services for self-care.
For example household care, mobility, leisure and community
participation and assistance for animals.
 Independent Living.
For example independent housing, community living arrangements
and housing adaptation.
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 Respite services for caregivers and persons with disabilities.
 Support in communication.
 Information and advice services
For example professional support, peer support, advocacy
and supported decision-making.
 Quality and coordination of service delivery.
3. Assistive devices
 Technical aids, information platforms, innovative devices
and ambient assistive living.
Political Participation
Political participation means for example:
voting politicians or becoming a politician.
Therefore people with disabilities need for example:
accessible voting stations or accessible information.
The following list gives you an idea
about what kind of practices or policies on political participation
the Zero Project is looking for:
1. Lifting legal and administrative barriers to political participation
 Procedures to request support and assistance in general
 Procedures in long-term institutions
 Complaint systems
 Provision of accessible information
 De-linking the right to vote from legal capacity
2. Accessibility of voting procedures, facilities and election materials
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 Data collection on accessibility of voting stations and buildings.
 Accessibility of information via TV, internet, radio, newspapers.
 Available choice of assistance.
3. Opportunities for participation in political and public life
 Involvement of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in policy
development and law making.
 Opportunities for persons with disabilities
to be elected in public office.
4. Awareness rising about the right to political participation
 Education and training projects.
 Promotion of self-advocacy-groups.
 Capacity-building among stakeholders.
5. Data collection
 Ways to collect data on political participation.
For example ways of measuring accessibility for all.
What can be nominated?
To nominate is a difficult word.
it means: to suggest.
You can nominate a practice or a policy.
The practice or policy must have already been implemented
for at least 18 months.
And the practice or policy must have an impact.
There must be facts or figures, which prove this impact.
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A practice could be for example
a project or a product or a service.
A policy could be for example a law,
a regulation or an action plan.
You can not nominate an idea
or an advertising campaign or scientific research.
Who can nominate?
Everyone can nominate a practice or policy.
You can also nominate your own practice.
But: A government, parliament or administration
can not nominate its own policy.
You have time to nominate a practice or policy until the 4th of July 2014.
Experts select which practices or policies are the best.
The experts have to follow certain rules for selection.
Rules for Selection
 The practice or policy has to be new.
 The practice or policy has to improve the situation of people with
disabilities.
 It must be easy to copy the practice or policy.
For example it must be easy to implement it in another country.
Why should you bother to nominate a practice or policy?
The Zero Poject works together with a network of experts.
Everyone who nominates a practice or policy
can become member of this network.
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The best practices and policies
are listed in the Zero Project Report
and on the Zero Project website.
In February 2015 there will be the Zero Project Conference.
Representatives of the very best practices and policies
are invited to speak at the conference.
Many decision makers come to the conference.
The decision makers are for example representatives from
the United Nations or the European Union.
How you can nominate a practice or policy?
Click on this link and
fill in the nomination form. www.zeroproject.org/downloads
The Zero Project Team will tell you whether your practice or policy has
been selected or not.
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