COFACE Disability plaform – annual meeting
24-25th October 2024
Brussels, Belgium
The annual meeting of COFACE Disability took place in Brussels this year, focusing as always on the family dimension of disability rights. The meeting was hosted in the European Committee of the Regions. This year’s meeting brought together key stakeholders from the European institutions, including officials from the European Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as major EU civil society organisations.
It served as a vital forum to exchange on the key concerns about family carers in the European Union and put forward proposals on how European frameworks can support families with disabled individuals and those in need of care through robust community-based intervention models at the local and regional levels.
Key topics also discussed were EU developments around the European Union Strategy for the Rights of Persons with disabilities and the European Care Strategy, as well as the right to respite, early childhood intervention, employment, accessibility, inclusive education and more.
The COFACE Disability platform outlined its key demands, aligning with the European Charter for Family Carers. The Charter was created by COFACE Disability to address the needs of family carers regardless of the cause of the individual’s support need (impairment, age, illness, accident, etc.). It is designed as a tool for sound policy to be consulted by decision makers, EU institutions, care services providers, organisations representing persons in need of care and their families within the European Union, as well as by local and regional authorities responsible for service provision and community support.
The 2024 reviewed European Charter for Family Carers is available in English and French, and Easy-to-read in English. See here.
Presentations
1.Spotlight on new COFACE Disability members from Belgium and Georgia
Margita Kortbeek, Parents for Inclusion (Belgium)
Maia Bibileishvili, Child, Family, Society (Georgia)
2.The rights of family carers to respite
Bénédicte Kail, APF France Handicap (France)
3.Employment of persons with disabilities
Gonçalo Solla, Fundaçao Liga (Portugal)
4.Early childhood intervention
Elisabeth Lammers, UNAPEI (France)
5.Accessibility and families with disabilities
Natalia Beraza, FIAPAS (Spain)
