Programme
Conference Language: The language of the conference will be English with interpretation into Greek.
Real-time captioning will be available.
Conference Venue: Royal Olympic Hotel, Athanasiou Diakou 28, Athens 117 43, Greece
Please note that this is a preliminary conference programme and changes may still be made.
Wednesday 16 October, 2024
| 14:00 - 16:00 | COM-IN Closing Conference: Enhancing communication skills for children and adolescents with intellectual developmental difficulties Room: Conference Room 3 |
Thursday 17 October, 2024
| 08:00 - 08:45 | Registrations |
08:45 - 09:30 | Welcoming Remarks Room: Olympia Hall
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| 09:30 - 10:00 | Keynote Discussion Room: Olympia Hall Moderator: Konstantina Leventi, EASPD
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10:15 - 11:15 | Panel 1: What do businesses need to do to be more inclusive? Room: Olympia Hall This panel discussion will explore the essential strategies and actions businesses must adopt to create a more inclusive environment for employees with disabilities. It will also examine how support services collaborate with companies and support in creating more inclusive employment opportunities. By sharing best practices, the panel aims to provide actionable insights that businesses can use to advance their inclusivity efforts and contribute to a more equitable workforce. Moderator: Kamil Goungor, ENIL
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| 11:15 - 11:45 | Coffee Break |
11:45 - 13:00 | Panel 2: What support do persons with disabilities need to work on the open labour market? Room: Olympia Hall This panel discussion will explore how different models can support persons with different disabilities to access open labour market opportunities. By examining promising practices from Malta, Sweden and Greece, the session aims to highlight the multifaceted approach needed to ensure that persons with disabilities can access and sustain meaningful employment. Moderator: Antonio Garcia, Fundación Espurna, Spain
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| 12:45 - 14:15 | Lunch Break |
| 14:15 - 15:30 | Workshops: 1) Accessing and retaining employment in the open labour market Room: Conference ground This workshop will address comprehensive strategies for facilitating the successful entry and retention of persons with disabilities in the open labour market. The focus will be on both preparatory measures and support to retain employment in the open labour market. Moderator: Sydney Von Ihering, EASPD
2) Strengthening capacities of public employment and integration services Room: Olympia Hall This workshop will explore the crucial role of Public Employment Services (PES) in facilitating the employment and integration of persons with disabilities into the open labour market. The discussion will focus on how PES can collaborate effectively with social services to provide comprehensive support that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by persons with disabilities. This session will also present and discuss the Disability Employment Package and specifically the 1st initiative on Strengthening capacities on employment and integration services. Moderator: Rachel Vaughan, EASPD
Captioning and simultaneous interpretation in Greek will be provided during this workshop. 3) Ensuring reasonable accommodation at work Room: Conference 1A This workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of strategies to implement reasonable accommodations in the workplace, drawing on the European Commission’s initiative on Ensuring Reasonable Accommodations at work from the Disability Employment Package. Participants will explore the five core methods highlighted in this initiative, with sessions dedicated to practical solutions such as assistive technologies and job coaches as essential facilitators of accessibility. Further discussions will cover inclusive workspace design, emphasising the balance between accessibility and usability. The workshop will also delve into specific accommodations tailored to autistic sensory profiles. Moderator: Carmen Hilario, EASPD
4) Boosting hiring and combating stereotypes Room: Conference 2A This workshop will focus on effective strategies and positive actions that businesses can take to increase the hiring of persons with disabilities and dismantle persistent stereotypes. Participants will explore initiatives that have effectively supported integrating persons with disabilities in the open labour market. This session will also present and discuss the Disability Employment Package and specifically the 2nd initiative on Positive actions to encourage the hiring of persons with disabilities and combating stereotypes. Moderator: Lilith Alink, EASPD
5) Sustaining employment through vocational rehabilitation schemes Room: Abbey Hall This workshop will examine the role of vocational rehabilitation schemes in sustaining employment for persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on those that acquired a disability by accidents and chronic diseases later in life. It will also focus on key barriers to Vocational Rehabilitation schemes and share innovative practices. This session will also present and discuss the Disability Employment Package and specifically the 4th initiative and on the Manual for managing chronic diseases and the 5th on Securing vocational rehabilitation schemes in case of sickness or accidents. Moderator: Laura Jones, Independent Consultant
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| 15:30 | End of Day 1 |
| 19:30 | Conference Dinner Athens Armed Forces Officers Club Rigillis 1, Athina 106 75, Greece Please be advised that the dress code is formal or cocktail attire. This excludes casual clothes such as T-shirts, shorts, jeans, trainers, flip-flops, and casual shoes. |
Friday 18 October, 2024
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Morning Huddle Room: Olympia Hall Moderator: Timothy Ghilain, EASPD
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09:50 - 11:00 | Workshops on Enabling Legal Frameworks 6) Leveraging state aid to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities Room: Conference Ground This workshop will explore how state aid can be effectively used to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The session will delve into various forms of state aid, including subsidies, funding programs, and how these resources can be harnessed to support the hiring, training, and retention of employees with disabilities. Moderator: Irene Bertana, EASPD
7) Creating jobs: the role of public procurement Room: Conference 1A This workshop will focus on the significant role that public procurement plays in creating employment opportunities, particularly for persons with disabilities. We will examine initiatives, discuss legal and policy frameworks that support the integration of persons with disabilities into the open labour market through public contracts. Moderator: Miguel Buitrago, EASPD
8) Enabling Vocational Education and Training for open labour market employment Room: Conference 2A This workshop will explore the crucial role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in equipping persons with disabilities with practical skills and targeted training for successful employment in the open labour market. VET systems play a vital role in bridging the gap between education and employment. The session will feature experts and showcase successful examples from Switzerland and Austria, highlighting the opportunities that VET offers in advancing the employability and skillsets of persons with disabilities. Additionally, the workshop will address the challenges faced by VET systems. Moderator: Tavishi Rekhi, EASPD
9) Supported employment legislation and promising practices Room: Abbey Hall The workshop will explore the supported employment model, which has been recognised in Europe for many years. While some countries have established a legislative framework for it, others have not. The supported employment approach receives less attention and resources, despite being evidence-based and contributing to the full implementation of the right to work in line with the UNCRPD and the SDGs for inclusive work for people with disabilities. The workshop will also demonstrate how a supported employment organisation can showcase its quality of work using the Supported Employment Quality Framework as a quality assessment tool. This evaluation helps identify growth and development opportunities for your organisation.
10) Navigating the Greek Legal System: Current State of Affairs Room: Olympia Hall This workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Greek legal system, focusing on recent developments, reforms, and ongoing challenges relevant to open labour market employment for persons with disabilities. Moderator: Christalena Kattami, the NET
Captioning and simultaneous interpretation in Greek will be provided during this workshop. |
11:00 - 11:30 | Coffee Break |
| 11:30 - 13:00 | Innovative approaches & practical tools for delivering Open Labour Market approaches for different target groups Workshops 11) How to best support people with autism and intellectual disabilities? Room: Olympia Hall This workshop will focus on strategies to integrate people with autism and intellectual disabilities into the open labour market. It will focus on tailored communication strategies, structured work environments, and supportive employment. Moderator: Orazio Fiorini, EASPD
Captioning and simultaneous interpretation in Greek will be provided during this workshop. 12) How to best support people with visual and sensory disabilities? Room: Abbey Hall This workshop will explore innovative strategies for integrating individuals with visual and sensory disabilities into the open labor market, focusing on workplace adaptations and assistive technologies. It will cover supportive policies and practices, with a particular emphasis on raising employer’s awareness and fostering collaboration between businesses, service providers, and stakeholders. An interactive activity featuring case studies will provide participants with practical insights on creating inclusive work environments and utilising assistive technologies to offer equal employment opportunities for individuals with visual and sensory impairments. Moderator: Fabrizio Fea, Board Member of EASPD
13) Boosting skills for work integration - B-WISE project Room: Conference 1A This workshop will present the B-WISE project, which equips WISEs with tools and strategies building essential skills and fostering sustainable employment pathways for persons with disabilities. Through presentations from key experts and sharing of good practices from Greece, we will illustrate how WISEs and supported employment can play a transformative role in bridging the gap between social inclusion and the open labour market. Moderator: Margo Liatira, Ev Zin
14) Mental health and emotional wellbeing in the workplace Room: Conference 2A In this workshop we will delve into the critical issue of mental health and emotional well-being in the workplace, exploring how businesses and support services can create environments that prioritise psychological safety and support. This session will highlight strategies for promoting mental health inclusivity and the role of organisational culture in fostering emotional well-being. Experts will share insights on identifying and addressing mental health challenges within the workforce, providing reasonable accommodations for people with mental health problems and the importance of proactive support systems, such as open communication channels. Moderator: Ivana Davidovska, EASPD
15) What does Research show as the key factors in opening up the labour market? Room: Conference Ground This workshop will explore research-based insights into the key factors that unlock employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Practical strategies will be shared, focusing on developing a comprehensive DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) Index, designed to help organisations evaluate and improve their inclusive practices and on the crucial role of digital skills, workplace accommodations, and technological assistance in enabling persons with disabilities to thrive in the open labour market. By examining these elements, the session aims to provide organisations, policymakers, and service providers with actionable recommendations to foster a more inclusive and accessible workforce. Moderator: Kalianne Farren, EASPD
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| 13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch Break |
| 14:00 - 15:10 | Panel 3: Moving Forward: How to create jobs on the open labour market? Room: Olympia Hall This panel session will address how EASPD and stakeholders can work together to implement systematic change to create open labour market opportunities for persons with disabilities. Moderator: Thomas Bignal, EASPD
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| 15:10 - 15:30 | Concluding Remarks Room: Olympia Hall
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15:30 | End of Day 2 |