EASPD-konferenssi Helsingissä 3-4.6.

Lehdistötiedote:

EASPD’s Conference
“What About Me? –Including the Most Excluded”
The rights of persons with profound disabilities on the agenda

Helsinki, FINLAND June 3rd – 4th, 2010

On 3rd June, EASPD’s annual Conference will kick-off in Helsinki, Finland and will address the theme of the quality of life of persons with profound disabilities and their integration into society.
Experts on disability related issues and representatives of persons with disabilities from all over Europe, representatives from the European institutions (European Commission and European Parliament), members of the Finnish Government and important international personalities will debate on the major challenges that persons with profound disabilities face today.

The topics of assistive technology, legal capacity, personal budgeting, models of active support, alternative ways of communication and the perspective of the staff working with persons with profound disabilities will be, amongst others, at the centre of the Conference’ sessions and workshops.

“People with profound disabilities and high dependency needs are one of the most excluded groups of citizens in the European Union. Due to the fact there are not enough high standard services, they often have to spend their lives in large institutions instead of enjoying inclusion into society. With this conference we aim at raising awareness of this complex type of discrimination and to improve the quality of life of this group of people by giving them a real choice when choosing the life they would like to live.” Luk Zelderloo, Secretary General of EASPD, said.

Ádám Kósa, President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Disability and Paula Risikko, Finland’s Minister of Health and Social Services will be among the keynote speakers during the opening session of the Conference, which is organised in conjunction with NVC, Service Foundation for Persons with Intellectual Disability, FAIDD and the Finnish Network on Intellectual Disability.

At the end of the conference, EASPD will present a set of recommendations to the incoming Belgian Presidency, the European Parliament and the European Commission.