Seminar on awareness raising for persons with disabilities

13 - 14 December 2017, Copenhagen (Denmark)

The Council of Europe and the Danish Ministry for Children and Social Affairs are organising a seminar in Copenhagen, on 13-14 December 2017 to discuss awareness raising for persons with disabilities.  Held in the framework of the Danish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (November 2017 – May 2018), the seminar contributes towards the  implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities “Human Rights - a reality for all". The seminar will bring together government authorities, persons with disabilities and their representatives, service providers, non-governmental organisations and independent experts and private sector and media representatives.   

Objectives

To support member States in their efforts to build partnerships and co-operation with media, civil society organisations dealing with the rights of persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities themselves, private sector and other stakeholders to effectively raise awareness and counter prejudice and negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities. This will be done through:

  1. Exchange of experience, expertise and practical examples of effective awareness raising strategies from the member States, civil society and the employment sector
  2. Discussing challenges and difficulties in designing and implementing awareness raising strategies and strategies to overcome them
  3. Exchange of information on research, policies and strategies on awareness raising in areas under discussion: media, sports, employment and changing attitudes of children in schools
  4. Preparation of a factsheet on awareness raising based on the findings, recommendations and good practice from the seminar

 

 

Presentations

Welcome and Introduction 

Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele, Head of Equality Division, Council of Europe

Thorkild Olesen, Chairman of the Danish Disabled Persons’ Organisation

Setting the scene: Awareness raising concerning persons with disabilities

Presentation on the Council of Europe study on Awareness Raising on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Alfredo Ferrante, Chair of CAHDPH

Presentation on the Danish national strategy for awareness raising and its implementation, Anette Laigaard, Chairperson of the Danish Disability Council

Role of media in awareness raising for persons with disabilities

The media’s role in changing perceptions towards disabled people, Deborah Jamieson OBE, Office for Disability Issues, Department for Work and Pensions, United Kingdom

Role of media in awareness raising for persons with disabilities, Christina Davidsen, “Det Handicappede Talkshow,” Denmark

Role of media in awareness raising for persons with disabilities, Samantha Philips, Chief Marketing Officer Omnicom Media Group, Chair, OPEN (Omnicom People Engagement Network) ,Assistant Dean, Omnicom University, UK

Awareness raising on persons with disabilities through changing the attitudes of children in schools

Awareness raising on persons with disabilities through changing the attitudes of children in schools, Orlando Costa, National Institute for Rehabilitation, Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Portugal

Awareness raising on persons with disabilities through changing the attitudes of children in schools, Vincenzo Falabella, President of FISH (Federazione Italiana Superamento Handicap), Italy

Awareness raising through sports

Awareness raising through sports, Martha Jo Braycich, Senior Director,Community Impact Initiatives,Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia

Awareness raising through sports , Martin Nielsen, Special Olympics Denmark athlete

Awareness raising through sports, Anne Tøttrup Andersen and Søren Jul Kristensen, Parasport Denmark

Breaking down prejudices in employment for persons with disabilities

Breaking down prejudices in employment for persons with disabilities, Valerija Bužan, European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)

Examples of good practice – Morten Wulf, Fonden Unges, Denmark

Establishing supported employment to include people with intellectual disability in the ordinary labour market,Søren Laursen, “LGBT Denmark”, Denmark