109 participants, most of them self-advocates from across Europe, met online to talk about their rights, self-advocacy, and a shared their vision for inclusive Europe.
Self-advocates from Austria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, and Spain attended the meeting on 9 and 10 April 2025.
“We talked about our rights and our voices were heard,” one participant said.
Presentations and discussions
The meeting started with presentations by self-advocates:
- Connecting with others: European Platform of Self-Advocates with Ana Martínez and Laszlo Bercse
- Political participation with Mar Galcerán
- Creating National Self-Advocates Platforms by Ana Martinez
- Living on my own by Elisabeta Moldova
After the presentations, participants joined sessions based on their language. In these sessions, participants talked about their experiences with self-advocacy and promoting inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in their countries.
The second day started with self-advocates’ presentations again:
- Self-advocacy in Greece
- Representing others like me – Tamara Byrne
- Being a Board member / Hear our Voices – László Bercse
- Going to the University with the support of non-disabled students with Albino Silva and Ana Isabel Pereira
- Breaking Barriers – Matthew Gallery
At the end of the two-day program, all participants came back together to say what they think of the meeting, and what their impressions are.
What presenters said
Mar Galcerán, the first Spanish regional parliamentarian with Down Syndrome, shared her story via a video message.
She talked about how much effort she needed to achieve her goals and how her parents supported her, concluding: “People with disabilities can hold positions in government.”
On this point, self-advocates discussed the importance of participating in politics to make sure the voices of people with intellectual disabilities are heard. While many noted a lack of elected politicians with intellectual disabilities in their countries, others expressed hope and motivation to push for change. Some shared personal examples of facing discrimination, such as being denied positions due to language barriers or lack of academic qualifications, pointing to the need for more accessible and inclusive systems.
“Mar Galcerán is the first woman who told me about her experience, how she got to be in a position and achieved this. I really identified with her story.” – participant from Greece said
Tamara Byrne (Member of EDF Youth Committee) and László Bercse (chair of the European Platform of Self-Advocates) spoke about what it means to represent others and to serve on decision-making bodies.
They emphasized the need for support, both financial and practical, to fully participate in meetings and boards. This includes access to easy-to-read materials, enough time to prepare, and ensuring that supporters can attend too.
Ana Martínez talked about the Platform of Representatives in Spain, which advocates for the rights of over 400,000 people with intellectual disabilities.
Elisabeta Moldovan shared her experience accessing appropriate housing and financial support.
“I grew up for 25 years in different institutions. When I was 25 years old, I decided that I have to run away. Today, I’ve been a speaker in three places before this one, where I had to speak about my life, for children or for adults in companies.”
Other participants also shared a wide range of different situations, from staying with family to living alone or in shared houses. The conversations highlighted that independence does not mean being alone but rather having the freedom to choose where and how to live with the right support in place.
Participants also raised concerns about systemic barriers, such as the assumption that people who lack support or confidence should be placed in institutions. They discussed the importance of alternative solutions that respect individual rights and dignity. Other challenges included low pay for people working in sheltered workshops and limited job opportunities.
“I would like to talk more about rights, because we can’t always say what we want.” – participant from Greece said
Albino Silva and Ana Isabel Pereira shared their experience with the peer-to-peer project at the Faculty of Psychology in Lisbon.
This program pairs people with intellectual disabilities with university students to develop job-seeking skills, such as writing CVs, preparing for interviews, and identifying strengths. They emphasized that inclusive education benefits everyone and helps bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities.
Matthew Gallery shared his journey through the Breaking Barriers programme, a collaboration between Enable Scotland and Strathclyde University.
With support from Enable, Matthew completed a university-based course and a work placement in the energy sector. This experience helped him develop technical and interpersonal skills, which led to paid jobs. Matthew noted how critical tailored support was in overcoming his barriers, and how programs like Breaking Barriers create opportunities for career growth.
“I was supported on the course from Lewis and Enable from start to finish… I was finally accepted for a paid job, which I was extremely happy about.”
About the meeting
The two-day meeting of self-advocates is part of our work to support self-advocacy and participation of people with intellectual disabilities in public affairs. The project, called UNITY, is funded by the European Union. Activities takes place in Austria, Slovenia, and in other countries across the EU.
Big thank you to all presenters, participants, and everyone who supported them and made this meeting possible.
Read more:
Representation matters – Europe for us
Self-advocates meet for better political and social participation in Slovakia