“Each person has unique talents. People with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities have skills and abilities that are often underestimated or not considered due to prejudices and stereotypes and who represent a precious resource for the whole community.”
That statement sums up a celebration of Anffas’ 68th anniversary this week. Anffas hosts a national online event to mark its anniversary, focused on all kinds of talents and skills and programs that people with intellectual disabilities have all over Italy.
It’s a great sign of things to come in a couple of months at the Europe in Action conference in Vicenza. There, too, we’ll have the opportunity to learn about all kinds of work being done in Italy for full rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
- We’ll learn about education and employment.
- We’ll talk about reforms in Italy to how support is provided to people with disabilities.
- We’ll see how support to decision-making works or what kind of discrimination people face (and what Anffas does about that).
And for all of that, there’ll also be a perspective from another country.
- How does France perform on education, for example?
- What reforms are being done in Lithuania or Slovenia?
- How are people with complex support needs supported to decide about their lives in Finland?
And much more, of course. Because if the previous 20 editions of Europe in Action showed us something, it’s that the events are as much about connecting with others active in the movement as they are about finding solutions to particular issues.
Those connections, that energy is what we carry back home, and what carries us in the weeks and months after. As members of the Inclusion movement, we work for full rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in every country, every city or town.
Europe in Action brings us all together for those 3 days, to have a little reprieve from the constant struggle, to meet with fellow-minded people, to be able to talk about things without having to constantly explain or justify.
Europe in Action is where we come Together for Inclusion. If you’ve been to Europe in Action before, you already know that. But if you haven’t — or if you’re wondering whether to come this year — here’s what we’d say: Come for the programme. Stay for everything else.
The sessions are valuable. But what people carry home isn’t the PowerPoint slides — it’s the conversations they had over a coffee or lunch. It’s the energy that’s harder to put on a registration form but is the exact reason people come back.
Vicenza this May. I hope to see you there.
Milan Šveřepa
Recently from Inclusion Europe
Meeting with European Commissioner Glenn Micallef to talk about inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. We talked especially about the role of culture and sports in creating opportunities for inclusion, and about young people (both people with intellectual disabilities and their siblings).
Soufiane El Amrani is nominated to represent European NGOs in the Board of the European Disability Forum. If elected, he’d be the first person with intellectual disabilities to do so.
Inclusion Europe took part in Civil Society Week at the European Economic and Social Committee.
The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care has just announced a new Coordinator and Advocacy Officer. It’s a big step in strengtening its voice for deinstitutionalisation. The EEG Coordinator and Advocacy Officer is employed by Inclusion Europe on behalf of the EEG, which is a coalition of different organisations.
More from Inclusion Europe:
- Our take: European Parliament debates accessibility
- Turning EU words into easy-to-read and understand matters
- The EU means having human rights protected – make sure it’s the case for people with intellectual disabilities
Strengthening disability rights at EU and national levels, supporting self-advocates.
Some of our 2025 work for full rights and inclusion:
- Hear Our Voices! self-advocacy events
- Representing in Brussels and beyond
- Shaping EU policy
- Supporting change in different countries
- Research and knowledge sharing
- A growing, active network
Events
Using Our Voices for Inclusive Democracy. 7–8 April 2026. People with intellectual disabilities from across Europe come together online to share experiences, ideas, and solutions for participation in society and democracy.
Training in participation and EU policy-making. 14-15 April 2026 in Brussels.
Europe in Action 2026: Together for Inclusion. 25-27 May 2026 in Vicenza, Italy.
There’s always more, so make sure to follow our channels, and let us know if we miss anything.
Get the next Belonging with Inclusion Europe newsletter in your inbox: