©Pepo Schuster, austrofocus.at
Vienna 24th February 2020.
The second global Zero Project call for nominations on the topic of education for people with disabilities resulted in 468 nominations from 106 countries. The most innovative submissions were presented at the 9th Zero Project Conference which took place from 19th to 21st February 2020. More than 800 people from over 80 countries took part at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, to discuss, exhibit and present models that support inclusive Education.
Over 30 conference sessions discussed inclusive education
Throughout the three days, more than 30 sessions, including presentations of innovations and specialised forums, discussed the many sub-themes of inclusive education. All sessions were recorded and will be shared on the Zero Project YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
Over 80 projects collected their awards
More than 80 Awardees were in Vienna in person to collect their award from Martin Essl at the dedicated award evening and gave their backstage comments to the waiting camera crews.
The videos were online on the Zero Project Facebook page within 24 hours of the ceremony and have been watched more than 60,000 times!
Parliament
Kicking off the Zero Project Conference activities, five winners of the Zero Project Award had the opportunity on Tuesday to present their initiatives at the Austrian Parliament, a joint event organised by the President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, the Essl Foundation and the Sinnbildungsstiftung on the topic of education, inclusion and digitalisation.
Zero Project Impact Transfer
This year for the third time, alongside our partners Fundación Descúbreme and Ashoka, we ran the Zero Project-Impact Transfer programme. Ten projects from nine countries are participating in this 6-month programme, consisting of training, mentoring and networking support to help them prepare to replicate their innovations in other countries and contexts. You can find out more about this year’s participants at http://impact-transfer.org/zero-project/
Youth Participation
For the first time the Zero Project officially introduced youth participation to the conference. Over the course of three days,12 youth advocates joined us on stage at the award ceremony and also played an integral part in our social media activities. In addition to that, the youth advocates discussed best practices and shared concepts, experiences and tools that have worked to increase Inclusive Education.
Africa Forum, Start-Up Forum, ITU Forum and much more…
Among many other exciting sessions during the 3-day conference was the Africa Forum, which presented several successful inclusive education initiatives working in sub-Saharan Africa and discussed the challenges and opportunities for scaling and replicating these.
At the Start-Up Forum, one of the fast-paced sessions on Thursday, entrepreneurs pitched their technological solutions to a panel of experts from the corporate and impact investment world, who then provided thorough questioning and constructive feedback.
The ITU Forum’s interactive panel discussion explored the factors needed to build an ecosystem supporting innovative ICT accessibility solutions and the challenges and opportunities facing accessible ICT solutions.
Performances, Movies, Yoga, Light for the World/Bank Austria
Inclusive dance performances, an inclusive sunrise yoga session and a short movie provided diverse entertainment for the conference participants.
On Friday evening, everyone who still had energy left was invited to enjoy the closing event, a presentation of the HerAbilities Awardees, hosted by Light for the World together with the Zero Project and supported by UniCredit Bank Austria.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks while we bring you all the best bits from the Conference, with clips, photos and sessions soon to be available online!
For further information, please contact:
Michael Fembek
Zero Project, Director
Essl Foundation
m.fembek@zeroproject.org
45 MEPs demand that Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative must fund support services for persons with disabilities
45 MEPs have demanded the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative to secure funding for support and care services for people with disabilities.
The letter is addressed to European Commission President Von der Leyen and EU Council President Michel and calls attention to the alarming lack of funding for services that provide care and support for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, it underlines that most organisations have adapted and continue to provide services but face a lack of access to needed funding, due to non-flexible contracts with authorities and delayed funding calls.
For more information please visit the following links:
EASPD – European Association of Service providers for persons with disabilities: https://tinyurl.com/unsee5c
EDF – European Disability Forum https://tinyurl.com/ulpqfkl
Share your publications, webinars and announcements!
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down, in the past couple of weeks, with still challenging times ahead. To ensure that no one is left behind during this difficult time, we think it is important to share information and measurements in order to support the disability community accordingly.
Therefore, a call to our Zero Project network: In the following weeks, we would like to encourage you to share new publications, declarations, public webinars or announcements about (online-) meetings and conferences with us and send it to Seema Mundackal at s.mundackal@zeroproject.org.
We are happy to share and spread the word!
#ZeroProject #StayHealthy #StaySafe
IDA launches IDA COVID-19 webpage with recommendations towards a Disability-Inclusive COVID19 Response
In the light of the COVID19 pandemic and with the aim to support a disability-inclusive response to the crisis, the International Disability Alliance (IDA) has launched the IDA COVID-19 webpage to share the most recent updates and resources as they become available.
The IDA COVID-19 webpage includes key recommendations towards a Disability-Inclusive COVID19 Response as well a compilation of useful resources related to COVID-19 and the disability movement.
If you have any updates on how COVID 19 is affecting persons with disabilities in your area of work or want to share any good practices, send in your resources by contacting IDA inclusive humanitarian adviser, Ms Elham Youssefian via emailing eyoussefian@ida-secretariat.org
Stay safe and healthy!
Hello from the Zero Project!
After a successful #ZeroCon20 we have been very busy with our wrap up. In the coming weeks, you will find a lot of new information on all our social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Check out especially our YouTube channel where you find the whole #ZeroCon20 that you can now watch session by session. Like most of you, we are finding ourselves in a complete new work environment, mostly working from home, and are staying connected with tools like Zoom – greetings from all of us!
We have already kick-started our new research cycle and are focusing on our next Call for Nominations on Employment – which will be announced mid-May as usual, and are preparing a whole lot of exciting new additions to the Zero Project in the next few months!
Stay tuned for more news and more importantly: stay home and be safe!
Your Zero Project Team
Impressionen von der Parlamentsveranstaltung Bildung- Inklusion – Digitalisierung
© Parlamentsdirektion/Thomas Topf
Im Vorfeld der Zero Project Konferenz 2020 fand am Dienstag, 18. Februar 2020, die parlamentarische Veranstaltung : Bildung – Inklusion – Digitalisierung auf Initiative des Nationalratspräsidenten Wolfgang Sobotka, der Essl Foundation und der Sinnbildungsstifter statt. Über 200 TeilnehmerInnen diskutierten technische Innovationen, wie Livox, Orcam, Sonokids, Speechgear und das Projekt Inklusive Bildung.
Hier geht’s zum Highlight Video!
Hier geht’s zu den Fotos der Veranstaltung!
This was the Zero Project Conference 2020!
©Pepo Schuster, austrofocus.at
Vienna 24th February 2020.
The second global Zero Project call for nominations on the topic of education for people with disabilities resulted in 468 nominations from 106 countries. The most innovative submissions were presented at the 9th Zero Project Conference which took place from 19th to 21st February 2020. More than 800 people from over 80 countries took part at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, to discuss, exhibit and present models that support inclusive Education.
Over 30 conference sessions discussed inclusive education
Throughout the three days, more than 30 sessions, including presentations of innovations and specialised forums, discussed the many sub-themes of inclusive education. All sessions were recorded and will be shared on the Zero Project YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
Over 80 projects collected their awards
More than 80 Awardees were in Vienna in person to collect their award from Martin Essl at the dedicated award evening and gave their backstage comments to the waiting camera crews.
The videos were online on the Zero Project Facebook page within 24 hours of the ceremony and have been watched more than 60,000 times!
Parliament
Kicking off the Zero Project Conference activities, five winners of the Zero Project Award had the opportunity on Tuesday to present their initiatives at the Austrian Parliament, a joint event organised by the President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, the Essl Foundation and the Sinnbildungsstiftung on the topic of education, inclusion and digitalisation.
Zero Project Impact Transfer
This year for the third time, alongside our partners Fundación Descúbreme and Ashoka, we ran the Zero Project-Impact Transfer programme. Ten projects from nine countries are participating in this 6-month programme, consisting of training, mentoring and networking support to help them prepare to replicate their innovations in other countries and contexts. You can find out more about this year’s participants at http://impact-transfer.org/zero-project/
Youth Participation
For the first time the Zero Project officially introduced youth participation to the conference. Over the course of three days,12 youth advocates joined us on stage at the award ceremony and also played an integral part in our social media activities. In addition to that, the youth advocates discussed best practices and shared concepts, experiences and tools that have worked to increase Inclusive Education.
Africa Forum, Start-Up Forum, ITU Forum and much more…
Among many other exciting sessions during the 3-day conference was the Africa Forum, which presented several successful inclusive education initiatives working in sub-Saharan Africa and discussed the challenges and opportunities for scaling and replicating these.
At the Start-Up Forum, one of the fast-paced sessions on Thursday, entrepreneurs pitched their technological solutions to a panel of experts from the corporate and impact investment world, who then provided thorough questioning and constructive feedback.
The ITU Forum’s interactive panel discussion explored the factors needed to build an ecosystem supporting innovative ICT accessibility solutions and the challenges and opportunities facing accessible ICT solutions.
Performances, Movies, Yoga, Light for the World/Bank Austria
Inclusive dance performances, an inclusive sunrise yoga session and a short movie provided diverse entertainment for the conference participants.
On Friday evening, everyone who still had energy left was invited to enjoy the closing event, a presentation of the HerAbilities Awardees, hosted by Light for the World together with the Zero Project and supported by UniCredit Bank Austria.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks while we bring you all the best bits from the Conference, with clips, photos and sessions soon to be available online!
For further information, please contact:
Michael Fembek
Zero Project, Director
Essl Foundation
m.fembek@zeroproject.org
ANNOUNCING THE ZERO PROJECT REPORT 2020!
We are proud to introduce to you the Zero Project Report 2020!
After more than 9 months of extensive research, analysis and reporting, we are delighted to bring you our latest annual report, on this year’s topic Education.
Inside this report, you will find factsheets of the 75 Innovative Practices, and 11 Innovative Policies from 56 countries that support inclusive education solutions for persons with disabilities, along with personalised life stories from many of the projects. The report also introduces 10 new participants of the Zero Project Impact Transfer, in association with Ashoka, where projects are prepared for replication around the world, plus a section on the legal indicators by the WORLD Policy Analysis Center.
The report also includes a summary in easy language.
All the themes, topics and projects within this report will be discussed during the Zero Project Conference from 19th to 21st February 2020 at the United Nations in Vienna. You can watch the action from the Conference on the Zero Project website.
Enjoy!
The Kessler Foundation’s 2020 Signature Employment Grant Cycle is Open!
The Signature Employment Grants support innovative solutions with potential for public or private replication.
The 2020 grant requests for proposals with a special interest in projects that address the intersection of race, class, gender, disability and poverty within the framework of helping individuals with disabilities obtain employment or re-enter the job market following injury.
Partnerships across sectors, such as public/private collaborations with economic development organizations, banks and municipalities are, particularly of interest.
So, if you are interested click here for more information and apply until February 14th, 2020!
The Zero Project Innovative Practices and Policies 2020 factsheets are online!
We are thrilled to announce that the factsheets of our Zero Project Innovative Practices and Policies 2020 are online now!
We present you with factsheets from 75 Innovative Practices and 11 Innovative Policies from 56 countries that support persons with disabilities on our 2020 topic of education.
These projects cover a range of topics including, assistive technology in schools and universities, inclusive education systems in low and middle-income countries, early childhood and pre-school programmes, legal and rights-based approaches to inclusive education, inclusive education programmes in museums and cultural institutions and many, many more.
Again, huge congratulations to every single one of these incredible organisations. We’re immensely honoured to be able to promote your amazing work!
Last chance to nominate your promising practice for EASPD and LADAPT’s 2020 Employment for All Award!
The 2020 Employment for All Award aims to promote strategies that facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities on the open labour market; provide them with equal opportunities to access gainful employment and enable them to gain greater control over their independence in terms of employment and financial stability.
For this, 10 promising practices will be selected and published in the 2020 Employment for All Booklet before inviting 6 nominees to EASPD and LADAPT’s “Road to Employment for Persons with Disabilities” Conference in Paris on 4th-5th May 2020, where they will be given the opportunity to present their system, model, scheme to over 250 conference participants. Two winners of the Employment for All Award will be announced during the conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to apply until the 17th of January 2020
Find out more about the award and the application process on the 2020 Employment for All Awards Application Form