Activism Against Ableism - Fostering political participation and activism of differently abled young citizens

<< Background >>The project aimed to support young European citizens with disabilities in promoting their social and political participation on issues related to disability and ableism through activism. It sought to raise social awareness and empower differently abled individuals to voice their needs and influence policymaking. In the EU, 87 million people were estimated to have some form of disability, with only 50.8% employed, 28.4% at risk of poverty, and 52% feeling discriminated against. Disabilities remained linked to poverty and social exclusion. To promote inclusion, the EU adopted the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, aiming to ensure equal opportunities, access, and participation for all. The project emphasized the active engagement and empowerment of these communities to foster equal participation. It was inspired by critical participatory action research methodologies, which involve target groups in transforming their practices and experiences. The main focus was on empowering young people with disabilities and youth workers to challenge ableism and contribute to policymaking.<< Objectives >>This project aimed to develop intervention methodologies and strategies to promote the political participation of differently abled citizens, collaboratively created with them. Inspired by Martin-Baró (1986/2006) and Freire (1979), partners worked alongside people with disabilities, considering the socio-political factors influencing their personal experiences to drive social change. The specific aims were:1. To raise awareness of the link between personal experiences of exclusion and broader socio-political structures. A European network (WP 2) of institutions supporting differently abled citizens was established to involve them in the project and promote awareness among youth and institutions.2. To develop strategies for political advocacy and participation. An international working group (WP 3), including 2 differently abled citizens and 1 researcher from each partner organization, was created to develop a methodology for promoting political participation.3. To empower participants for democratic engagement, fostering activism and advocacy groups. The project disseminated its results through resources for youth workers (WP 4), a policy paper (WP 5), and public events, aligned with the EU's Youth Strategy from 2022.<< Implementation >>The AAA project proposed a wide range of activities that were implemented throughout the 24-month project lifecycle. The PROJECT RESULTS included: The establishment of a project-based European network and national ecosystems (WP2), a methodology to promote the political participation of young citizens with disabilities (WP3), a handbook and training program (WP4) and a strategy paper for relevant stakeholders at local, regional, national, EU and international level (WP5)LEARNING, TEACHING, TRAINING ACTIVITIES: differently abled young people participated in an international working group and the first LTTA, while youth workers of differently abled young people participated in the second LTTA.MULTIPLIER EVENTS: Target groups, youth workers, relevant organisations, and stakeholders participated in multiplier events in all six partner countries.FINAL CONFERENCE: With relevant stakeholders like researchers and academics, policymakers, civil society organisations, and advocacy organisations in Germany<< Results >>Key actions to achieve the project results included: The establishment of a project-based European network and national ecosystems (WP2): guidelines for the establishment of European network and National ecosystems with organisations and members of relevant stakeholders, 7 welcoming events.A methodology to promote the political participation of young citizens with disabilities (WP3): The guidelines for the methodology were drawn up in an international working group and developed by the group in three sessions. The most important result is the final report, which summarizes the methodology developed by the international working group.A handbook and training program (WP4): The handbook “Activism against ableism” for youth workers was produced and translated into all partner languages. Also, an “In-Service Training Programme” was developed and all materials and resources developed for it were translated into all partner languages.Strategy paper for relevant stakeholders at local, regional, national, EU and international level (WP5): The strategy paper contains the most important conclusions for policy and practice with regard to the social, professional and political inclusion of people with disabilities.