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In this episode of Inclusion Europe Radio, Jeanne Nicklas-Faust, director of Lebenshilfe Germany and president of Inclusion Europe, speaks about raising her daughter Eva, who has a severe intellectual disability. Jeanne talks about how Eva’s diagnosis changed her family’s life, why naming the disability matters, and how families can support siblings. She also shares how her volunteer work grew into a career in disability rights and leadership. The conversation also explores progress in inclusive education and community living, as well as ongoing challenges such as institutionalisation, funding restrictions, and bureaucracy. As president of Inclusion Europe, Jeanne shares her vision for stronger self-advocacy, greater family involvement, and continued action for deinstitutionalisation. 00:12 Meet Jeanne Nicklas-Faust 00:58 Eva's diagnosis 03:39 Reactions of family and friends 04:27 Sibling support 06:05 From volunteer to director at Lebenshilfe 08:24 Political setbacks for inclusion in Germany and Europe 15:12 Vision for Inclusion Europe 19:57 Joint action as a source of hope 21:14 How humor strengthens community

The first Czech book on person-centred planning, and the work that inspired it. Milena Johnová has just published the first Czech-language book on person-centred planning. In this episode, she talksabout why she wrote it, what she learned in the process, and the stories behind the work — including a woman who left an institution and now lives independently with no formal support at all, and the closure of Svojšice, an institution near Prague where over 100 people moved into lives of their own choosing. The conversation also turns to a harder truth: Prague, one of the wealthiest regions in Europe, still sends people with disabilities to institutions hours away from their families. Johnová explains what's really driving the slow pace of deinstitutionalisation in the Czechia, and why she believes the answer starts with simply listening to people. In this episode: 00:00 Welcome to Prague 00:43 Why Write the Book 02:54 Roots of Segregation 04:55 Alliances for Inclusion 06:45 Services vs Community 08:38 Barbora’s Journey Home 12:28 Closing Svojšice Institution 16:54 Real Choice in Practice 18:00 Prague Removing Disabled People to Institutions 23:06 Horní Poustevna Legacy 25:04 Building New Institutions 26:37 Changing Minds and Systems 29:37 Podcast Picks and Farewell

In this episode, we talk to psychiatrist Jan Pfeiffer about mental health reform in Czechia and how this helped create a broader European deinstitutionalisation movement. As a psychiatrist Jan realised early on in his work that institutions were more harmful than helpful to the people who lived there. So, he decided to make a change. Since the 1980s he has been working to close institutions on both national and European level. When the case of a young boy who had been forced to live in a caged bed in a Czech institution became public and gained international attention J.K. Rowling got involved. As more and more countries joined the EU, Jan and J.K. Rowling decided to take the issue of institutionalisation to Brussels. Jan ended up working on this in many different countries. Key lessons include the importance of collaboration, using resources better, and keeping a clear focus on people’s needs and rights. For this, Jan helped create the European Expert Group on the transition from institutions to community-based support (EEG). Finally, Jan speaks about the impact of the mental health reform for people with intellectual disabilities, especially those with complex support needs. This episode is co-funded by the European Union. In this episode: 00:00 Introduction 03:32 Working with J.K. Rowling 06:29 Taking deinstitutionalisation to the EU level 11:34 EEG is born 15:46 Collaboration is important 22:04 Mental health reform in Czechia 28:15 Closing institutions is necessary for deinstitutionalisation 33:29 Focus on the people inside, not the buildings 39:02 People with intellectual disabilities and complex support needs in institutions

In this episode, we take you to Timișoara, Romania, to meet  Roxana Damaschin-Țecu. Roxana is an economist by education, working to support people with intellectual disabilities to get out of institutions and to have a good life included in the community. Roxana shares her journey, beginning in 2002, working closely alongside Elisabeta Moldovan, a self-advocate and survivor of institutional abuse. Roxana talks about the need for community-based support for people with disabilities, about her work with self-advocacy organisation Ceva de spus. About development of housing with UnLoc, and about a social enterprise OilRight providing jobs for people with disabilities while reducing environmental impact. She also discusses the challenges and necessary steps for deinstitutionalisation in Romania, emphasising the importance of collaborative efforts between public authorities, NGOs, and community partners. ### What's in this episode 00:00 Welcome to Inclusion Europe Radio 00:38 Introducing Roxana Damaschin 01:38 Eli's Story: A Journey of Resilience 05:22 The Self-Advocacy Organization 07:19 Creating Community-Based Support Services 11:10 Social Enterprise for Inclusion and Sustainability 14:07 Challenges and Future of Deinstitutionalisation 25:32 Housing This episode was done with co-funding by the European Union.

In this episode of Inclusion Europe Radio, Milan Šveřepa talks with Freek Spinnewijn, director of Feantsa. Feants is an organisation working to end homelessness in Europe. The conversation is about homelessness solutions, focusing on the principles of the 'Housing First' approach. Freek talks about the critical role of housing in ending homelessness, explaining that solving housing issues also helps tackle related challenges such as mental health and addiction. The discussion expands to cover EU housing strategies, the connection between homelessness and disabilities - especially in regards to deinstitutionalisation -, and the importance of pragmatism in designing social policies. ### What you'll find in the podcast 00:00 Welcome to Inclusion Europe Radio 00:35 Introducing Freek Spinnewijn and Feantsa 01:12 Understanding homelessness and housing solutions 03:34 Challenges in policy making and housing 09:34 Homelessness statistics and institutionalisation 16:54 The intersection of disability and homelessness 27:00 Advocacy and policy recommendations 34:27 Conclusion and final thoughts

In this episode of Inclusion Europe Radio, Milan talks with Theresa Shearer. Theresa is the CEO of Enable, a member of Inclusion Europe in Scotland. Theresa talks about what it means to be a good leader in NGOs and disability organisations. Theresa explains how working together with people from different areas helps make a bigger impact. She also talks about the importance of a supportive workplace culture. Theresa shares her personal leadership journey and the story behind Enable’s successful personal assistance (PA) model. She explains how organisations need to adjust their approach depending on the culture and country. They also talk about the key role of self-advocates in shaping what NGOs do. Theresa speaks about challenges for women in leadership roles, and how stories can help change laws and policies. Episode highlights: 01:40 Guest introduction: Theresa Shearer03:12 Leading NGOs and disability organisation12:58 The PA model: how it started17:15 Growing the impact of NGOs25:29 Self-advocacy in organisations43:23 Women in leadership

00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:36 Meet Nick Crosby: Background and Work 01:16 Understanding the National Development Team 03:25 Internships and Employment Opportunities 04:59 The Small Supports Program 12:04 Principles of Small Supports: Relationships and Joy 14:18 Real-Life Success Stories 15:48 Building a Supportive Workforce 18:59 Challenges and Practicalities 19:29 Starting the Support Process 21:52 In-Depth Person-Centered Planning 22:53 Transition Process and Housing Adaptations 24:02 Challenges in Securing Housing 24:48 Creative Housing Solutions 26:04 Community-Based Support and Property Investors 32:18 Financial Benefits of Community Support 38:01 Adapting Small Supports Across Europe 44:17 Empowering Local Champions

00:00 Welcome to Inclusion Europe Radio 00:29 Meet Peter Frelin: Disability Debrief 01:12 The Accidental Journalist 01:55 Disability Debrief: A Global Perspective 03:00 Challenges and Insights in Disability Reporting 09:24 Navigating Social Media and Community Building 14:38 The Importance of Storytelling in Advocacy 20:38 Shifting the Conversation: Advocacy on Our Terms 21:52 Challenges of Justifying Disability Worth 22:43 Employment Issues and Proving Capability 23:53 Breaking Segregation and Institutionalisation 26:02 Government Policies and Disability Rights 26:16 Global Regression in Disability Support 28:10 The Role of Disability Organisations 31:13 Funding and Sustainability Challenges 37:28 Innovative Representation and Advocacy 40:00 Concluding Thoughts and Future Conversations

The current director of Inclusion International talks about disability rights advocacy and her future role in Disability Rights Fund. Key points discussed include the importance of self-advocacy, the progress in topics such as deinstitutionalisation and inclusive education, and the need for practical tools for policy advocacy. The discussion also highlights the shift from simple awareness to active engagement and implementation of policies. The episode further explores the significance of plain language for broader participation and the evolving leadership within the disability movement. The executive director also talks about their upcoming role with the Disability Rights Fund and its objectives. Finally, they discuss the plans and expectations for the upcoming World Congress of Inclusion International. 00:00 Introduction and welcome 00:13 Global Disability Summit insights 01:50 Challenges and achievements in advocacy 02:33 The Role of self-advocates 05:25 Future directions and leadership 12:40 Importance of clear communication 14:32 Ongoing Issues and future challenges 19:15 Development challenges and knowledge sharing 20:10 Advocacy and practical solutions 21:04 Inclusive education and government criticism 23:33 Simplifying communication and expertise 26:03 Future leadership and network investment 30:44 New role and disability rights fund 33:37 World Congress and future Plans

Hanna Solovei, Raisa Kravchenko and Olena Tsarenko are representatives of Ukrainian people with intellectual disabilities and their families. They visited Brussels to present the situation in their country, discuss how it needs to be improved, and to learn about the work being done in other countries.

00:37 Sue Swenson's Journey: From Mother to Advocate 01:25 The Kennedy Fellowship and Legislative Impact 04:04 Challenges and Triumphs in Advocacy 08:37 The Role of Family and Personal Growth 12:28 Empowering Self-Advocates and Building Community 15:59 Personal Stories and Reflections 20:13 Charlie's Influence and Legacy 24:04 A High School Theater Journey 25:51 Charlie's Impact on Education 27:23 Inclusion and Social Norms 28:41 The Importance of Plain Language 29:34 Democracy and Disability Advocacy 30:49 The Role of Representative Organizations 32:32 The Power of Grassroots Movements 33:52 The Developmental Disabilities Act 39:51 Deinstitutionalization and Education 44:03 Global Perspectives and Personal Stories 47:38 Final Thoughts and Reflections

[00:01:40] - What are the Inclusion indicators? [00:05:03] - Key findings [00:10:15] - Challenges in data collection