After more than a year of video calls and online meetings, the EPSA Steering Group finally met in person.
The meeting took place on 16-17 April 2026 in Brussels.
Steering Group
The Steering Group are self-advocates elected to lead the work of the European Platform of Self-Advocates.
Members of the Steering Group are:
- László Bercse, Hungary. Chair of the European Platform of Self-Advocates, and Vice-President of Inclusion Europe
- Oswald Föllerer, Austria. Board member of Inclusion Europe.
- Andreas Zehetner, Austria. Board member of Inclusion Europe.
- Ana Martínez, Spain.
- Ellis Jongerius, Netherlands.
Ellis Jongerious was elected to the Steering Group at the beginning of April this year.
Leading self-advocacy work ahead
The self-advocates discussed and plans some of the main work ahead:
- The General Meeting in Vicenza will be a chance for Steering Group members to present their work and lead discussions on issues that matter most to members — the right to work and equal pay, living in the community, good support, how EU funding can strengthen self-advocacy, and how to talk to politicians effectively.
- The “Hear our Voices” online sessions and Europe in Action workshops will keep the conversation going between major events.
- And the Summer School in Brussels — more on that below.
Making the work visible
The meeting had also a very honest conversations about visibility: How do you let people around Europe know about the work that the Steering Group is doing?
The self-advocates want to be more visible and to inform about their work better. Not by producing more reports, but by making the work visible in real time — simple materials that explain not just who Steering Group members are, but what they do.
The challenges of working across borders and combining different jobs
The Steering Group spans different countries, different languages, and very different everyday situations. Every member does this work alongside their regular job.
Even small tasks — sharing an update, translating information, coordinating a message — take time and effort.
The meeting also looked at how Steering Group members can be more involved in Inclusion Europe work — contributing to a gender report, helping develop a participation toolkit.
EPSA (European Platform of Self-Advocates) is part of Inclusion Europe. It brings together self-advocacy organisations and people with intellectual disabilities from across Europe.