
Program
Europe in Action 2021: SKILLS
The theme of the event is SKILLS. How to get the skills of the people with intellectual disabilities in use in working life and society? The conference will address the employment of people with intellectual disabilities and the development of services into inclusive activities. A person with a intellectual disability can be an active and involved there where others are.
Presentations, workshops and conversations. All this and much more will take place on the conference on this year. The program of the four-day conference gives a comprehensive overview of the topic. Conference will be an opportunity to hear examples and knowledge of theme from different countries, latest trends and innovations in support for employment and inclusion.
You can follow the main stage program and participate in the workshops of your choice. All programs presented on the main stage will be interpreted and will be available on the event platform for two weeks after the end of the conference. During the conference, you can network, chat, and meet other participants in virtual coffee rooms.
TIMETABLE
All times are Finland (EEST). Find your local time.
Tuesday 8 June 11:00 – 15:00
Wednesday 9 June 10:00 – 16:30
Thursday 10 June 10:00 – 16:30
Friday 11 June 10:00 – 12:30
TUESDAY 8th June
11:00 Opening ceremony
- Risto Burman, director, Inclusion Finland KVTL
- Greeting from the patron of the conference, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services of Finland Krista Kiuru
- Grilli the band, Vimmart – Inclusive Art School
11:30 Having a job: a way to inclusion
- László Bercse, vice-president, Inclusion Europe; chair, European Platform of Self-Advocates, co-chair EFOESZ, Hungary.
12:00 Employment of people with disabilities from a human rights perspective
- Hisayo Katsui, Associate Professor of Disability Research, University of Helsinki
14:00 Workshops
- Job coaching: How to support employers to enable good jobs for people with intellectual disabilities. This session is in English.
- Visiting a place of work. This session is in English.
- How to make an impact – stories about making difference: Self-advocacy in Finland and Europe. This session is interpreted.
WEDNESDAY 9th June
10:00 A valuable and meaningful life
- Frank Martela, Philosopher, Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalto University
11:30 Developing services to support inclusion: Quality criteria for inclusion and employment as a tool for service development
- Pirjo Valtonen and Kari Vuorenpää, KVANK Committee on Work and Day services
14:00 Workshops
- Job first: employment for inclusion. This session is in English.
- Precise work ability, employer cooperation and customized work task. This session is in English.
- Pertti’s Choice Workshop. This session is in English.
- Kognitiivisen saavutettavuuden edistäjät Selkeästi meille -hankkeessa: palkkatyötä ja kansalaisvaikuttamista. This session is in Finnish.
15:00 Break
15:30 Workshops
- Public service employment for people with intellectual disabilities. This session is in English and interpreted to Finnish.
- Day services in supporting the agency and inclusion of a person in need of wide-ranging support: “Movement to My Day and Support to My Choices”. This session is in English.
- Inkluusioajattelu vapaaehtoistoiminnan perustana – kohteesta toimijaksi. This workshop is in Finnish.
THURSDAY 10th June
10:00 CRPD round table: Sheltered workshops – what purpose and future?
- Elisabeth Lammers, Unapei, France
- Fatma Wangare Haji, KAIH, Kenya
11:30 Workshops
- EnableWorks. This workshop is in English.
- When a skill meets a task: the story of an employee. This workshop is interpreted.
- Ajankohtaista työllistämisen edistämisessä. This workshop is in Finnish.
- Osuuskunnat ansiotyön mahdollistajana. This workshop is in Finnish.
14:00 Building a diverse working life, case L&T
- Jorma Mikkonen, Director of Corporate Relations and Responsibility, at Lassila & Tikanoja (SVP Public Affairs and Sustainability)
14:30 Art video, Wärjäämö
15:00 Break
15:30 Workshops
- Customised Employment: The role of Self-Determination and Person-Centered Services. This session is interpreted.
- KLAPjob. This session is in English.
- Beautiful difference: art and dance session. This session is in English.
- VVV-areena – tukea ryhmien ja yksilöiden sähköisten vuorovaikutustaitojen harjoitteluun. This session is in Finnish.
FRIDAY 11th June
10:00 Workshops
- Talking employment: Online goalsetting. This session is in English.
- How EU supports employment of people with disabilities. This session is in English.
- Teatterista voimaa vuorovaikutukseen. This session is in Finnish.
11:10 Skills and work of the future
- Perttu Pölönen, writer, futurist
12:00 Closing ceremony
- Jyrki Pinomaa, president, Inclusion Europe
- Petri Liukkonen, president, Inclusion Finland KVTL
- Me Itse ry. The Finnish Self-Advocacy Society of Persons with Learning Disabilities.
- Grilli the band, Vimmart – Inclusive Art School
*All times are based on time in Finland (EEST). Please find your local time.
** This programme will be updated. Times and speakers can change.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

László Bercse, vice-president, Inclusion Europe; chair, European Platform of Self-Advocates, co-chair EFOESZ, Hungary. Bercse’s subject in the conference is having a job: a way to inclusion.

Hisayo Katsui is an Associate Professor in Disability Studies, at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki. Katsui’s subject in the conference is disability and human rights.

Frank Martela is a philosopher and researcher whose topic at the conference is the significance of life.
Frank Martela is a docent of well-being psychology and an internationally recognized researcher of intrinsic motivation, well-being and relevance. He is a popular and energetic speaker who is considered in Finland as one of the leading experts in a more internally motivated, self-directed and meaningful life.

Perttu Pölönen is a futurist, inventor and author. Pölönen will speak on Thursday on the topic of future working life.
Perttu Pölönen is an inspiring and thought-provoking speaker who fosters optimism for the future. He talks about the challenges and the possibilities regarding future of work, information technologies, education, disruptionand ethics. Perttu has received excellent feedback on his ability to encourage his audience to think bigger.

Jorma Mikkonen is a Director of Corporate Relations and Responsibility, at Lassila & Tikanoja (SVP Public Affairs and Sustainability). Mikkonen´s topic at the conference is building a diverse working life, case Lassila & Tikanoja. Lassila & Tikanoja is a service company of circular economy. With operations in Finland and Sweden, L&T employs 8,100 people.
WORKSHOPS
Tuesday 8 June
14:00 |
How to make an impact – stories about making difference: Self-advocacy in Finland and Europe |
|
Inclusion Finland network of self-advocates shares experiences and examples of making an impact and influencing things.
A group on self-advocates and experts by experience come together to share their experiences about how they have made a difference: in their lives, in their community or in society. We welcome people from all over Europe to come to discuss and share their own experiences in this workshop. Interpretation between Finnish and English. Duration 90 minutes. |
||
14:00 |
Job coaching: How to support employers to enable good jobs for people with intellectual disabilities |
|
Katri Hänninen, development manager, Employers Service Foundation for People with an Intellectual Disability (KVPS), Simo Klem, expert of employment, FAIDD, Tomi Sillanpää, Job coach, Employers Service Foundation for People with an Intellectual Disability (KVPS), Kirsi Konola, CEO, Employers Service Foundation for People with an Intellectual Disability (KVPS), Ilkka Rantanen, expert, TE services, Jaana Salo, occupational well-being manager, Pirkanmaan osuuskauppa and Jon Fan, entrepreneur, Upbeat/East Asia Mart
This session, organized by Service Foundation for People with an Intellectual Disability (KVPS) of Finland will focus on how to best support employers job coaching enable meaningful jobs people intellectual disabilities. English |
||
14:00 |
Visiting a place of work |
|
Stefano Onnis, Museo Come un Albero, Italy
English |
Wednesday 9 June
14:00 |
Precise work ability, employer cooperation and customized work tasks |
|
Kari-Pekka Martimo, Ilmarinen insurance company, Pia Vaajakallio, Vamlas foundation, Ville Grönberg, Finnish Institute for health and welfare
In this workshop, we will discuss cooperation with employers. We talk about concepts: What does “partial work ability” tell the employer about the job seeker? What about the precise work ability? We also hear, how work assignments can be customized. English |
||
14:00 |
Job first: employment for inclusion |
|
Zuzana Thürlová, Jurta, Czechia
Zuzana takes us on a visit to support to employment, and how it is used to include people into society. Also those leaving institutions. English |
||
14:00 |
Pertti’s Choice Workshop with founders Sami Helle & Kalevi Helvetti |
|
Pertti’s Choice is an Outsider Art agency, shop & Gallery and the first social enterprise founded by people with learning disabilities. The founding members are also known for punk band Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät.
Program: Pertti’s Choice present Finnish Outsider Art and musical performances including a private view to Kalevi’s Virtual Gallery. English |
||
14:00 |
Kognitiivisen saavutettavuuden edistäjät Selkeästi meille -hankkeessa: palkkatyötä ja kansalaisvaikuttamista |
|
(Promoters of cognitive accessibility in the Clearly for Us project: paid work and civic engagement) Heikki Oksanen, Roberto Polsa, Satu Timperi, Mira Vihmo, Mikko Apell, Kehitysvammatuki 57, FinlandFinnish |
||
15:30 |
Public service employment for people with intellectual disabilities |
|
Keenan Wellar and Julie Kingstone, LiveWorkPlay, Canada, Silvia Muñoz, Project Manager at Plena inclusión, Spain
Keenan and Julie are co-leaders of LiveWorkPlay. The organization provides direct supports and services in the Ottawa area, Canada, to help the community welcome and include people with intellectual disabilities, autistic persons, and individuals with a dual diagnosis to live, work, and play as valued citizens. Keenan and Julie will talk about their recent report on making employment within the Public Service of Canada accessible and successful for people with intellectual disabilities. Silvia is project manager at Plena inclusión, where she has worked on inclusive employment, volunteering and other topics. Silvia will present Plena inclusion’s programmes supporting employment of people with intellectual disabilities in Spanish public services. English, interpreted to Finnish |
||
15:30 |
Day services in supporting the agency and inclusion of a person in need of wide-ranging support: “Movement to My Day and Support to My Choices” |
|
In the workshop, you will hear about the Inclusion Finland’s and its Malike unit´s activity “Movement to My Day, Support for My Choices”, which aims to promote the development of day time services to support inclusion.
Johanna Sakko and Mari Hakola, Inclusion Finland KVTL, Finland English |
||
15:30 |
Inkluusioajattelu vapaaehtoistoiminnan perustana – kohteesta toimijaksi. |
|
(Inclusive thinking as a basis for volunteering – from object to agent).
Miisa Sankila and Pia Björklund, Inclusion Finland KVTL, Finland Finnish |
Thursday 10 June
11:30 |
Enable Works |
|
Richard Hamer, Enable Scotland, United Kingdom
Richard is director of ENABLEWorks, an employment support programme of ENABLE Scotland. Richard will talk about how ENABLE Scotland support employment of people with intellectual disabilities with their ENABLEWorks and Breaking Barriers programmes. English |
||
11:30 |
When a skill meets a task: the story of an employee |
|
Anna Valkama, expert by experience and Anne Vuorenpää planner, Inclusion Finland KVTL, Elisa Nappa, planner at Service Foundation for People with an Intellectual Disability (KVPS)
In this workshop, you will hear an example of how a task found its doer. One example of employment path is described from their own perspectives by the employee, the job coach and the support colleague. Its duration is 90 minutes. Interpretation between English and Finnish. Duration 90 minutes. |
||
11:30 |
Osuuskunnat ansiotyön mahdollistajana |
|
Cooperatives as an enabler of gainful employment
Kari Vuorenpää, working life expert, Inclusion Finland KVTL, Valtteri Rantanen, chair of the board, Omillaan cooperative, Jyrki Vihriälä, project manager, JAMK University of Applied Sciences Finnish |
||
11:30 |
Ajankohtaista työllistämisen edistämisessä |
|
(What’s going on in promoting employment)
Patrik Tötterman, specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, Aki Tetri, project manager, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Pirjo Sjölund, head of unit, City of Vantaa, Mika Piiroinen and Ulla Peippo, Työtä-project, South Karelia Social and Health Care District (Eksote) Finnish |
||
15:30 |
Customised Employment: The role of Self-Determination and Person-Centered Services |
|
Renáta Tichá, research associate and Brian Abery, research manager; both Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, USA
Renáta and Brian both work at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. Renáta and Brian will talk about the role of self-determination and person-centered approaches in facilitating positive outcomes in customised and supported employment among people with intellectual disabilities. English. interpreted to Finnish |
||
15:30 |
Beautiful difference: art and dance session |
|
Allie Walton-Robson & Headway Arts, United Kingdom
English
|
||
15:30 |
KLAPjob |
|
15:30 |
Claus Bergman Hansen, leader of KLAPjob and Klaus Marqvertsen, KLAPjob ambassador, both LEV, Denmark
Claus and Klaus are going to talk about how KLAPjob works and how it was the job-matching process for Klaus to find his employment. English VVV-areena – tukea ryhmien ja yksilöiden sähköisten vuorovaikutustaitojen harjoitteluun.(VVV-arena – support for the training of groups and individuals in electronic interaction) Veijo Nikkanen ja the VVV-group, Inclusion Finland KVTL |
Friday 11 June
10:00 |
How EU supports employment of people with disabilities |
|
Lucie is deputy head of Disability and Inclusion Unit at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission. Lucie will talk about how the EU supports employment of people with disabilities. Especially with the EU Disability Strategy, the Social Pillar and the European Commission’s anti-discrimination campaign.
Lucie Davoine, European Commission English |
||
10:00 |
Teatterista voimaa vuorovaikutukseen |
|
(Theater as a force for interaction)
Petri Mäkipää, Anne Vuorenpää and the theatre group, Inclusion Finland KVTL Finnish |
||
10:00 |
We are talking about employment: Online-courses to support personal goalsetting among persons with Intellectual disabilities (ID) |
|
Camilla Hautamäki, Melanie Shametaj and Erica Backman Steget vidare -project, Inclusion Finland FDUV
In this workshop you will learn more about how online-courses have been carried out for the target group, persons with ID. During the pandemic, when it was impossible to facilitate face-to-face groups, Inclusion Finland/FDUV started to organize online-courses on employment issues. English |
Lisätietoja antaa/ You can ask for more information

Mari Hakola
Aluekoordinaattori
Puhelinnumero: 040 6743 631
Sähköposti: mari.hakola@tukiliitto.fi
Olen jäsenyhdistystemme käytettävissä paikallisen ja alueellisen vaikuttamisen asioissa Pirkanmaan, Satakunnan, Keski-Suomen, Etelä-Pohjanmaan, Keski-Pohjanmaan ja Pohjanmaan alueilla.

Essi Leppämäki
Suunnittelija
Puhelinnumero: 0406351440
Sähköposti: essi.leppamaki@tukiliitto.fi
Työskentelen viestinnän tehtävien parissa.