The EFC Orpheus Programme has teamed up with EFC member Fundación ONCE for promoting synergies between funders supporting training and employment , and those supporting people with disabilities in order to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and good practice; networking between foundations, corporates and public authorities; and to mobilise people for further action.
Objectives
The project aims to:
- Raise awareness
- Mobilise funders and public authorities
- Network foundations, corporates and public authorities
- Promote synergies
- Strengthen the exchange of knowledge and good practice
Programme development
The project has been designed in two phases. The first phase focused on information gathering and analysis, mapping funding in the field, identifying cases of best practice, and convening funders for sharing knowledge and experience.
The three major results of this phase were the following:
The publication of the directory “Funding for Vocational Training and Employment for People with Disabilities in Europe”, which includes a sample of 105 profiles of foundations and corporate funders active in the fields of disabilities and/or employment.
> more information
The associated “Guidelines for Good Practice”, which describe broad categories of guidelines for good grantmaking practice for independent funders in the area of vocational training and employment for people with disabilities.
> more information
A Eurobriefing on Vocational Training and Employment for People with Disabilities on January 23rd 2003. This one-day information meeting on disability issues convened major European foundations and corporate funders active in the field, as well as European Commission representatives and other stakeholders such as the European Disability Forum. The objective was to exchange information on practices and policies in order to find possible ground for cooperation towards the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003.
The report is available form the EFC at eu@efc.be.
The second and current phase focuses on dialogue enhancement among players and expanding the possibilities for cooperation thanks to the set up of the permanent EFC Disability Interest Group and the implementation of the initiatives taken by it, which will be based on the knowledge gained in the first phase of the project.
>go to Disability Interest Group
Cooperation
The EFC cooperates and participates with other organisations working in the field of disability.
Social Economy Europe (SEE): The EFC is a member of SEE and has promoted the creation of a group devoted to disability issues within the framework of this organisation.
>go to SEE website
On the occasion of the European Year of People with Disabilities, this group published “The CEP-CMAF and the European Year of People with Disabilities"
>download the publication from CEP-CMAF website
Madrid Declaration
To provide a conceptual framework for action for the European Year of People with Disabilities at all levels, the Madrid Declaration was proclaimed by more than 600 participants from 34 different countries during the European Congress of People with Disabilities held in Madrid in March 2002. The text adopted was the result of a consensus between the European Disability Forum, the Spanish Presidency of the European Union and the European Commission.
>go to Madrid Declaration