Speakers

Nina Van Herck is a conceptual product designer who creates physical interventions that challenge social boundaries. Instead of standard consumer goods, Nina's work focuses on the tangible relationship between spaces, taboos, and the lived experiences of marginalized or non-normative bodies and minds. Deeply informed by the vibrant style and energy of collaborative gatherings, Nina designs open-ended tools that require active participation. Whether creating wearable designs that empower the individual or developing systems that open up safer spaces for the community, Nina's goal remains the same: creating tactile tools that allow people to connect, express themselves, and reclaim autonomy together.   

Gábor is a researcher at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest. He has worked in the

disability field since 1999, when he started working as a support worker for people with multiple disabilities. Since then, he has held various positions in disability rights organisations in Hungary and at the European level in Brussels. Gábor received his PhD from the Tizard Centre, University of Kent in 2019, where he explored the position of self-advocates in the learning disability and autism advocacy movement. His current research examines how democratic backsliding affects disability rights. Gabor also works with independent living and autistic grassroots groups in Budapest. His research interests include disability policies, the disabled people’s movement, disability rights, and community-based services.

Simone Leuenberger is a Swiss disability rights activist, teacher, and politician who has been living with personal assistance for more than 30 years. She works for Agile (www.agile.ch), the umbrella organisation of Swiss organisations of people with disabilities, co-founded InVIEdual (www.inviedual.ch), a self-advocacy organisation of people with disabilities fighting for personal assistance, and is active in the Independent Living movement.

She was closely involved in the introduction of the Swiss personal assistance model in 2012 and has since worked on its implementation and further development at both national and cantonal level. Her work focuses on the practical and political conditions needed for people with disabilities to employ assistants, organise support independently, and live outside institutions. Alongside her policy and advocacy work, she brings many years of personal experience as a PA user and employer.

Dr Miro Griffiths is a Disability Studies scholar based at the University of Leeds, UK. He is also the current Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, which is an interdisciplinary research network based at the University. His research areas include disability activism, social movement mobilisations, and resistance practices, as well as how disabled people imagine and articulate visions for accessible and inclusive societies. Alongside academia, Miro is a disability policy adviser to government departments, civil society organisations, and private enterprises. He is a former strategic and confidential adviser to the UK government, and previous advisory roles included the British Council and the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission. He is a founding member of the ENIL Youth Network.

Teodor Mladenov is an academic working at the University of Dundee, UK. Previously, he was Marie Curie Individual Fellow at the European Network on

Independent Living (2017-2019), and Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy Research, King’s College London (2013-2016). Teodor has expertise in disability studies and activism, international social policy, postsocialism, and critical theory. He is author of Critical Theory and Independent Living (2024, Manchester University Press), Disability and Postsocialism (2018,

Routledge), and Critical Theory and Disability: A Phenomenological Approach (2015, Bloomsbury). Since 2018, Teodor has been coordinating the

Independent Living Research Network, a research collaboration hosted by the European Network on Independent Living. In the period 2000-2009, he was actively involved in campaigning for disability rights in Bulgaria, working closely with the Centre for Independent Living – Sofia.

Martine Eliasson is a disability rights activist from Norway. She works as a political adviser at Uloba – Independent Living Norway and is a Board member of ENIL.

She has a master’s degree in disability studies and has many years of experience in youth activism and political work. Martine works to strengthen disabled people’s rights, including the right to personal assistance and independent living. She is passionate about equality, self-determination, and an inclusive society where everyone can live freely and take part in the community.

Kamil is originally from Poland, but was born and lives in Greece, where he studied journalism and communication. In 2014, he co-founded i-living, the first and only Independent Living organisation in Greece. Since 2018, he works for ENIL as Policy and Movement Support Officer, and, among other things, his role is to work on membership, and on areas like personal assistance, inclusive education, disability and climate change/hate crime & hate speech/AI & technology, and represents the organisation in conferences and other events, being an experienced speaker. Also, until autumn of 2022 he represented the ENIL Youth Network at the Youth Committee of the European Disability Forum, being the chair of the latter, and he was also in the Youth Committee of the International Disability Alliance. Finally, he is the only disabled travel blogger in Greece (check @thetrawheeler) and is part of the team of Care Under Sun, an accessible tourism company in the country.

Josse Cornette - Josefien (°1994, Belgium) is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator. They studied visual arts (Mixed Media) at LUCA School of Arts in Ghent and art history and gender and diversity studies at Ghent University.

Josse identifies as a disabled maker. Born with the rare congenital disability Fibular Hemimelia, their practice is deeply shaped by embodied experience and artistic research. They shape their world, art and work according to their sensitivity.

Their practice can be understood as a poetic and critical exploration of care, vulnerability, and interdependence.  Their work develops hybrid methodologies that move between artistic and academic fields, experimenting with forms of researching, archiving, writing, and storytelling. Their practice engages with critical disability studies, trauma studies, death studies, crip theory, and queer theory.

Alongside their artistic practice, Josse regularly teaches, mentors, and guides artists, writers, and students in developing practices that engage with disability narratives and accessibility. They are currently affiliated with the Research Center for Open Arts and Futures at Erasmushogeschool Brussel.

Josse frequently participates in public debates, guest lectures, and workshops. They serve on the board of Sophia, the Belgian Network for Gender Studies, and the Disability Filmfestival.

Their work has been described as both sharp, caring, rebellious and poetic. They received the DiverGent Thesis Prize (2020)for their manuscript A House Called Pain and were awarded at the Tallinn Drawing Triennial (2015).

Jamie Bolling living in the north of Sweden is the chari of the Independent Living Institute located in Stockholm Sweden. She is the co-chair of ENIL – the European Network on Independent Living and was the director of ENIL from 1997 – 2017. She was a member of the European Fundamental Rights Platform’s Advisory Panel from 2010 - 2014. Jamie is on the board of UNICEF Sweden and is the president of MyRight the Swedish disability organisation for international development cooperation.  Jamie has a Masters degree in social anthropology and work experience in disability research, international development cooperation, personal assistance as well as other areas concerning disability issues and Independent Living . Combining her experience in politics and from different appointments at local, regional, national and EU level, with her vast knowledge of the international disability movement Jamie works for progress in Independent Living issues and policy.

Dr Carmen Yau is a disability researcher, educator, and advocate whose work explores disability justice and intersectionality. Carmen’s work critically examines the politics of disabled bodies, intimacy, and desire, with a particular focus on disabled women facing intersecting forms of oppression, fetishisation, exclusion, and violence. Carmen is a lecturer in social work and the Lead of the Wellbeing Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she develops interdisciplinary and community-engaged research on wellbeing, social justice, and inclusive practice.

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Alongside their academic work, Carmen is a prolific and trailblazing erotica writer who is the first author to coin the term "Crip Slut" in Asian literature that unapologetically centres disabled bodies in erotic storytelling. Carmen is a multi-award winner - Disability Power 100 (2024), Shortlisted in the Sexual Freedom Award in UK (2024), UN Women’s Rise and Raise Other Award nominee (2021), Tatler’s Hot List of “Sixteen Women Fighting for Fairness in Asia” (2020). Her work includes disability-affirmative sex education, restorative justice in domestic and sexual violence, sex volunteering services, “crip” experience in kink and fetish, and radical professional practices. She has inspired a new wave of "Crip Slut" that all bodies are celebrated, all pleasures are valid, and no one is left in the margins of desire.

Dancefloor Intimacy is a research and education platform committed to reshaping nightclubs and music venues into spaces that are genuinely accessible and inclusive for Disabled, Neurodivergent, Deaf, Blind, and chronically ill individuals. The project supports nightlife stakeholders and communities by providing education, raising awareness, and guiding venues toward practical, meaningful accessibility improvements.

Rooted in the belief that accessibility can be at the forefront of innovative club culture, and not an afterthought - Dancefloor Intimacy positions inclusion at the centre of the dancefloor experience.

Founded by Ali Wagner, the project draws from her lived experience and also extensive research. Insights gathered through focus groups with Disabled ravers, promoters, venue owners, and staff shape the platform’s approach, ensuring it reflects the realities and needs of the full club ecosystem. Through this work, Dancefloor Intimacy champions transformative, community-informed change across nightlife.

Antonella Candiago (she/her) is a disability rights advocate, policy professional, and researcher working at the intersection of disability, gender, sexuality, and social justice. Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience as a disabled woman, she is committed to advancing the rights, autonomy, and self-determination of disabled people.

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Antonella currently works at the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), where she contributes to policy and advocacy efforts promoting independent living, human rights, and disability inclusion across Europe. Her work focuses on a range of issues, including political participation, gender equality, accessibility, disability justice, and the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

She has developed particular expertise in disabled sexuality and intimacy, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), comprehensive sexuality education, and the ways ableism shapes societal understandings of bodies, relationships, desire, and care. Through her advocacy, research, and public engagement, she works to challenge stigma and promote more inclusive, intersectional approaches to sexuality, disability, and human rights.

María Aldanas is a Policy Officer at FEANTSA. Since 2016, she has led work on homelessness and housing rights, coordinating the Housing Rights Watch network. This multidisciplinary network brings together NGOs, academics, lawyers, and others to promote access to housing rights for people experiencing homelessness, support strategic litigation, and combat the criminalisation of homelessness.

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She is responsible for FEANTSA’s work on the use of the European Social Charter and the collective complaints procedure to challenge housing rights violations across Europe, contributing to key cases that advance legal standards on homelessness and access to housing.

María studied law at the Complutense University of Madrid and holds a Master’s degree in Migration and Intercultural Relations.

Nic is a long-term supporter of the Freedom Drive and active advocate for the complete closure of institutions.  In the UK Nic leads work for NDTi to develop new community-based person centred small organisations who support people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism to live in the community.  Many of the people Nic works alongside are currently in-patients in mental health institutions; moving out means having really good and very person-centred support in the community.

Nic supports work led by IRSSV in Slovenia who are taking forward a 10-year deinstitutionalisation programme and links with many others around the world who are all committed to the complete closure of institutions.  Nic is always keen to link with people where ever they are who are similarly committed to closing institutions and championing people’s human rights.

In his spare time Nic does a lot of woodturning, gardening, and climbing.  His two sons are grown up and heading off on their own journeys.  Nic is married and lives up on the southern slopes of Dartmoor in south west England.

Jose Smits, a former journalist focusing on socio-economics and political issues, works as politician and policy analyst. She writes evaluation reports on national and international disability policies. 

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She is also a longtime inclusion activist. While fighting for access for her own child with disabilities to regular child support, mainstream schools and leisure time activities, she has always realized the importance of organizing larger groups of activists and thus helped organize other parents with children with disabilities.  

She is the founder of Inclusion Netherlands   and has been involved in a new national (Dutch) initiative to promote independent living via the foundation Gewoon Leven (ordinary life).

Stefan Moser was born in Munich in 1971 and trained as an economist and a lawyer. He joined the Commission in 2000 in DG Competition to work on control of state aid to public undertakings and services, notably financial institutions. From 2005 to 2009, he worked in DG Environment on climate and environment policy, notably greenhouse gas emissions trading, transport emissions and air quality. From 2009 to 2015, he dealt with policy coordination in the Secretariat-General, in particular on climate, energy, environment, transport, agriculture and maritime policies. From 2015 onwards, he has served as head of unit in DG Energy, first on energy security and safety, and then on energy efficiency of buildings and products and now on the Task Force Housing.

Steven is a social justice activist and was appointed Executive Director of the Validity Foundation in 2022, having previously served as Co-Executive Director (2018-2022), and originally joining the team in 2013. Steven holds a law degree from the University of London and has a postgraduate research interest in legal institutions that deny autonomy of marginalised populations. Steven's interest in access to justice comes from his experience of supporting his mother with a psychosocial disability who died whilst detained in a closed British psychiatric hospital. The litigation that followed established the presumption that deaths in mental health institutions must be investigated in the same way as other deaths in detention, triggering expanded inquests in compliance with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Markus Scheffer is a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and acted as the Rapporteur for the combined second and third review of the European Union. He is a Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Basel in Switzerland. See: https://www.markusschefer.ch/

Antonia Trikalioti is a Greek disabled activist, a co-founder of the Independent Living Organisation of Greece “i-living” and an ENIL Board member. She is an economist and a software engineer. She has been a scientific assistant of a Member of the European Parliament during the last term of office. She has been a member of the working group for legislating personal assistance of the Greek Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. She has represented“i-living” during the consultations for the Greek Strategic plan on Deinstitutionalisation. She was the scientific supervisor of the working group of the Administrative Region of Thessaly drafting the strategy on the rights of disabled persons, a member of the equivalent working group of the Administrative Region of West Macedonia, as well as the member specialised in Independent Living of the permanent committee of disabled women of the Administrative Region of Attica. She participates in music theatre and her first science fiction novel was published this year.

Katrin Langensiepen is a German politician of the Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. Katrin Langensiepen is the first female MEP with a visible disability. Source: Wikipedia and European Parliament website

Ingrid Thunem (they/them), is a member of the ENIL Board, as well as the President of the Norwegian Association of Youth with Disabilities (NAYD). NAYD is a umbrella organization, representing 38 organizations for youths and young adults with disabilities or chronic diseases, and works toward a universally designed society with full participation for disabled and chronic ill young adults. Ingrid is also the chair person of Queer disabled Norway a organization for queer disabled people all over Norway. The organization works towards inclusive disability policy and to arrange social gatherings for queer disabled people. Beyond being a passionate advocate for the human rights of disabled people, Ingrid has dedicating substantial efforts to building an inclusive queer community. Ingrid strives to ensure that every voice within this diverse spectrum is recognized and valued. Their home, perched above the Arctic Circle, provides them with a unique perspective on life and an abiding love for the simple pleasures, like savoring a cup of tea. They love having a bonfire and find the artic way of life very inspiring. Currently, Ingrid is immersed in academia, pursuing a PhD in the intricate intersection of sexuality and disability.

Ulrika Norelius is the Executive Director of STIL (the Founders of Independent Living in Sweden). She took on the role in 2026 after a long career within the disability rights movement, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer and previously as Head of Individual Support at the Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired (SRF).Ulrika has extensive experience in both strategic and operational leadership, with responsibility for organizational development, finance, human resources, and quality management. She has a strong commitment to human rights, self-determination, and an inclusive society where everyone can live on equal terms. As Executive Director of STIL, Ulrika works to strengthen the right to personal assistance and independent living.

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Florian Sanden is Policy Coordinator at ENIL. It is his job to communicate our political objectives to decision-makers. Being disabled himself, he has first handed experience with the many barriers disabled people face. He is dreaming of he future where he can get the support he needs. At ENIL he led lobby campaigns on the European Care Strategy, the European Commision Guidance on Independent Living and the Regulation on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults. In his free time Florian provides peer support to neurodivergent people at the self-help organisation Neurodiversity Belgium. In addition, he is advisor to the board at Interessenvertretung Selbstbestimmt Leben, the largest Independent Living Organisation in Germany.

Catarina Vitorino is a researcher at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She holds a PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology. Her research interests lie at the intersection of disability studies, mental health, and gender studies, with a particular focus on independent living, personal assistance, and sexuality. She is a disabled woman and defines herself as an anti-ableist, feminist, and intersectional activist. She is the co-chair of the ENIL Youth Board, a member of the Board of Center for Independent Living in Portugal, and co-founder of a Portuguese feminist collective of disabled women, As DEsaFiantes.

Jesper Mathiesen is a Danish social worker, lecturer, and disability advocate based in Copenhagen. He works as a Membership Consultant at LOBPA (National Association for Citizen-Controlled Personal Assistance), where he advises people with disabilities on independent living, personal assistance, social legislation, and assistive technology.

In addition to his professional role, Jesper serves on the board of the Copenhagen branch of the Danish Disability Association, where he contributes to local disability policy and advocacy. He is also an elected member of the Østerbro Local Committee in Copenhagen, helping shape local initiatives and promote accessibility, inclusion, and active citizenship within the community. Furthermore, he volunteers as a social worker with Rare Disorders Denmark, providing guidance on social rights and support schemesfor people living with rare diseases.

Emma Åstrand is a Project Manager and Coordinator of International Contacts at STIL (The Founders of Independent Living in Sweden). She works to strengthen the independent living movement through international collaboration, advocacy, education, and knowledge-sharing.Emma has a particular focus on independent living and crip theory, and works for accessibility and cross-disability solidarity, ensuring that disabled people are represented in all decisions concerning their lives. From 2026, Emma works as the Project Manager of creating a CIL in Sweden. Drawing from both professional and personal experiences, Emma is passionate about fostering a society where all citizens have equal opportunities to live and actively participate in all aspects of life, regardless of functionality.

Ashraf is an Afghan‑born human rights advocate, writer, and disability‑rights activist whose life has been shaped by both hardship and determination. Born in 1988 in Wardak province of Afghanistan, he was permanently injured during the Afghan civil wars at the age of nine—an event that profoundly influenced his commitment to justice, dignity, and equal rights for people with disabilities.

He worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan for fifteen years. When the Taliban regained power in 2021, Ashraf was evacuated to Sweden with support from the Swedish government. Determined to continue his mission in a new country, he joined the Independent Living Institute in early 2024.

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Ashraf is also a published author with five books, using literature as a tool for empowerment, cultural memory, and social change.

Emil Erdtman is the Director of the Independent Living Institute in Stockholm. He earned a PhD from Lund University in 2024, with a thesis about Universal Design in Practice. Before joining ILI in 2016, he worked many years at the Swedish Disability Rights Federation. Further, Emil has an art studio, writes poetry, and is involved in blind fencing. He is disabled from birth. 

Nicolas is an AAC user, non-speaking autistic, from France and he is studying for a master degree in sociology at the University Rennes 2. He wants to specialise in disability studies . He is 26, and he needs full-time assistance.  For several years, Nicolas has been an activist for the right to independent living. He is a member of ENIL Youth board and he is also a member of the French association Clé Autistes. Nicolas has participated in several conferences on the topics of legal capacity, deinstitutionalisation and AAC.

Rúnar Björn Herrera Þorkelsson is the Chairman of NPA center, a user-led cooperative working for Personal Assistance and Independent Living in Iceland. He has been active in the Icelandic disability rights movement and has taken part in advocacy, policy discussions and consultation with public authorities at both municipal and national level. His work focuses on ensuring that Personal Assistance is understood as a human rights issue, not as care or charity, and that disabled people have real control over their assistance, daily lives and decisions. At the Freedom Drive, he will share experiences from Iceland, including both progress made and ongoing challenges.

Aneta Genova (Mircheva) is a Bulgarian human rights lawyer, researcher and co-founder of the Independent Expert Network – NIE and Kera Foundation. Her work focuses on the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly independent living, legal capacity, access to justice, protection from institutionalisation and coercion, and the prevention of inhuman or degrading treatment.

Aneta develops and supports strategic litigation aimed not only at securing remedies in individual cases, but also at exposing structural violations and advancing broader legal and policy reform. Her approach combines litigation, field research, monitoring, advocacy and direct engagement with persons affected by human rights violations.

She has worked in cooperation with national and international human rights organisations and is committed to ensuring that the voices, will and lived experience of persons with disabilities remain central to legal strategies and social change.

Ash Delsael (they/them) is a non-binary person from Belgium. They are visually impaired: they have vision in one eye, while the other is almost completely blind. By sharing their experiences, they aim to contribute to conversations about disability, accessibility, inclusion, and mental health. In their free time, they can usually be found listening to music, playing the guitar, exploring podcasts, reading, writing, or discovering new ideas. Ash is passionate about learning from others and creating spaces where open and honest conversations can happen.

Sophia Kleanthous is a campaigner in the disabled people's movement in the UK and holds multiple roles. She has led and co-led policy campaigns on accessibility, accessible transport, access to health and education, assisted dying, housing, hate crime, mental health, social security, and more. She is one of the founding members of the new Care in Crisis coalition, calling for investment into palliative, end-of-life care and an end to non-consensual "do not attempt resuscitations" (DNAR). She has worked on influencing WHO and EU policy with stakeholders from disabled people to government ministers, both nationally and internationally. She has been one of the campaigners in the disabled people's movement fighting against the Assisted Dying Bill in the UK and calling for better care for all. She is also a singer/songwriter and writer. She writes about her lived experiences as a disabled person and campaigner.

Grigoris (Greg) Chryssikos has studied Economics at Athens University of Economics and Business and is the co-founder of the NGO/social media accounts Cool Crips. He is a quadriplegic after an accident in 2017 at the age of 22 and has since then been active in the field of disability. He has participated in the documentary As Far As The Sea (Marco Gastine, 2019) about rehabilitation. He is also an active Para Table Tennis athlete and Greek Champion in Class 1.

Peter Kearns BA, MA, H. Dip., is a disability rights activist, educator, and artist based in Ireland. Since joining Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) in 2019, he has worked on social inclusion and currently serves as DPO Development Officer and Activist-Mentor, supporting the growth of Disabled Persons’ Organisations across the country. With academic backgrounds in English, Film & TV Studies, and Adult & Community Education, Peter also lectures and develops higher education modules focused on emancipatory and advocacy-based approaches to disability. He has extensive experience in policy and international work, including contributing to NGO input for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Peter founded The Workhouse, a disability consultancy active across Ireland, Europe, and Asia, and has played a key role in disability arts. His work includes collaborations with the Abbey Theatre, developing access policies, and producing award-recognised theatre such as No Magic Pill. Alongside his advocacy and creative work, he develops nationwide self-advocacy programs and works as a writer, dramatist, and filmmaker.