The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) announced the winners of its 2025 Innovation Awards at its Spring Conference on 15-16 May in Gandia, Spain. Six innovative practices were recognised for their efforts to make cultural, recreational, leisure and sporting activities accessible to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others:
‘T-Guide’ by the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) and European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT)
The T-GUIDE (Guiding People with Learning Difficulties) training is a lifelong learning course co-developed by FEG and ENAT. It is designed for professional tourist guides across Europe and provides key principles for preparing guided tours that are inclusive of persons with intellectual disabilities or learning difficulties.
Receiving the 2025 Innovation Award from the EASPD President before the gathering of over 200 EASPD members, ENAT’s Managing Director, Ivor Ambrose, thanked the independent Jury for recognising the value of the FEG-ENAT Certified T-Guide Training Programme which has trained over 100 professional tourist guides in 15 countries since its inception, following a successful EU-funded Life-long Learning project.
‘ALL INCLUSIVE’ by Goethe-Institut Bosnia and Herzegovina on behalf of the EUNIC Cluster Bosnia and Herzegovina
ALL INCLUSIVE is a socio-cultural project, centred on the performing arts, which fosters the social inclusion of persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups. Through co-produced workshops, participants uncover their creative talents and develop professional skills. The process culminates in a multidisciplinary theatre production, amplifying underrepresented voices and creating meaningful cultural expression.
‘Including Inclusion’ by International Coaching Course (ITK)
The International Coaching Course (ITK) is a postgraduate education programme for sports professionals from developing and emerging countries. The course combines theoretical and practical learning in disciplines such as football, athletics, swimming and inclusive sports, with a focus on youth sports. As part of the postgraduate programme, ITK hosts the Alumni Working Group “Including Inclusion that focuses on promoting accessibility and inclusion of marginalised groups in sport.” Five ITK alumni from five global regions form a working group. Their work includes online workshops, in-person training, and visits to the German Paralympic Sports Association, promoting inclusive youth sports worldwide.
‘Nevronas FESTival’ by Nevronas
Held annually at the Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens, the Nevronas FESTival is a Festival of Inclusive Performing Arts and Artistic Interaction. The event, which has successfully run for three consecutive years, empowers professional and amateur artists with and without disabilities to perform in an accessible, non-discriminatory environment. A cornerstone of the festival is its Inclusive Volunteering Programme, which fosters cooperation and shared experience among volunteers with and without disabilities.
‘SavasRock’ by Savas Foundation
SavasRock is an inclusive rock festival organised by Savas Foundation that aims to raise awareness of intellectual disabilities, break barriers and remove prejudices. Moving away from events hosted exclusively for persons with disabilities, this event gathers everyone to enjoy music in a friendly atmosphere, providing a real festival experience with top artists.
‘‘Art is everyone’s gift’ ’Supereroi Printre Noi
The ‘Art is everyone’s gift’ initiative delivers fully accessible and inclusive events across Romania. These events include adapted concerts, theatre performances, literature clubs, exhibitions and film screenings tailored to the needs of people with complex disabilities. The events aim to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities by sharing their life stories, combating stereotypes and encouraging social understanding through inclusive cultural participation.
