EASPD conferences bring together the European community of disability service providers to  exchange ideas, learn from each other and build new collaborations. They offer a space for service professionals to share experiences, explore innovative approaches and  strengthen their capacities to turn the principles of the UNCRPD into everyday practice. 

The purpose of this Call for Contributions is to open the floor to the expertise of our members and partners in building the programme of the Porto Conference, taking place on 14-15 May 2026. With this, we aim to strengthen ownership and create space for peer learning among the disability service professionals. 

Conference theme  

The EASPD International Conference in Porto, Portugal will be the place where disability service leaders and professionals come together to learn how to drive organisational change and overcome existing barriers, particularly in the areas of human resources and financial management.  

Disability services across Europe play a central role in ensuring the rights, dignity, and equal opportunities for many people with disabilities. The full implementation of the UNCRPD requires the development of new support models across care and support, employment, or education and training. This means that disability services leaders need to have the values, knowhow and skills to deliver on this organisational change.

At the same time, disability services are also confronted with many structural challenges on a day-to-day basis: difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified staff, need to modernise governance and management models, limited financial resilience, and accelerating demands for digitalisation, sustainability, and cross-sector collaboration. 

Both needs directly affect the capacity of services to operate in line with the principles of the UNCRPD and to support people with disabilities in achieving their full potential. EU policies, for instance the EU Framework on Social Services of Excellence, emphasise the importance of high-quality, accessible services, demanding that providers strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their operations in line with these frameworks. To deliver on these ambitions, service providers need to strengthen their organisational capacity, improve efficiency, and ensure excellence in the support they provide.

Additionally, recruitment and retention of staff remain one of the most pressing challenges facing disability service providers across Europe. Low wages, difficult working conditions, absence of training opportunities, limited career progression, gender disparities between the predominantly female care workforce and their underrepresentation in management positions as well as an ageing workforce all contribute to persistent staff shortages. There is also a clear need to develop new skills and professional profiles that reflect the shift towards more person-centred, community-based, and digitally supported services.  

Criteria of relevant contributions:

Contributions should align with one or more of the following five interlinked themes, which form the pillars of organisational capacity development: 

1. HR resource management. Strategies for effective recruitment, retention, staff training, well-being, and developing inclusive workplace cultures.  

2. Leadership and change management. Exploring ways to strengthen transparent and inclusive management, and developing systems that assure service quality in line with Quality of Life model and set clear frameworks for effective delivery and managing organisational change in line with the UNCRPD.  

3. Capacity building for the digital and green transition. Equipping service providers with the skills and tools to integrate digital solutions, promoting sustainable practices and preparedness that respond to environmental challenges.  

4. Financial management and planning. Strengthening organisational resilience through effective financial planning and management, ensuring budgets remain adaptable and flexible to deliver person-centred services, while also exploring new avenues of funding and building sustainable financial models.

5. Communication, partnerships and marketing. Exploring strategies for cross-sector collaboration and engagement with public authorities and strengthening the visibility and outreach of service providers through effective communication and marketing approaches that demonstrate social impact and build trust with stakeholders, funders, and families.  

Selection criteria 

Proposals should be designed to fit within a 60- or 90-minute timeslot, or take the form of a shorter intervention as part of a thematic panel. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

• Relevance. The content of the intervention aligns with the conference theme and at least one of the six key topics. Proposals should provide explanation how the session contributes to the objectives of the conference including by addressing an organisational challenge, practical approaches that strengthen service quality, or inspire change across the disability services sector. 

• Educational value. The proposed intervention provides learning opportunities, capacity-building elements, or skills development for participants. Proposed interventions should support professional growth and learning that participants can apply in their own contexts. They should fit in 60 or 90 minutes timeslot, or be a  

• Innovative approach. The intervention introduces new or creative methodologies, tools, or insights relevant to the disability services sector and professionals, allowing them to improve their work and efficiency in line with the UNCRPD. 

• Engagement and interactivity. The format should actively involve participants and create space for interaction, discussion and peer learning rather than one-way presentations.  

• Transferability. The lessons, models, or practices presented can be adapted by other organisations or contexts. Proposals should provide potential for wider use and relevance across diverse types of organisations, particularly for smaller, parent-founded services. Interventions that cover approaches adaptable to different capacities of organisations are particularly encouraged. 

Please note that sessions should not serve as project presentations or promotion of deliverables, but rather as learning opportunities built on experience and practice. We would also welcome workshops that would consider diverse needs of participants, ensuring accessibility, including topics that are specifically covering the accessibility in the work of services 

The selection will be organised by the conference core team within the EASPD secretariat, under the supervision of the Secretary General. An additional consideration will be how well the proposed interventions fit within the overall flow and structure of the conference programme. 

Application and timeline 

We warmly invite you to apply and share your ideas for programme interventions with us. To do so, please complete the following form. It will take you approximately 20 minutes. 

The deadline for applications is 15 January 2026 at 23:59 CET. 

Application form

Selected applicants will be contacted by the beginning of February and invited to provide additional details in the form of a session outline. They are also expected to work closely with the conference team to further define and shape their programme intervention.