The FEPEDA Management Committee (MC) convened in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 11 and 12, 2024. Fourteen committee members and one assistant participated in person, with one member sending apologies due to a scheduling conflict. The meeting was graciously hosted by the Lithuanian Association of Families with Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children (PAGAVA), whose excellent organization and warm welcome were greatly appreciated by all attendees.
On April 12, additional PAGAVA members joined the discussions, and the Swedish organization DHB participated online in the afternoon session.
The meeting featured dynamic exchanges and focused on several key topics:
- Updates from each member organization, including presentations on ongoing projects and initiatives, with a dedicated session involving DHB.
- Strategies to enhance FEPEDA’s communication plan.
- Preparations for two upcoming webinars, scheduled for 2025 and 2026.
- Reports on FEPEDA’s representation at major events: the European Day of Persons with Disabilities (EDPD) in Brussels (November 2023) and the Global Disability Summit (GDS) in Berlin (April 2024).
- Updates on collaborations with the European Platform of Deafness.
- Planning for FEPEDA’s participation in the European Disability Forum Annual General Assembly (EDF AGA), to be held in Vilnius on June 21–22, 2025.
- Preparations for participation at the Family Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) conference in Bad Ischl, Austria, scheduled for June 10–12, 2026, including a call for papers and participation of member organizations.
- Review of potential new member organizations across Europe and the development of an outreach action plan.
- Evaluation of a document prepared by FIAPAS (Spain) on behalf of FEPEDA, in response to a call for inputs from the UN Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Discussion of a country-specific questionnaire prepared by the Czech member organization, which all members will complete.
- Review and update of the FEPEDA Action Plan for the coming years.
FEPEDA extends sincere thanks to all members for their active engagement and contributions during the meeting.
It was also agreed that the next Annual General Assembly (AGA) will take place in October 2025, with the exact venue and dates to be confirmed.
