On March 7 and 14, 2025, Victim Support Europe (VSE) hosted a two-day training session titled “Championing Inclusion: Strategic Litigation as a Tool to Advance the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Europe”. This significant step in strengthening advocacy for the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), was carried out in the framework of the EU-funded project on “LITI-GATE: Strategic Litigation as a Gateway to Address the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the European Union”, which is currently being implemented until August 2025.
Building on the Guidebook on Strategic Litigation and on a common training curriculum developed by the project consortium, VSE adapted and delivered two interactive sessions aimed at fostering the knowledge and use of strategic litigation as a tool to seek justice and social change for persons with disabilities at regional level.
The event was delivered by Aleksandra Ivankovic, Deputy Director at VSE and represented an enriching learning opportunity attended by a total of 18 participants from Victim Support Organisations (VSOs), NGOs, legal professionals as well as other interested parties, who strived to gain crucial skills in bringing strategic litigation cases or supporting such actions taken by others.
The two training sessions, along with the pre-training assignment, were deliberately conceptualised to address a multi-disciplinary audience and participants expressly appreciated the efforts in making the material accessible for everyone, without sacrificing the depth of the content. The training was endowed with practical activities including case discussions, quizzes and dedicated time for spontaneous questions which made the training engaging and interactive.
Session 1: The rights of PwDs and the role of NGOs
The first session provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the rights of PwDs under European and international law. Key topics included identifying rights violations, strategic litigation opportunities, and the different roles that VSOs and NGOs can take in supporting strategic litigation including, but not limited to, submitting third-party interventions and using advocacy to create momentum.
Session 2: Accessible services and communication with PwDs
The second live session saw the contribution of Adela de Santos Lavigne, Project Manager at the European Network of Independent Living (ENIL) and expert in accessibility issues, who gave practical tips on how to ensure suitable accommodations for PwDs across various domains, ranging from adapting documents to physical spaces. It also covered effective communication strategies and client care for PwDs, accompanied by hands-on exercises.
The training marked a project’s milestone as it successfully built the capacity of European NGOs and VSOs to effectively advocate for the rights of PwDs. Participants left equipped with practical tools, valuable insights, and strengthened networks, all aimed at taking the rights of PwDs one step forward.
Building on this success, VSE will offer a webinar to promote practice-oriented mutual learning and capacity building for ongoing national and cross-border cooperation, between lawyers, civil society organisations, NGOs and VSOs to address fundamental rights breaches through strategic litigation and enforcement of the EU Charter. The webinar is tentatively planned to take place in June 2025, but stay tuned for more detailed information!
