The Project

The project “Keep Driven: fostering Knowledge, Empowerment, and Participation of youth with Disabilities” is implemented in Italy, France, Latvia and Belgium, thanks to the co-funding of the European Union within the Erasmus+ program.

The goal is to empower young people with disabilities and promote their full and effective participation in democratic life.

Young people with disabilities are often excluded from political dialogue and for this reason, KEEP Driven project aims to accompany a group of young people with disabilities through a path of personal growth, helping them better understand their rights and create participatory initiatives based on shared values such as civic engagement and mutual respect.

 

The Context

Young people with disabilities face numerous barriers to participation in society and in the decisions that affect their lives. These physical and cultural barriers — including stereotypes and prejudice — result in:

1. Limited and inaccessible opportunities for participation: it's often unclear where and how young people with disabilities can get involved.

2. Intersectional discrimination: disability may intersect with other factors such as gender, social status, or age, making it even harder to access opportunities for education, personal growth, and professional development.

3. Lack of recognition of their opinions: in many cases, the voices and ideas of young people with disabilities are not taken seriously. Some are even denied legal capacity, further limiting their ability to participate actively.

This situation goes against the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as other key European documents, which affirm that young people with disabilities must have the opportunity to express their views and participate in democratic life on an equal basis with others.

 

General Objective

KEEP Driven aims empower young people with disabilities to participate fully and effectively in democratic life in their own communities and at European level on an equal basis with others.

 

Specific Objectives

• Identify and promote european good practices for the inclusion and empowerment of young people with disabilities, in order to make them more visible and replicable.
• Strengthen the capacity of youth and disability organisations to engage young people with disabilities by providing spaces for training and participation.
• Create and promote concrete opportunities for civic and democratic protagonism for the young people with disabilities at local and eu level
• Promote widespread dissemination of project learning and results among the stakeholders, promoting multiplication and sustainability.

 

Direct Target Group

Young people with disabilities aged 18–26 in Italy, France, Latvia, and at the European level.

 

Indirect Target Groups

• Youth organizations and organizations representing people with disabilities in the participating countries and across the EU
• Local, national, and European institutions
• Civil society organizations
• Journalists and media professionals
• General public

 

Activities

The KEEP Driven pathway will support a group of young people with disabilities in becoming leaders of a European advocacy campaign aimed at:

• Raising public awareness on the barriers and opportunities related to democratic participation.

• Influencing European debate and policy-making

To achieve this, the project will develop four actions:

    1. Knowledge 
This activity explores the barriers and enablers of participation for young people with disabilities, to identify best practices and develop a more inclusive and conscious model of participation.

     2. Empowerment 
Accessible and inclusive training activities will support young people in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in civic life and in youth organizations.

      3. Participation 
Young people with disabilities will be able to express themselves, influence youth policies and make their voices heard at the European level through a European advocacy campaign.

    4. Communication
The good practices and models developed through the project will be made accessible and available to organizations and stakeholders to multiply the initiative's impact and help make youth and disability organizations more inclusive and effective.

 

Results

    1. INCREASED AWARENESS
Organizations gain a deeper understanding of the factors that facilitate the participation of young people with disabilities, and of existing good practices.

    2. INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 
Young people with disabilities become more aware of the opportunities available to them to participate, engage in meaningful international experiences, and contribute to political dialogue.

    3. INCREASED PARTICIPATION
Young people with disabilities act as advocates for inclusive participation, reaching a wide audience and raising awareness among organizations, institutions, policymakers, and the public through a European advocacy campaign.

     

 

 

Partners

      

 

     

 

 

 

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.