SUSTENTO
SUSTENTO also is a member organization of the European Disability Forum (EDF), which brings together more than 80 million people with disabilities in Europe. Moreover, in its 17
years of actively defending the rights of people with disability in Latvia, it has formed many meaningful connections in the Baltic region and outside of the EU. Therefore, SUSTENTO
has a wide network of connections both in the Baltic region, EU and several Non-EU countries. We have taken part in the deinstitutionalization and the inclusive education processes in
Latvia while working in close collaboration with Latvian policymakers to ensure successful policies in these areas.
We have worked in successful collaborations with several countries in international projects and delivered brilliant and meaningful results along with our project partners. SUSTENTO
has taken part in several ERASMUS+ projects, that have been international, longitudinal and complex. One of the most relevant of these project was ERASMUS+ project “Let's study -
Development of a learning module on VET (Vocational Education Training) and AI Disability (higher education)" where several universities and NGOs across EU, including Latvia
where SUSTENTO was the main partner, developed curricula on communication with students who have a disability for teacher training in a vocational and higher education institution.
SUSTENTO was also responsible for the implementation process in Latvia.
SUSTENTO also took part in the project that was financed by Nordplus and concentrated on establishing a Nordic/Baltic network focusing on the development of educational programs
for adults with disabilities. The title of the project was "B-inclusive - Adult Education for All". The aims of the project were to develop general guidelines for inclusive education and
specific guidelines for the blind/visually impaired learners and hearing impaired/deaf learners. This project took place in the time period from 2015 to the end of 2016. Currently,
SUSTENTO is taking part in the Interreg Central Baltic project “SENsationalSTEM”. This project aims to develop cross-border entrepreneurship of students with special educational
needs in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. SUSTENTO main responsibility is the dissemination of information relating to the project.
SUSTENTO has extensive experience in organizing seminars and training about environmental, information and service accessibility for people with disabilities or communication with
people with different disabilities. These seminars and training are based on our professional knowledge regarding these subjects as well as international good practice and United
Nations guidelines and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and aimed at professional personnel from public and private sector. Their work is closely related to
ensuring environmental, information or service accessibility or communicating with people with disabilities, for example, architects, State Revenue Service personnel, Municipal Social
services personnel, State boarder guard personnel, The State police of Latvia personnel, State fire and rescue service of Latvia personnel.
We are currently participating in the development of an application whose primary objective is to make emergency services (police, medical services, fire and rescue services, etc.)
accessible to people with different disabilities, including people with hearing, visual, movement, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Our role in this project is to work closely with
application developers, state and municipal government representatives in order to ensure the functionality of this application and its implementation across the country.
During Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union SUSTENTO worked with State fire and rescue service of Latvia and organized workshops and conference for State
fire and rescue service of Latvia personnel and interested parties regarding the needs of persons with disabilities throughout the disaster management cycle.
The key staff has extensive experience in disability policy planning, implementation and monitoring. Their main expertise is in:
1. Deinstitutionalization:
The key staff held the rolls of lead expert and project manager during the development of deinstitutionalization plan. Their responsibilities during this project included communication
with municipal, State, non-governmental institutions and other involved parties in order to develop an ex-ante study about the current situation in Riga's planning region regarding the
institutionalization of people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, children and children with functional disorders. They were directly responsible for the development of an
action plan. The goal of the action plant was the deinstitutionalization of currently initialized target groups, that included the development of community-based social services which
could provide the necessary support for the target groups.
2. Planning of community-based social services:
During the deinstitutionalization process, the key staff was responsible for planning the reorganization process of established social services into community-based social services (if
possible).
3. Accessibility of environment, information and services for people with disability:
The key staff is actively involved in the promotion of environmental, information and service accessibility for people with disability. They work as lead lecturers in seminars (seminars
are aimed at police, medical service providers, fire and rescue service providers, etc.), consults business and service providers on accessibility-related issues. Moreover, they were the
lead developers of "Environmental accessibility guidelines for public buildings and spaces and public outdoor" guidelines that were procured by the Ministry of Welfare. These
guidelines were worked in the “Regulations on Latvian Construction Standard LBN 208-15 "Public Buildings" of the Cabinet of Ministers and are now binding on a national level.
4. Monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (henceforth - Convention) in Latvia:
The key personnel have taken part in several Ministry of Welfare procurements regarding the monitoring of the implementation of the Convention. They actively take part in alternative
reporting to UN committee of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities. They frequently participate in events aimed at exchanging good practice regarding the
implementation of the Convention. For example, in collaboration with the International disability alliance, SUSTENTO organized a summer school about the Convention in Kazakhstan.
5. Awareness-raising:
The key staff are included in the different working groups of Latvian Ministry of Health and Welfare to raise awareness regarding the issues face by people with disabilities and develop
legislation, based on the principles of anti-discrimination and equal rights. They also take part in public events that are aimed at raising awareness among and about people with
disabilities.
Daiga Veinberga
Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability organisations SUSTENTO works as a project manager for local and international projects. She has been working in an organization for more than 16 years, promoting the rights of people with disabilities. Is an expert in environmental accessibility by performing assessments, audits and make a report. Organizing and leads trainings and lectures on the accessibility of the environment for people, contact, communication.
Gunta Anca
Gunta Anca has been an experienced disability rights activist throughout her career. Since 2002, she is the Chair of the Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations SUSTENTO. Since 2005, she is a Board member within the European Disability Forum, just now she is elected in the position of vice-president of the organisation. Since 2004, she was a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). During 16 years of work there she represented interests of people with disabilities in the areas of social protection and employment, as well as in accessible transport policy. She holds diplomas in social work and in business administration and management.
Linda Cerpa
She has been working in the organisation since 2014. She is as a coordinator of the SUSTENTO adult training centre, as well as coordinate various projects and activities. She is responsible for helping oversee the successful completion of projects and events.
Inara Melbarde
She has been working in the organisation since 2019. The main work in the organisation is related to the management and maintenance of documents, their circulation and use. Works on preparation and submission of project accounting reports, translation of prepared materials into the national language. She helps organize activities of various projects.