IF Members Training | 31 October & 7 November 2025

Title: Empowering Advocacy: Voices of Persons with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

Date: 31st October & 07th November 2025 | Format: Online training

ABOUT THE TRAINING 

Persons with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH) continue to face unique barriers to inclusion – from access to healthcare and education to full participation in community and political life. Empowerment and Advocacy play a vital role in challenging these barriers and promoting equality. This IF Members Training 2025, ‘Empowering Advocacy: Voices of Persons with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus’, will strengthen the capacity of persons with SBH to speak up for their rights, influence change, and represent their communities locally and globally. Through peer-led sessions, interactive discussions, and real-life examples, participants will gain tools to become confident advocates for inclusion and human rights.

PURPOSE

To empower persons with SBH to engage actively in advocacy at local, national, and international levels – advancing their rights and improving inclusion through knowledge, skills, and confidence-building.

OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the foundations and principles of advocacy and its role in creating systemic change.
2. Recognize how the UNCRPD can be used as a practical tool for disability rights advocacy.
3. Learn from peer advocates from Indonesia, Montenegro, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who have participated in advocacy, including international processes.
4. Develop their own advocacy message or plan addressing personal or community priorities.
5. Strengthen their confidence to act as self-advocates or represent their organizations in broader disability rights initiatives.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Persons with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, especially young adults and emerging leaders and family members 
• IF Members of national and local SBH organisations and their networks 
• Allies and stakeholders from the disability movement

TRAINING SESSIONS

Session 1: Understanding Advocacy and Its Importance

Participants will explore what advocacy means and how it creates change. The session includes:

• Presentation by the European Disability Forum (EDF) on advocacy types and the human rights-based approach
• Overview of key UNCRPD articles relevant to SBH (participation, accessibility, health, and education)
• Real stories from IF members: Muzammal Islam (Pakistan), Wardah Bagis (Indonesia), Anđela Radovanović (Montenegro), and Sir Abdus Sattar Dulal (Bangladesh), sharing personal experiences in advocacy
• Group reflection and Q&A

Session 2: Representing Youth Voices – From Local to Global

Focusing on youth leadership and representation, this session helps young advocates build the skills to represent their communities at the international level while maintaining strong local connections.

Activities include:

• Discussion on the role and accountability of youth representatives
• Practical exercises on mapping local youth communities and identifying their priorities
• Group discussions on gathering and sharing peer feedback

Register here before October 25th 2025

This training is part of IF’s commitment to promoting inclusion and empowering persons with SBH as agents of change.

For more information, please contact [email protected]