Join Us

Learning and Innovating Together

EPR’s mission is to build the capacity of its members to provide sustainable, high quality services through mutual learning and training.

Discover our objectives, activities and services below, or download our A4 leaflet here; and a trifold brochure here, for printing.

Our members

EPR is a community of service providers to people with disabilities committed to high quality service delivery. Regular members are private not-for-profit organisations or public organisations in Europe delivering services to people with disabilities, or that support organisations that deliver such services. Permanent Observer members may be from outside Europe or be active in the field of disability but that are not service provider-related organisations.

If you are interested in joining our network and benefitting from our activities and services as outlined below, please contact our Secretary General Alicia Gómez Campos who would be happy to explain more. EPR has two main types of membership: Regular membership and Observer membership. Observer membership is either a two-year trial period for organisations considering regular membership, or for organisations that don’t fulfil the regular membership criteria.

There are five fee levels, dependent on the GDP of the country in which an organisation is based. Observer membership is 50% of the regular fee. Guest membership allows short term participation in activities in order to discover what we offer.

Our strategic objectives

• EPR enables service improvement through mutual learning, training and networking
• EPR facilitates innovation through resource development and projects
• EPR equips members to address trends impacting service delivery
• EPR network of innovative organization grows
• EPR engages members in policy development drawing from their expertise
• EPR grows its policy influence through targeted contributions and strategic partnerships

Our Activities

Guided by our strategic objectives, our annual Catalogue is developed through individual consultations with each of our members, outlining what EPR offers members that year. EPR is a “matchmaker” helping members to identify mutual learning possibilities and supporting the development of tailor-made exchange and training activities both in-person and online. Most activities are completely free for members of the network and there are activities aimed at both managers and professionals. More information about the types of activities and services we offer are found below.

TRENDS AND INNOVATION

• Gain insight into how to address address and harness trends through briefings and expert input
• Take part in pilots of innovative approaches
• Contribute to comparative research into emerging practices
• Learn about and implement the latest methodologies in service provision

MUTUAL LEARNING AND TRAINING

• Improve the skills and effectiveness of professionals working on the ground
• Compare and analyse how to improve services and assess progress over time
• Join site-study visits to leading practitioners and product developers

NETWORKING AND STRATEGY

• Build connections with leading service providers from across Europe
• Be part of a community of like-minded professionals
• Take part in exchanges and training on organisational development, strategy and management

POLICY

• Benefit from analysis of key initiatives and legislation and understand how they might impact your work
• Engage in national awareness-raising events raising your profile and influencing decision-making
• Feed into key EU processes relevant to the disability service sector

PROJECTS

• Receive help to find project partners and join projects developed by EPR
• Get support in writing EU project applications
• Participate in training sessions on accessing EU funding opportunities

Topics of the activities

EPR regularly organises initiatives in the following fields of expertise:
Vocational Education and Training, Employment, mental health, independent living, quality, outcome measurement, empowerment and co-production, quality of life, mental health, ICT and Assistive Technology, strategy and organisational performance. We also facilitate exchanges between members on many other topics. For more information see the What we Do section of the website.

Additional services available

On top of the mentioned activities, EPR can support its members to organise international events and provides personalised, tailor-made training or other activities for an individual member.