Roundtable on Procurement for More Inclusive Education. European Inclusive Procurement Discussion Series. A collaboration of the European Disability Forum, G3ict, and Microsoft.

Date: February 24, 2022

Location: Online, Brussels

Overview:

The roundtable discussion explored and promoted a greater uptake of the European procurement directive’s accessibility provisions. Participants discussed how technology, particularly in the COVID era, is transforming education; how accessible technology deployments benefit education institutions, teachers, and learners; the basics of accessible ICT procurement policy and standards and their impact on inclusion and equity in education.

The interactive discussion covered the following critical topics:

• Digital Transformation in Education: How are education systems digitally transforming? How, along with embracing digital technology, is it critical that all students and teachers can participate?
• Inclusion, Accessibility, and Equity: How can accessible technology help learners, each with unique strengths and abilities, to succeed?
• EU-Level Commitments to Inclusive Education. What are key European norms and regulations for socially responsible public procurement?
• Procurement in Support of Inclusive Education. How can education systems specify accessibility for persons with disabilities in the procurement of ICT products and services? How can education systems use EU ICT accessibility standards to support key steps of the typical procurement process, from defining requirements to managing contracts?

Participants:

• Humberto Insolera, European Disability Forum (EDF)
• Susanna Laurin, Funka, G3ict Representative to the EU
• Ivana Juraga, Directorate General Education and Culture, European Commission
• Esa Kaunistola, Microsoft
• Janet Looney, European Institute of Education and Social Policy (EIESP)
• Catherine Naughton, European Disability Forum (EDF)
• Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero, Directorate General Employment, European Commission
• James Thurston, The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict)
• Caroline Wright, British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)

Roundtable resources:

• Watch the proceedings of the roundtable discussion on YouTube
• Download transcript
• Download presentations (in accessible format):
  • Presentation by Humberto Insolera - Inclusive Education 
  • Presentation by Ivana Juraga - Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027
  • Presentation by Janet Looney - Enhancing Learning Through Digital Tools and Practices
  • Presentation by Caroline Wright - Procurement for More Inclusive Education