It's a kind of magic - Connecting Mobility and Disability in AEGEE The opening conference of The Bridge project in Wroclaw was a pioneering event, introducing a new and challenging issue for mainstream youth and student organisations. The event, "The disabled and the facilitator - a complex relationship", took place on 14-17 April 2005 in Wroclaw, with the support and participation of a number of people with different disabilities, and disabled people's organisations. "THE BRIDGE" is a pilot project created by AEGEE, the European Students Forum. It aims to address the difficulties experienced by disabled people in Europe, especially concerning their involvement in youth associations, mobility in general, and all the challenges that young people with special needs face. "The Bridge" is a way to explain disabled reality to non-disabled young people, discover tools for supporting young disabled people's involvement in civil society, and help to increase their involvement in mainstream youth organizations. In 2005 there will be three more conferences, dealing with Design and Disability, Disabled people in European mobility programmes, and European legislation for disabled people. Since the whole project seeks to involve disabled young people in all the activities available, these participants were present all the time, during workshops, lectures and parties, so that they could express their opinion and give very important input. The most important aim of this project is involving youth with disabilities in our groups; therefore the real success was the full inclusion of the people with special needs. Luca Falcone, the Bridge project manager, remarked, "It is a kind of magic, something enchanting and unforgettable for all the participants and organisers, which seems magic only because it's rare. This natural, spontaneous integration was the biggest achievement of the conference, and this is what we have to work for. To make it less rare!" AEGEE is one of Europe's largest interdisciplinary and voluntary student associations, operating without being linked to any political party, promoting a unified Europe, cross-border co-operation, communication and integration in academic environment, and at the same time striving to create an open and tolerant society by involving students and young graduates in valuable projects and discussions over the topics of importance for the communities they live in. It is represented in 260 university cities, in 42 countries all around Europe and has about 17000 members. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: Virag Szabo Director for Public Relations European Students' Forum - AEGEE Rue Nestor de Tiere 15 1030 Bruxelles Phone: +32 2 245 23 00 Fax: +32 2 245 62 60 Web: www.aegee.org Email: [log in to unmask]