The Swiss Library Congress 2025 will take place from Thursday, October 30 to Friday, October 31, 2025 in the Kursaal in Bern. The congress is aimed at librarians from all types of libraries and employees of information and documentation centers. Visitors can expect exciting presentations, workshops, panel discussions and library visits.

But of course there will also be plenty of partying and a congress party on Thursday evening.

Anyone who wants to get up on Friday, October 31, 2025, will experience the keynote speech by Saphir Ben Dakn, communication and inclusion expert with the title: Who is told, belongs: Inclusion in Language and Practice.

Inclusion and communication expert Saphir Ben Dakon and Stephanie Weiss, Professor of Social Work at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, will address issues of structural violence and discrimination against people with disabilities in Switzerland. From different, complementary perspectives, the focus will be on the role of communication (language, images, narratives) in the reproduction or removal of structural barriers and the current situation of barrier-free access in the built environment, in public spaces and in housing. Together with the audience, the main challenges and concrete action steps for politicians, institutions and professionals will be discussed.

If you are interested, you must register. Participation is possible offline or online.

The 2nd edition of the InkluVision inclusion festival at the Debattierhaus Karl der Grosse invites you to once again send a strong signal for an inclusive society and help shape our common future.

The focus of this year's festival is Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: "Independent living and inclusion in the community". Accordingly, the focus of the program is on the topics of independence, self-determination and community.

A first highlight of the festival is the opening evening with a panel discussion and a reading on the subject of participation. Other items on the program include a conference on the world of work, a workshop for people with disabilities on the topic of self-determination, a children's disco and an inclusion conference focusing on participation in the world of work.

In inclusive schools, children with very different backgrounds learn together - children with and without disabilities, from different social backgrounds. This model has also become part of everyday life in the canton of Bern. But how well does it work in practice? What does integration mean for the people directly affected? And how can the claim be combined with the real conditions in the classroom?

Political lunch with:

Elvis, former pupil of the integrative school

Sarah Rubin, City Councillor Bern

Prof. Dr. Caroline Sahli Lozano, PH Bern, Head of the Inclusive Education Priority Program

Moderation: Saphir Ben Dakon, communication and inclusion expert

The policy lunch starts at 12:15 and lasts one hour.

Saphir Ben Dakon, communication and inclusion expert, will moderate this panel discussion, which aims to identify opportunities for action for more inclusive religious communities.

People with disabilities also face various barriers when practicing their faith. For example, they are unable to enter many sacred spaces without assistance because the necessary equipment is missing, or deaf people cannot follow a sermon because there is no sign language translation. In order for these people to be able to participate in the life and activities of a religious community, it is necessary for sacred spaces to be designed to be barrier-free.

At this event, people with different religious affiliations will explain the obstacles they face in this context and what measures would improve access to such spaces and enable them to take advantage of services.

The workshop "Between the lines. How ableism influences our communication" is about drawing the attention of cultural professionals to forms of ableism in words and images. The aim is to empower people to create the most inclusive tenders possible. This is done by raising awareness of structural/social barriers that reproduce and cement discrimination against people with disabilities. Building on this, the influence of discrimination in interpersonal communication is addressed. There will always be room for reflection. With the newly acquired knowledge, we will work as a group on general practical examples of ableism in speech and language.

In a final step, we look at an inclusive tender and record in groups what we notice and discuss target-oriented ways to achieve an inclusive result. We also reflect on how our own thought process can be constantly questioned using a checklist and how inclusive language can be incorporated into our daily work.

The University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland is organizing a workshop on the topic of "Inclusive Diversity" with the aim of supporting companies on their way to becoming inclusive organizations. As part of this workshop, Saphir Ben Dakon will give an input on disabilities in the organizational environment.

What to expect in the workshop
In this workshop, you will learn the basics of inclusive diversity and how to recognize and reduce unconscious bias. Unconscious biases affect us all. They are deeply rooted in our thinking and often influence our actions unnoticed. However, this "pigeonholing" can lead to wrong decisions and make equal opportunities more difficult, for example in recruitment and promotion processes.

Through interactive exercises and methods, you will work out how inclusive diversity can be implemented in your organization. In this way, you will create a working environment in which all employees can contribute and develop.

Orientation is important for all of us, on different levels and in different situations. Sometimes we have it. Sometimes we search for it. Not least in connection with cerebral palsy or other disabilities, orientation can be challenging. Do you know this? Do you also have (occasional) orientation difficulties?

That's why empowerment is important for people with disabilities, says Saphir Ben Dakon. She puts her words into action and provides input on the topic of orientation at the symposium. She is a communication and inclusion expert from Zurich and is also active as a peer coach. In this role, she talks and reflects together with the participants. Orientation requires self-empowerment and the
the framework to get to know and communicate one's own concerns.

In a panel discussion, the participants will explain the options for meeting all requirements. The subsequent drinks reception will provide an opportunity for lively discussions and networking.

Accessibility can be challenging: In app and web projects, there are many demands that all need to be reconciled. We focus on these different perspectives and needs. The wishes and requirements of the client, the challenges of development and technology and the needs of the users all have their place. Can all these aspects be brought together?

In addition to Saphir Ben Dakon, Arnold Goran from the Apple School, Roland Jaggi, Project Manager ETH Tours App, Esther Buchmueller, Head of the Competence Center for Accessibility and Inclusion at SBB, Stefan Reinhard, Bitforge and Pascal Hostettler, Bitfore will also be represented on the podium.

The event will be moderated by Helena Trachsel. She will shed light on how we deal with the tasks, implementations and expectations in digital accessibility.

As part of the Future Inclusion Action Days, we would also like to draw attention to the topic of intersectionality. To this end, the Parandalo Center is organizing various events on the topic of migration and disability.

Parandalo is the competence center for advice, support, information and mediation for people with a migration background.

This expertise will soon be available in writing in the form of a guide that makes Parandalo's experience and expertise available to other agencies.

Valdete Hoti, coordinator of the Parandalo Center, and Saphir Ben Dakon discuss self-determination and equal opportunities for people with disabilities and migrant backgrounds. They will be asking the following question: How can we ensure that people with a migration background and disabilities are aware of their rights and can exercise them and their obligations?

Come and find out on Thursday, May 31, 2024, 18:30-20:30 at GZ Oerlikon, Gubelstrasse 10, 8050 Zurich.

Saphir Ben Dakon will give an input presentation on "Overcoming systemic obstacles - the influence of ableism on educational biographies and career choices" at the Integras conference on special needs education.

The aim of the presentation is to find answers to the following questions:

- How does the discourse surrounding the skills shortage affect children and young people with disabilities and their educational biographies?

- What systemic obstacles exist for people with disabilities in the education and labor market?

- How can networks support education professionals and how should such networks be structured?

There will also be a panel discussion on the topic of "Strengthening networks in times of skills shortages" with Saphir Ben Dakon as one of the guests.

Location: Eventfabrik Bern Service AG
Von Roll, Fabrikstrasse 12, 3012 Bern

On May 23, the Debattierhaus Karl der Grosse in Zurich will open the festival "InkluVision: Shaping the future together", which is taking place as part of the National Disability Rights Action Days. Over the course of three days, the Debattierhaus will focus on the topic of inclusion and Article 8 of the UN CRPD, which aims to raise awareness throughout society. The focus will be on the areas of work, family and leisure.

A panel discussion on the topic of inclusion in Switzerland will take place on the opening evening. Saphir Ben Dakon will take part as a guest.