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Life may not have a universal meaning, but you can give it context.

Context is one of my favorite words. I've always been suspicious of absolutes. Perhaps also because my disability was imposed on me as a label, as something static that is simple. In reality, disabilities are the result of a person's interaction with their environment. I am writing about this reality, my reality, here. I put it in context, the context that I think is missing in society.

This also means writing about life issues. About what could be in the future and what no longer is. About today in context.

So don't expect the "disability issues" you might expect.

AbleismInclusive educationMedia contributions

Experiences of discrimination: Reality for people with disabilities

Section in the magazine LEBENSSTARK of the Muscle Society

Saphir Ben Dakon wrote an article on the topic of discrimination in the specialist knowledge section. The illustration of discrimination was based on the example of the use of language in the support class initiative in the canton of Zurich. The text and an accompanying PDF can be found below.

Disability policyPodcasts

Saphir Ben Dakon - Where do we stand with the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

In 2014, Switzerland signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Where do we stand 10 years after ratification? What does inclusion actually mean and how do we get there? What (still) needs to change, what barriers need to be removed and who has what responsibility? A conversation with Saphir Ben Dakon about the equality and participation of people with disabilities.

Inclusive education

30 years VSLCH symposium - Welcome to Leadea Lines

Extreme After-Lunch Speaker Club: With Saphir Ben Dakon on the inclusive education system

To describe Saphir Ben Dakon as charismatic is almost an understatement: The inclusion and communication expert demonstrated with a power presence on deck that the ship of inclusion/integration cannot have capsized: It hasn't even really left the harbor yet!

Inclusive education is a fundamental right in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: there is no inclusion in segregated structures. There is a lifelong right to learning. With a smile, she sometimes wished "that opponents of inclusive education would make use of this right and change their perspective ..."

Much of the current education system creates barriers for everyone, not just for people with disabilities. It is time to remove these. Often they are neither challenged nor supported, but simply administered. This makes the commitment of all education professionals who are actively working to reduce educational discrimination in schools on a daily basis all the more valuable: a big thank you for this.

Source: Text from the Swiss Association of School Leaders.

The speech can be found in the blog post.

Publications

"mamibrennt"

Women's solidarity creates a community platform for working mothers

In her second blog article for the internet platform with magazine character #geschlechtergerechter, Saphir Ben Dakon interviewed the founder of the community platform "mamibrennt" Julia Panknin. She is a former victim of parental burnout and, as a journalist, speaker, business consultant and mentor, is committed to structures in which paid work and care work are compatible.

Enjoy reading the interview and thank you Julia!

Women with disabilitiesPublications

Becoming a mother, being a mother

Children with disabilities are children. Therefore, parents of children with disabilities are also parents.

Saphir Ben Dakon is part of the editorial team for the #geschlechtergerechter internet platform with a magazine character. In her latest blog on parenting, she focuses on the topic of parenting children with disabilities. To this end, she interviewed a mother to gain an insight into this reality of life.

You can read the interview on the #geschlechtergerechter website. Enjoy!

Disability policyPublications

"The BRK is not a panacea"

A discussion on the implementation of the measures in the canton of Zurich

In August, the book series ProSpectrum 2 published a book entitled "The CRPD in Switzerland". Within this publication, Saphir Ben Dakon, Barbara Egloff and Martina Schweizer wrote the article "Die BRK ist kein Allheilmittel" - Eine Diskussion zur Umsetzung der Maßnahmen im Kanton Zürich.

The article is available as an open access version on the website of the Swiss Center for Special Needs Education Foundation. We hope you enjoy reading the articles.

AbleismPodcasts

Podcast Education Minds - Didactic reduction and adult education

Saphir Ben Dakon - Inclusion through language and communication

People with disabilities often encounter ableism in everyday life.

By this we mean structural, discriminatory barriers, stereotypical thought patterns, social exclusion, hostility towards people with disabilities, positive forms of discrimination and much more.

Podcast host Yvo Wüest talks about this with Saphir Ben Dakon, communication and inclusion expert.

Interested? Then listen in.

Publications

Acceptance of Social Service Robots in the Hotel Industry

Marketing Review St.Gallen 4.2024 Service Management in the Age of AI and Robotics

A specialist article by Dr. Yves Staudt, Prof. Dr. Jan Mosedale and Saphir Ben Dakon on the topic of "Acceptance of Social Service Robots in the Hotel Industry" has been published in the Marketing Review St. Gallen issue on Service Management in the Age of AI and Robotics.

Service robotics is another of Saphir Ben Dakon's areas of interest, as her research is highly interdisciplinary. She wrote her Master's thesis with a grade of 6 on the topic of "Diffusion of professional service robotics to compensate for functional limitations and loss of function on the Swiss market".

I hope you enjoy reading this and find it interesting.

Publications

Issue 3: zfo | SGO Communication

The SGO Community Events

In the 3rd SGO Communication 2024 of zfo , the authors Saphir Ben Dakon and Valeska Hoenen report in detail on the community event of the Swiss Society for Organization and Management.

These events are not only a platform for the exchange of practical knowledge, but also a place where people can grow together and develop their skills.

Saphir co-authored this article on behalf of the SGO with the aim of capturing the essence of the SGO community. We hope you enjoy reading it!

Disability policyMedia contributions

Interview Luzerner Zeitung with Saphir Ben Dakon and Jahn Graf

To the Disability Rights Action Days 2024

Moira Lehmann interviewed Jahn Graf and Saphir Ben Dakon about the National Disability Rights Action Days. The two describe where Switzerland stands and how they envision an inclusive society. They themselves took part in the days of action and also had some critical words. You can read more about their views in the Luzerner Zeitung article.

Choose an offer

I am happy to accomplish your goals

Did you enjoy the gimpses into my work? Are you inspired and want to put your project into practice? I look forward to hearing from you.

Inclusive and Integrated Communication

Inclusion is not part of everyday life. Let's make it commonplace in communication.
Changing communication requires a clear understanding of language as a system and the resulting rhetoric in society. With this foundation, we are able to assess the influence of these conditions on individuals and organizations and counteract them. On this basis, the understanding of people with disabilities as an entitlement and target group can be promoted. Through knowledge of the recipients, inclusive messages on accessible channels are a matter of implementation.

Keynote and expert input

Disability is part of everyday life. Let's talk about it.
Disability affects all areas of life. In order to create inclusive structures in an organization and provide services for the target group of people with disabilities, inclusion must not only be understood as an overarching concept, but also as a cross-cutting issue. People with specialist expertise should be able to understand, apply and ultimately live inclusion in their specialist areas.

Project Work

We want to achieve great things, let's start small.
In addition to patience, innovative approaches are required to promote inclusion. A project often has to provide proof of impact. In order to achieve impact, a project must be designed with this focus in mind. The initial situation often involves many unknowns. Thanks to my many years of experience in associations and in inclusive project work, I can offer perspectives and create clarity.

Workshop

Inclusion is work. Let's tackle it together.
We need to talk about inclusion and we should do it in such a way that inclusion becomes a reality. The step from initial awareness-raising to personal and organizational change is particularly critical. The motivation that arises from raising awareness should be used in a targeted manner. To this end, interested parties must be given concrete recommendations for action and the necessary tools to implement them. Developing these in a participatory manner is the next step. Let's take it together.

Podium and Moderation

People need space. Inclusion makes it usable.
We need time and space to familiarize ourselves in depth with equity issues and make them useful for ourselves and our organizations. It is important for me to create such spaces in order to promote organizational and social discourse around disabilities.

Creative and Scientific Writing

Using words to describe realities and make them accessible.
In order to live inclusion, we must constantly address equity issues from different perspectives. Discussion is essential for topics to evolve. Clear words, in-depth research, hard and soft facts help us to create a strong foundation for this undertaking.