Activities
ACTIVITIES
CILIA is built around five areas of work. Each one has a clear purpose and a set of concrete activities that together move us from research to real-world impact. Here is what we do and how.
1. Project Management
Every project needs someone making sure the pieces connect. This is where we keep communication flowing, deadlines on track, and partners aligned across six countries.
Kick-off Meeting — Bastia, France
At the very start of the project, all six partner organisations meet in person in France. This is where we agree on how we will work together, clarify responsibilities, and set the tone for the two years ahead.
Ongoing Coordination
Throughout the project, partners meet online every month to share updates, flag any issues early, and make sure everything stays on schedule. All documents and materials are shared on a common digital workspace so everyone has access to what they need.
Final Meeting — Thessaloniki, Greece
At the end of the project, partners gather in Greece to review what has been achieved, draw lessons, and agree on how the project’s results will continue to be used after CILIA officially closes.
2. CILIA Framework Setup
Before developing any training or tools, we listen. This section is about understanding what educators and people with disabilities actually need, and building a shared approach across all partner countries.
Local Focus Groups
Each partner organisation runs a focus group in their own country, bringing together adult educators, caregivers, and people with disabilities. These conversations help us understand what is working, what is missing, and what kind of support educators most need when teaching independent living skills.
The CILIA Swapping Gathering — Bulgaria
Once each country has gathered its local findings, all partners come together in Bulgaria for a knowledge-exchange event. We compare notes, identify common challenges, and collectively shape the approach that will guide everything else CILIA develops.
The CILIA Handbook
The outcome of all this listening and exchanging is a practical, hands-on guide for adult educators. Written in plain language and translated into all six partner languages, the Handbook covers topics like inclusive teaching strategies, how to support people with different types of disabilities, and how to use digital tools in the classroom. It is designed to be useful long after the project ends.
3. CILIA Digital Learning Space
CILIA develops three digital resources — all free to use — that give educators and people with disabilities practical support for learning and daily life.
E-Learning Modules
A series of online learning modules covering the key areas of independent living education: from communication and daily routines, to managing money, getting around, knowing your rights, and staying safe. Each module includes a short video and a quiz. All content is available in six languages.
The CILIA Online Platform
A dedicated website where educators can access all the modules, find teaching materials ready to use in their sessions, and connect with other professionals working in the same field. The platform stays open and free after the project ends.
The CILIA Mobile App
A mobile application that works in two ways. For educators, it provides quick-access teaching aids and accessibility guidance they can use directly in sessions with learners. For people with disabilities, it serves as a daily support tool with features like task reminders, navigation help, and emergency assistance. Users can personalise the app to match their own needs — whether they have a visual, hearing, cognitive, or mobility impairment.
4. CILIA Learning Experiences
Having good resources is not enough. Educators also need the chance to practise, ask questions, and learn from each other. These two training programmes do exactly that.
Training Programme 1 — Corsica, France
The first training brings educators from all partner countries together in France for five days. The focus is on inclusive teaching: how to adapt your approach for different learners, how to support people with disabilities in developing everyday life skills, and how to put the CILIA Handbook into practice.
Training Programme 2 — Thessaloniki, Greece
The second training takes place in Greece and focuses on digital tools. Educators learn how to use the CILIA Online Platform and Mobile App with their learners, and explore practical ways to bring technology into independent living education. Everyone who completes a training programme receives a Europass certificate — a recognised European document that records the skills they have gained.
5. CILIA Impact & Dissemination
The work CILIA does needs to reach beyond the six partner organisations. This is how we make sure the project’s results are shared widely and continue to make a difference.
The CILIA Website and Social Media
A dedicated project website keeps everyone informed about news, events, and resources. We are also active on social media, sharing updates and making it easy for educators and organisations across Europe to follow along and access what we produce.
Local Events
Each partner country organises a public event to present the project’s results to local educators, disability organisations, and decision-makers. These events are open to anyone interested in independent living education — not just people involved in the project.
European Final Conference — Thessaloniki, Greece
At the close of the project, we bring stakeholders from across Europe together in Thessaloniki to share what CILIA has achieved and explore how its approach can continue to grow. The conference is an opportunity for educators, researchers, policymakers, and disability advocates to connect and exchange ideas.
Video Documentary
A short film produced by our Bulgarian partner AIM captures the journey of the project — the people involved, the activities carried out, and the difference it makes for educators and people with disabilities.
All Resources Stay Free
Every digital resource CILIA develops — the platform, the modules, the app — remains freely available after the project officially ends. We are committed to making sure the work outlasts the funding.
