Vera Bonvalot Biography

VERA ‘s BIO: My name is Vera, in the first years of my career I worked in IT and pharmaceutical Laboratories. I suffered a brain injury at my 30s years old.

For many years now, I have been working to improve the rights and quality of life of persons with disabilities, particularly those living with cognitive disabilities after brain injury — an area that is still misunderstood and largely underrepresented in policy.

I am the Executive Director of the Portuguese NGO Associação NOVAMENTE, which helps persons to re start a new life, supports people and families living with acquired brain injury.

I also serve as Vice-President of the Brain Injured and Families European Federation

And in my country, Portugal, I am elected by Portuguese ONG President of the Independent mechanism monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Within the European Disability Forum, I have grown in knowledge and responsibility over the years. In the last mandate, as a member of the Executive Committee, I have worked to ensure that all disabilities is heard and represented at the European level.

I strongly believe in the principle “Nothing about us without us”. Diversity within the disability movement is essential if we want to represent all persons with disabilities.

My commitment is to continue strengthening the voice of persons with disabilities in Europe and to ensure that no disability — including invisible disability — remains invisible.

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Vera joined EDF in 2013 as a representative of the European NGO: BIF- Brain Injured People and Families – European Confederation. She is the Vice President of this Federation and Executive Director of the Portuguese NGO called “NOVAMENTE“. BIF is the NGO that represents, supports and defends people who became disabled due to an unexpected brain injury. It’s people like Vera who had an unexpected head trauma that radically changed her life.

Vera has been a member of our board since 2013, and a speaker at thousands of conferences and study panels in Europe. She was recently elected by Portuguese NGOs to defend the human rights of the World Health Organization. She is also a delegate Member of the European Economic and Social Committee.

She speaks 5 languages.