The European Disability Forum has elected its new governing bodies for the period 2026 – 2030 during our General Assembly in Limassol.
The governing bodies will be led by our new Presidente Gunta Anča.
Gunta Anča is a long-standing European disability rights leader with more than two decades of experience advancing equality and human rights for persons with disabilities. She is the Chairperson of the Latvian umbrella organisation of disability NGOs SUSTENTO.
Gunta has extensive experience working with EU institutions and civil society, including many years as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, where she contributed to policy debates on social inclusion, accessibility and equal rights. She has also served on the board of the European Women’s Lobby, strengthening the link between disability rights and gender equality.
Executive Committee
Our President is joined in the Executive Committee by:
Vice-Presidents:
- Thorkild Olesen, Chairman of the Disabled Peoples Organisation Denmark
- Nadia Hadad, co-chair of the European Network on Independent Living
Treasurer: Vera Bonvalot, Vice-President of the Brain Injured and Families European Federation
Secretary General: Ana Peláez Narváez, Commissioner for Women’s Affairs at the Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities
Members:
- Alexandre Bloxs, Policy Manager for the European Union of the Deaf
- Pietro Cirrincione, Board Member and former vice-president of Autism-Europe
- Meelis Joost, Chairman at Estonian Chamber of People with Disabilities
- Pirkko Anneli Mahlamäki, Finnish Disability Forum
- Jonathan Elebjörk Wahlström, European Federation of Hard of Hearing People and former co-chair of our Youth Committee
- Foteini Zafeiropoulou, Member of the Executive Secretariat of the National Confederation of Disabled People of Greece
Board
In addition to the President and members of the Executive Committee, the Board includes:
- Themida Anthopoulou, representing the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organisations (CCDo)
- Victoria Biber, representing the Austrian Disability Council (Der Österreichische Behindertenrat)
- Luisa Bosisio, representing the Italian Disability Forum (FID)
- Joachim Busch, representing the Deutscher Behindertenrat(DBR) the German Disability Council
- Rui Coimbras, representing the Cerebral Palsy – European Communities Association
- Manon Cools, representing the Belgian Disability Forum
- Soufiane El Amrani, representing Inclusion Europe
- Kristijan Grđan, representing Mental Health Europe
- Javier Güemes, representing the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities
- Sari Varpu Hirvonen-Skarbö, representing the European Association of Cochlear Implant Users
- Katarzyna Heba, representing the Polish Disability Forum
- Marica Mirić, Representing the Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities
- Guadalupe Morales, representing the European Network of (ex) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
- Bernadette Pilloy, representing the Conseil Français des personnes Handicapées pour les affaires Européennes et internationales
- Francesca Sbianchi, representing the European Blind Union
- Jean-Luc Simon, representing the Disabled Peoples’ International Europe
- Indrė Širvinskaitė, representing the Lithuanian Disability Forum
- Elaine Teague, representing the Disability Federation Ireland
- Lydia Vlagsma, representing Ieder(in), the National Dutch Disability Council
- Joeanna Xerri, representing the European Down Syndrome Association
Committees
The delegates also elected the members of the Finance Committee and Membership and Credential Committee.
The Membership and Credential Committee is composed of the Secretary General, Ana Peláez Narváez, and members Vera Bonvalot, Nadia Hadad and Victoria Bieber.
The Finance Committee is composed of the Treasurer, Vera Bonvalot, and members John Patrick Clarke, Maureen Piggot and Cristina Barreto Zurrón.