The Zero Project Conference 2026 convened against a backdrop of quiet persistence. The SUPPORT project, coordinated through the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), presented models of employment that move beyond the charity of the past. These are not mere workshops, but concrete pathways into the open labor market, designed to ensure that a disability does not dictate the boundary of a person’s contribution.
The human center of this gathering was found in the small, practical details of the workplace. One could hear the slight, metallic echo of a wheelchair crossing the polished stone floor of the rotunda, a sound that underscored the very presence of those whose right to work is enshrined in Article 27 of the UN Convention. The project’s focus remained on the "how"—the specific adjustments and support structures that allow a person to enter an office or a factory not as a guest, but as a colleague.
The initiative finds its roots in the vision of Martin Essl, whose foundation launched the Zero Project to identify a world without barriers. By evaluating hundreds of practices from across the globe, the conference highlights those rare moments where institutional will meets individual need. The SUPPORT project’s models are now part of this ledger, providing a blueprint for how a supervisor might rethink a task or how a team might adapt its communication.
As the sessions concluded in Vienna, the significance of the work was found not in the speeches, but in the reality of the 500 practice nominations reviewed during this cycle. Each represents a person who, through a simple change in environment or a specialized bit of training, has moved from the sidelines of society into the steady rhythm of a professional life.