Interviews and conversations about inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Listen to stories of everyday inclusion experienced and told by self-advocates across Europe. We talk Ambitions. Rights. Belonging.
Wind of Change: Conversation with Jeanne Nicklas-Faust about family, political change, and her vision as Inclusion Europe's new president
In this episode of Inclusion Europe Radio, Jeanne Nicklas-Faust, director of Lebenshilfe Germany and president of Inclusion Europe, speaks about raising her daughter Eva, who has a severe intellectual disability.
Jeanne talks about how Eva’s diagnosis changed her family’s life, why naming the disability matters, and how families can support siblings. She also shares how her volunteer work grew into a career in disability rights and leadership.
The conversation also explores progress in inclusive education and community living, as well as ongoing challenges such as institutionalisation, funding restrictions, and bureaucracy.
As president of Inclusion Europe, Jeanne shares her vision for stronger self-advocacy, greater family involvement, and continued action for deinstitutionalisation.
00:12 Meet Jeanne Nicklas-Faust
00:58 Eva's diagnosis
03:39 Reactions of family and friends
04:27 Sibling support
06:05 From volunteer to director at Lebenshilfe
08:24 Political setbacks for inclusion in Germany and Europe
15:12 Vision for Inclusion Europe
19:57 Joint action as a source of hope
21:14 How humor strengthens community
24 Jun 2026
Person-centred planning: Conversation with Milena Johnová about inclusion (and segregation) in Czechia
The first Czech book on person-centred planning, and the work that inspired it.
Milena Johnová has just published the first Czech-language book on person-centred planning. In this episode, she talksabout why she wrote it, what she learned in the process, and the stories behind the work — including a woman who left an institution and now lives independently with no formal support at all, and the closure of Svojšice, an institution near Prague where over 100 people moved into lives of their own choosing.
The conversation also turns to a harder truth: Prague, one of the wealthiest regions in Europe, still sends people with disabilities to institutions hours away from their families. Johnová explains what's really driving the slow pace of deinstitutionalisation in the Czechia, and why she believes the answer starts with simply listening to people.
In this episode:
00:00 Welcome to Prague
00:43 Why Write the Book
02:54 Roots of Segregation
04:55 Alliances for Inclusion
06:45 Services vs Community
08:38 Barbora’s Journey Home
12:28 Closing Svojšice Institution
16:54 Real Choice in Practice
18:00 Prague Removing Disabled People to Institutions
23:06 Horní Poustevna Legacy
25:04 Building New Institutions
26:37 Changing Minds and Systems
29:37 Podcast Picks and Farewell
3 Apr 2026
From practice to policy: How Czechia's reform shaped European deinstitutionalisation - Conversation with Jan Pfeiffer
In this episode, we talk to psychiatrist Jan Pfeiffer about mental health reform in Czechia and how this helped create a broader European deinstitutionalisation movement.
As a psychiatrist Jan realised early on in his work that institutions were more harmful than helpful to the people who lived there. So, he decided to make a change. Since the 1980s he has been working to close institutions on both national and European level.
When the case of a young boy who had been forced to live in a caged bed in a Czech institution became public and gained international attention J.K. Rowling got involved. As more and more countries joined the EU, Jan and J.K. Rowling decided to take the issue of institutionalisation to Brussels.
Jan ended up working on this in many different countries. Key lessons include the importance of collaboration, using resources better, and keeping a clear focus on people’s needs and rights.
For this, Jan helped create the European Expert Group on the transition from institutions to community-based support (EEG).
Finally, Jan speaks about the impact of the mental health reform for people with intellectual disabilities, especially those with complex support needs.
This episode is co-funded by the European Union.
In this episode:
00:00 Introduction
03:32 Working with J.K. Rowling
06:29 Taking deinstitutionalisation to the EU level
11:34 EEG is born
15:46 Collaboration is important
22:04 Mental health reform in Czechia
28:15 Closing institutions is necessary for deinstitutionalisation
33:29 Focus on the people inside, not the buildings
39:02 People with intellectual disabilities and complex support needs in institutions
Who has been a guest on Inclusion Europe Radio
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Theresa Shearer
Nic Crosby
Peter Fremlin
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