09:00 Opening of the conference:
Lars Søbye, Principal of Centre for Deafblindness and Hearing Loss, chair of the Local Planning Committee
Gillian Morbey, President of Deafblind International (DbI)
Mai Mercado, Minister for Children and Social Affairs in Denmark (video)
Ulla Astman, Chair of the Regional Council in The North Denmark Region
Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility (video)
Jude Nicholas, chair of the Scientific Committee

10:00 Coffee break

10:30 Jude Nicholas (Norway) and Liz Duncan (United Kingdom), Scientific Committee (SC) Introduction to the opening plenary speech and the sub topic Social Connectedness

10:45 Chief Executive Richard Hawkes, British Asian Trust (United Kingdom) and ass. prof. Niels-Henrik Møller Hansen, The Centre for Youth Research, Aalborg University (Denmark) Isolation according to Social connectedness – the general human aspect

11:45 Break

12:00 Workshops – Session 1 – see details

12:45 Lunch

14:15 Workshops – Session 2 – see details

15:00 Posters & coffee break – see poster details

15:30 Liz Duncan, SC Introduction

15:35 Scott Davert (USA) Technology according to social connectedness

16:15 Torbjörn Svensson (Sweden) and Machteld Cossee (The Netherlands) Identity according to social connectedness

16:45 Rasmus Munk Pedersen (Denmark) How talking tactile with more than one gives access to social connectedness

17:00-17.15 Ole E. Mortensen (Denmark) Ending the day

17.30-19.00 Special event (not part of the scientific programme):
The small world of Macteld Cossee – a documentary and following talk with Macteld Cossee Room: W1 / Det lille Teater (1st floor)

08:15 Practical information

08:30 Ole E. Mortensen Moderation

09:00 Jude Nicholas, SC Introduction to the sub topic Touch and to the plenary speech

09:05 Dr. Alberto Gallace, University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) Touch and the Body: tactile awareness and the science of interpersonal touch

10:15 Jude Nicholas and Linda Eriksson (Sweden), SC A brief response to the plenary

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Workshops – Session 3 – see details

11:45 Break

12:00 Workshops – Session 4 – see details

12:45 Lunch

14:15 Workshops – Session 5 – see details

15:00 Posters & coffee break – see poster details

15:30 Jude Nicholas and Linda Eriksson, SC Introducing the personal stories

15:45 Karine Vassbotn Hestholm (Norway) and Grzegorz Kozłowski (Poland) A personal story from a person with acquired deafblindness on the importance of the sense of touch

16:30 Grete Steigen (Norway) and Kari Schjøll Brede (Norway), SC A personal story from a parent/professional working with people with congenital deafblindness on the importance of the sense of touch in developing communication, reducing social isolation and improving social connections

17:00-17.15 Ole E. Mortensen Ending the day

17:30 Special event (not part of the scientific programme):
Demo: Tactile aids
Room W5 / Latinerstuen

08:15 Practical information

08:30 Ole E. Mortensen Moderation

09:00 Trees van Nunen (The Netherlands), SC Introduction to the sub topic Closeness and to the plenary speech

09:05 Prof. J.P.J. (Joris) Slaets, University Medical Centre Groningen (The Netherlands) Closeness and ageing

10:00 Liz Duncan and Sanja Tarczay (Croatia) Personal stories and the relation to deafblindness

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Marleen Janssen (The Netherlands) and Hans-Erik Frölander (Sweden) Introduction to the Research Symposium
Research Symposium with the presentation of the latest research – see details Room: PL / Europahallen
or

11.00 Special event (not part of the scientific programme): Ethics, Economy and Human Rights – the Great Debate – see details
Reflective presentations on financial, ethical and human right issues followed by a panel and plenary debate with focus on the tension between the three issues Room: W3 / Musiksalen
or

11.00 Special event (not part of the scientific programme): Visit to Centre for Deafblindness and Hearing Loss in Aalborg – see details

13:00 Lunch

14:15 Workshops – Session 6 – see details

15:00 Posters & coffee break – see poster details

15:30-17.00 Network meetings

18:45 Pre-dinner drinks and Social Dinner, Comwell Hotel Hvide Hus – see details

9:15 Practical information

9:30 Ole E. Mortensen Moderation
Speeches about the future from the voices of:

10:00 Frank Kat (The Netherlands) The future from the voice of DbI

10:15 Stefan Wiik (Sweden) The future from the voice of the parents

10:30 Sanja Tarczay (Croatia) The future from the voice of organizations of deafblindness

10:45 Coffee break

11:15 Henriette Hermann Olesen (Denmark), SC Introduction to the plenary speech

11.20 Ass. Prof Joakim Garff, Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre, University of Copenhagen (Denmark) In the vision of great Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard

11:55 Closing speech by SC

12:00 Gillian Morbey, DbI Awards and closing of the conference

13:00 Lunch or lunch-to-go