From 27 to 29 January 2026, the consortium of the SHIELD project held its Kick-off Meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania. Led by the German Johanniter-Akademie Mitteldeutschland in Leipzig, SHIELD aims to strengthen the resilience, safety and participation of people with disabilities to emergency preparedness and disaster management. A dozen participants from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania and Slovakia met to discuss the implementation of the multidisciplinary project, which is co-funded by an Erasmus+ grant. The project will run until November 2027. 

On the final day, participants visited the Lithuanian Red Cross, which plays a key role in the country’s civil protection system. Discussions focused on the specific needs of people with disabilities and on current gaps in training and preparedness.

The second day was dedicated to meetings with Lithuanian stakeholders  active in civil protection and disaster preparedness. Presentations followed by in-depth discussions were held with representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Civil Security Department, the Fire and Rescue Department, the General Emergency Assistance Centre and the Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

On the final day, a visit was organised at the Red Cross premises, which is playing a prominent role in civil protection in Lithuania. The discussions focused again on the specific needs and current training gaps regarding people with disabilities.

Finally, after what was perceived by all participants to be a successful start of the project, participants jointly refined  the questions for the upcoming focus groups and expert interviews that will be conducted in the coming weeks.