FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES
National Network
Romania
Address
Bucharest, Sector 4, Strada Semeneic, nr. 1, Bl. 23, scara 2, ap. 120Country
City
Sector 4Province
BucurestiMobile Phone
+40722669525Telephone
+40722669525E-Mail (2)
marinacorneliu@yahoo.comWebsite
Click HereYear of Establishment
2025Contact Person1
Corneliu MarinaJob Title 1
President and FounderContact Person 2
Cătălina UțăJob Title 2
Vice PresidentOrganisation Type
Non-Governmental OrganizationFields of Activity
Arts, Democracy and community development, Heritage, Human rights, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Others, Youth and educationGeneral Information
Better Inclusion was established in 2025 by Corneliu Marina Roxana, a young activist with disabilities (hearing loss, dyslexia, and ADHD), as part of a European Solidarity Corps project aiming to redefine how inclusion and accessibility are approached in Romania.
It is a youth-led, volunteer-based NGO, with three founders and a network of young volunteers. The organization currently has no paid staff, operating through solidarity, participation, and collaboration with local and national partners.
Better Inclusion promotes inclusion, accessibility, and mental health awareness through education, art, culture, and digital innovation.
Its main activities include the B-Inclusive Campaign, which features a pilot project in Bucharest: offering workshops for teachers and students on disability diversity, and the B-Inclusive Festival, Romania’s first festival dedicated to art, dialogue, and accessibility.
Main partners: Ministry of Culture, Bucharest City Hall, ARCUB, and NGOs in the disability and cultural sectors. Annual resources: approx. €10,000 (European Solidarity Corps funded).
Mission and Objectives
Better Inclusion aims to bring a fresh, honest, and bold voice to disability advocacy in Romania and beyond. We recognize that disability, visible or invisible, is more common than society admits, yet it is often hidden, misunderstood, or pushed “under the rug.” Our mission is to break the silence and stigma by normalizing open conversations about disability, medical conditions, mental health, and diversity as everyday realities.
We empower individuals, especially young people and marginalized communities, to challenge outdated narratives and tired advocacy models by creating inclusive spaces where everyone can participate fully, express their authentic selves, and be recognized not despite, but because of their unique experiences and identities.
Through culture, art, education, and innovation, we want to ignite a movement that shifts how society understands and embraces disability, not as a problem to fix, but as a natural and valuable part of human diversity.
Objectives:
- To raise awareness and challenge stereotypes about disability, embracing the full diversity of bodies, minds, and experiences, including non-visible disabilities such as mental health conditions, neurodiversity, and chronic illnesses.
- Challenge stereotypes and outdated models of advocacy by promoting inclusive, intersectional, and innovative approaches that reflect lived experiences.
- Develop and deliver accessible educational programs and workshops for teachers, youth workers, and communities to foster empathy, inclusion, and practical skills.
- Use art, culture, and digital innovation as tools to amplify marginalized voices, dismantle social barriers, and create engaging platforms for dialogue.
- Build and sustain partnerships locally and internationally to foster intercultural exchange and solidarity in inclusion and accessibility efforts.
- Empower young people with disabilities and allies to become leaders and agents of change, encouraging them to break social norms and influence policies on equality and inclusion.
- Implement community-led projects like the B-Inclusive Festival and pilot workshops in schools as replicable models to promote accessibility, empathy, and cultural transformation.
Main Projects / Activities
B-Inclusive Festival: Art, Dialogue and Accessibility
From October 3 to 5, 2025, Bucharest hosted the first edition of the B-Inclusive Festival, a pioneering three-day event dedicated to promoting inclusion, accessibility, and cultural participation as a fundamental right. Organized within the framework of a European Solidarity Corps project called “CAPABIL – Campaign for greater inclusion of young people with disabilities in Bucharest,” the festival featured theatre performances, art exhibitions, conferences, and interactive workshops designed to be fully accessible and welcoming to diversity.
Key highlights included debates with local and European experts on accessibility, panels addressing inclusive education, urban infrastructure, and professional inclusion, along with community social events. An art-therapy exhibition and theatre performances encouraged empathy and dialogue. The festival ensured full accessibility by providing wheelchair access, Romanian sign language interpretation, personal assistance, and specialized support for children with special educational needs.
Pilot Project Workshops in Schools
As part of the B-Inclusive Campaign, we implemented pilot workshops in schools in Bucharest aimed at fostering empathy and understanding among students. Through experiential exercises, students participated in activities simulating different types of disabilities which encouraged teamwork and accommodation. This immersive approach helped students see life from diverse perspectives and nurtured a natural sense of community and compassion. The workshops also provided training to help students understand the diversity of bodies and minds while debunking stereotypes about disability. By breaking down fears and misconceptions about difference, these sessions aim to cultivate inclusive attitudes and empower young people to support each other authentically.
How can you contribute to the Network in your country?
Better Inclusion brings practical experience in designing and implementing fully accessible cultural events and educational programs that combine art, digital innovation, and advocacy. We offer tested models for empathy-building workshops that actively engage youth in understanding disability diversity, including invisible disabilities and mental health.
Our strengths include:
- Expertise in creating inclusive, replicable formats focused on culture and education, such as the B-Inclusive Festival and school-based empathy workshops, which can be adapted by other Network members to foster inclusion in their own communities.
- A strong network of local partners from cultural institutions, public authorities, and disability organizations who can serve as experts in the disability sector as well as a foundation for regional collaboration.
- Capacity to facilitate youth leadership and civic engagement among marginalized groups, empowering new voices for social change.
- Commitment to expanding these initiatives transnationally, helping the ALF Network grow its impact on inclusion through cultural dialogue and innovation.
We bring both grassroots activism and project management experience that can enrich the Network’s work on diversity and accessibility in Romania and beyond.
Why do you want to join the ALF Network?
We want to join the Anna Lindh Foundation Network because we are particularly interested in building new partnerships to transform the B-Inclusive Festival into an international movement. We seek to connect with organizations and individuals who share our passion for cultural arts, disability rights, and inclusion, with the goal of co-creating a powerful, community-driven event. Our vision is to open spaces, from museums and theatres to opera houses, coffee shops, and libraries, that are fully accessible and welcoming, as well as promoting healthy and authentic representation of the disability community within the cultural sector.
Being part of the ALF Network will help us expand this vision beyond Romania, learning from others and joining forces to make inclusion through art and culture a vibrant, shared manifesto for communities across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Together, we want to break barriers, challenge stereotypes, and ensure that cultural participation is truly accessible to all.