This January, the GOLD – Getting Older with a Disability project held the Transnational Training of Trainers, focusing on Support for Ageing Persons with Disabilities, which took place from 20 to 22 January 2026 at Aproximar, in Lisbon.
This moment brought together the GOLD project consortium partners from Portugal, Italy, Romania, France, Belgium, and Austria, along with professionals working daily with people with disabilities, professionals working daily with older adults and, European representatin organisations of older adults and personswith disabilities, as well as researchers in the field of ageing. These professionals were invited by the consortium partners to take part in this key milestone for the GOLD project.
The Transnational Training of Trainers on Support for Ageing Persons with Disabilities was designed to test and validate the project’s e-learning training course. During these days, participants explored the training platform, had a brief overview of the modules and tested digital platform. This hands-on approach allowed the consortium to assess how the course works in practice, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and collect technical feedback.
At the end of the Transnational Training of Trainers, the consortium partners held a full day of internal meetings to thoroughly review all the feedback collected during the two intensive days of training and to design the next steps for the project.
If you want to know more about the training course, stay tuned for upcoming publications.
As part of the Transnational Training of Trainers (TTL) of the GOLD project, Aproximar organized a visit to CERCICA in Cascais on January 21, 2026. Partners and professionals were welcomed by Coordinator Joana Bettencourt, who shared the organization’s mission, presented its facilities, and provided a realistic overview of the daily life of people with disabilities who live at or attend CERCICA during the day.
This visit echoed a key question: “Our residents are ageing — time to rethink social-care!”
Throughout the morning, this question guided the conversations, sparking lively discussions on innovative practices, monitoring strategies, and emerging needs. Partners exchanged ideas with the CERCICA teams, gathering valuable insights to enhance the GOLD project’s outcomes.
More than a visit, it was a transnational exchange of knowledge and experience, connecting partners, researchers, and professionals, and reinforcing the link between theory and practice.
