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New Euro campaign aims to promote disability rights

2003 is the European Year of Disabled People and the aim is to promote the rights and participation of disabled people throughout the European Union (EU).

The year is being organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Disability Forum. In the UK, the Disability Unit within the Department for Work and Pensions has set up a National Co-ordinating Committee and a Government Steering Group. These groups will develop, agree, implement, oversee and evaluate the programme of activity during the year.

Conferences and a range of other events are on the agenda – including a Peoples March across the 15 EU member states starting in Greece this month. It is hoped that the year will also provide an opportunity to collect and analyse data to give a more accurate EU-wide picture of disability. It is believed that one in ten of the EU’s 37 million people has a disability.

According to the organisers, the year is “an historic opportunity to improve the situation of disabled people throughout Europe. We have very high expectations for concrete outcomes of 2003: action at national level to prevent discrimination, new initiatives and new and stronger alliances.

“Disabled people are citizens with equal rights. We are active as politicians, workers, consumers, tax payers. New measures and active involvement from all sectors should lead to a positive change in the way our societies include disabled people. 2003 shall be the start of a new era, a new way in which society will look at people with disabilities.”

For more information, visit www.eypd2003.org or www.disability.gov.uk and link to the European Year of Disabled People.