Disability Strategy of the European Union
Disability Strategy of the European Union : A society open and accessible to all is the goal of the European Union (EU) Disability Strategy. The barriers need to be identified and removed. This approach has been stimulated by the United Nations Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The Strategy has three main focuses: (1) cooperation between the European Commission and the EU Member States; (2) full participation of people with disabilities; (3) mainstreaming disability in policy formulation. The European Commission considers that people with disabilities should be involved in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of changes in policies, practices and programmes. The Commission's dialogue with the European Disability Forum (EDF), an umbrella organization, is an example of such practice. The Commission is committed to involving the social partners in efforts to integrate people with disabilities into the labour market. The social partners adopted a Joint Declaration on the Employment of People with Disabilities in 1999. Another example is the EQUAL initiative (2000-06), where social partners and other key players, including representatives of groups who are discriminated against in the labour market, are involved in developing and testing out new ideas on job creation. The Commission pays particular attention to disability aspects in its socio-economic policies, programmes and projects. The Unit for the Integration of People with Disabilities is responsible for mainstreaming disability matters within the Commission. Its purpose is to raise awareness of disability matters and to facilitate and encourage cooperation among Directorates-General. Most of the practical work of making a society accessible can best be achieved in the Member States. The subsidiarity principle applies - what can be achieved better at national level shall be done at national level. But even where the Member States are the principal actors, the Commission may play a part by aiming to: (1) strengthen cooperation with and between the Member States in the disability field; (2) promote the collection, exchange and development of comparable information and statistics, and good practice; (3) raise awareness of disability issues; (4) take account of disability issues in all policy making and legislative work of the Commission - external and internal. A forum for exchange with the Member States is the High Level Group of Member States' Representatives on Disability which meets on a regular basis. Awareness raising is part of the European Day of Disabled People, which takes place in December each year, and of the National Information Days on disability issues. The year 2003 was designated as the European Year of Disabled People. Changing attitudes towards people with disabilities in the area of employment is a key issue. Disability aspects are included in the National Action Plans on, Employment and in the National Action Plans against Poverty and Social Exclusion. In deciding on an EU Anti-discrimination Directive in November 2000, the Member States undertook (if they have not already done so) to prohibit discrimination of people with disabilities and others in the labour market, in the workplace and in vocational training. Reasonable accommodation - adaptation - of the workplaces to the needs of people who have disabilities is a major change in this legislation. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000) combined in a single text the civil, political, economic, social and societal rights hitherto laid down in a variety of international, European or national sources. See: EQUAL; Equal treatment in employment and occupation; Disability and work; Disabled people; Discrimination
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