To: Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality; Preparedness and Crisis Management;
Dear Commissioner,
On behalf of the European Disability movement, we would like to congratulate you on your appointment and affirm our support and cooperation in advancing disability rights in the EU.
As you know, there are over 100 million persons with disabilities living in the EU, and significant challenges remain to guarantee our rights and inclusion in society:
- 28.4% of persons with disabilities remain at risk of poverty and social exclusion, compared to 17.8% of those without disabilities.
- Only 50.6% of men and 45.9% of women with disabilities are employed, often in part-time or low-paid jobs.
- 1.4 million persons with disabilities in the EU are confined to segregating institutions.
- Only 29.4% attain a tertiary degree compared to 43.8% without disabilities.
In addition, many barriers in the physical and digital world still prevent many persons with disabilities from enjoying full and effective participation on an equal basis with others. And many persons with disabilities continue to experience discrimination.
The last mandate, under the leadership of the first ever Commissioner for Equality, saw good progress in asserting our rights, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the EU and all Member States. This was assured by the adoption of the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, especially through a list of specific flagship initiatives and actions after meaningfully consulting representative organisations of persons with disabilities. This Strategy led to important achievements, such as the adoption of the European Disability Card and Parking Card.
Given that the Strategy lacks flagship initiatives after this year, it is our highest
priority that you swiftly adopt a new set of actions for the Strategy, actions that should be achieved during your mandate.
Therefore, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we call on you to firmly commit to advancing disability rights by confirming that the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 will be updated with new flagship initiatives and actions.
The actions should be in line with the priorities of the European disability movement, including establishing a European Agency for Accessibility, creating the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, promoting legislation on the affordability and availability of assistive technologies and ensuring the full inclusion and perspective of women and girls with disabilities, as well as the perspective of persons with disabilities with other intersectional identities.
The actions should also lead to incorporating the disability perspective in all equality strategies and action plans under your responsibility, such as the Roadmap for Gender Equality, the future Gender Equality Strategy, the LGBTI Equality Strategy, and the Anti-Racism Strategy. The Strategy should further guarantee that all regulations and guidance related to the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework adhere to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We also call on you to ensure that all plans and actions relating to crisis management and preparedness are disability-inclusive.
The European Commission needs to guarantee that financial resources and expertise are allocated to continue the progress made last term, specifically by:
- Appointing experts on disability policies in your cabinet and in the cabinet of the Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness.
- Strengthening the role and responsibilities, expertise and resources of the Equality Taskforce within the Secretary General of the European Commission, as well as of the equality coordinators across the Commission services. The Taskforce should also become more visible and transparent to the public and closely cooperate with civil society organisations working on equality policies.
- Ensure that the College of Commissioners also has the resources necessary to ensure that disability rights are mainstreamed in all policies and legislation.
- Guarantee a high level of disability rights expertise in the Commission’s focal point for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Adequately fund organisations of persons with disabilities at the European and national levels and ensure their close involvement in all relevant actions.
We are committed to supporting you in your work towards a real Union of Equality. Therefore, in the spirit of close cooperation and of the motto of our movement “nothing about us without us”, we, the representatives of the European disability movement, would like to request a meeting with you to effectively chart the path ahead on disability rights.
We wish you success in your position and look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Signatories:
European and international organisations
European Disability Forum
Action Européen des Handicapées
Alzheimer Europe
ARFIE (Association for Research and Training on Integration in Europe)
Association International Aphasie
Association for Supported Employment Europe
Autism Europe
Brain Injured People and Families – European Confederation
CEFEC – Social Firms Europe
Cerebral Palsy in the European Union Association
COFACE Families Europe
Design for All Europe – EIDD
Disabled Peoples’ International Europe
DYSNET-Dysmelia Network
European Alliance of Neuromuscular Disorders Associations
European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities
European Blind Union
Euro-ataxia
EURO-CIU
European Council of Autistic People
European Deaf Students’ Union
European Deafblind Network
European Deafblind Union
European Down Syndrome Association
European Dyslexia Association
European Federation of Hard of Hearing People
European Guide Dog Federation
European ME Alliance
European Multiple Sclerosis Association
European Network on Independent Living
European Network of (ex) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
European Ostomy Association
European Platform for Rehabilitation
EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe
European Spinal Cord Injury Federation
European Union of the Deaf
European Union of the Deaf Youth
FEDEPA – European Federation of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children
Inclusion Europe
International Federation of Persons with Physical Disabilities – FIMITIC
International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Light for the World
Mental Health Europe
Sightsavers
National organisations
Belgium
Belgian Disability Forum
Gelijke Rechten voor Iedere Persoon met een handicap – GRIP
Austria
Austrian Disabilty Council – Österreichische Behindertenrat
Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs
ILCO Dachverband Österreich
Bulgaria
National Council of People with Disabilities in Bulgaria
Union of the Disabled People in Bulgaria
Alzheimer Bulgaria Association
Croatia
Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities – SOIH
Cyprus
Cyprus Confederation of Organisations of the Disabled – KYSOA
Denmark
Disabled Peoples Organisation Denmark – Danske Handicaporganisationer
Dansk Blindesamfund
Danish Ostomy Association
Estonia
Estonian Chamber of Disabled People – EPIKODA
Finland
Finnish Disability Forum
Threshold Association
Åland Islands Disability Rights Federation (autonomous region)
Finnilco
France
Conseil Français des Personnes Handicapées pour les affaires Européennes et internationales (France)
France Alzheimer et maladies apparentées
Fondation paralysie cérébrale
Association Française de l’Ataxie de Friedreich
Germany
Deutscher Behindertenrat
Greece
National Confederation of Disabled People in Greece- ESAMEA
Hellenic Friedreich’s Ataxia Association
Hungary
FEZT – National Council of Associations of Persons with Disabilities
Ireland
Disability Federation of Ireland
Irish Wheelchair Association
Italy
Italian Disability Forum
CBM Italia
Latvia
Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations – SUSTENTO
Lithuania
Lithuanian Disability Forum
Dementia Lithuania
Luxembourg
Info-Handicap (Luxembourg)
Malta
Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD)
Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability – Malta
Malta Dementia Society
Poland
Polish Disability Forum – PFON
Fundacja ,,APROBATA’
Polish Alzheimer’s Association
Portugal
Portuguese National Confederation of Organisations of Disabled People – CNOD
Portuguese Association of Hereditary Ataxias
Romania
Romanian National Disability Council – Consiliul Național al Dizabilității din România
Bucovina Institute Association
Slovenia
Slovenian National Disability Council
Slovakia
Slovak Disability Forum (SFOZP)
Spain
Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities – CERMI
Fundación Alzheimer España
Sweden
The Swedish Disability Rights Federation – Funktionsrätt Sveriges
Dementia Association in Sweden
Newcomers with Disabilities in Sweden
The Netherlands
Ieder(in) – Dutch umbrella organisations of persons with disabilities and chronic diseases
Armenia
Alzheimer’s Care Armenia
Kosovo
Kosovo Disability Forum
Moldova
Association Alliance of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities
Obștească Centrul pentru Drepturile Persoanelor cu Dizabilități – CDPD
North Macedonia
Alzheimer’s Disease and Neuroscience-Skopje, North Macedonia
Norway
Disabled Youth Norway
Serbia
Serbian Society for Alzheimer’s Disease
Ukraine
National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine
United Kingdom
Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Association
Ostomy Life
AT Society