A group of Autism-Europe was at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023

On 30 November and 1 December 2023 was the European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023.

The European Day of Persons with Disabilities is an event for people with disabilities from Europe.

The European Day of Persons with Disabilities is EDPD for short.

EDPD happens every year in Brussels.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium.

Belgium is a country in Europe.

The European Disability Forum and the European Commission hold the EDPD every year.

The European Commission is like a government of the European Union.

The European Union is a group of 27 countries in Europe.

The European Disability Forum is an association that wants rights for all people with disabilities in Europe.

Rights are

• rules to protect and help people.
• not gifts.
• belong to you.

At EDPD, people talked about the elections for the European Parliament in 2024.

Elections are voting time.

The European Parliament is a place where its members make laws for the European Union.

All citizens of the European Union have the right to vote.

The elections for the European Parliament are European elections for short.

Still not every person with a disability will be able to vote in the European elections next year.

This is because people with disabilities in some countries:

• cannot get to the voting place
• cannot read the voting papers
• cannot understand how to vote
• are not allowed to vote

This is why some autistic people can’t vote in the European elections next year.

Autism-Europe wants all autistic people in the EU can vote in the European elections.

At the EDPD, people also talked about the right to work for people with disabilities.

Ben Rowsome spoke at the EDPD.

Ben is an autistic student from Ireland.

Ireland is a country in the European Union.

Ben is a member of the Youth Committee of the European Disability Forum for Autism-Europe.

Ben said getting a job for autistic people is very difficult.

For example, autistic people do not always know how to write a CV.

A CV is a list where people write what are their education and past jobs.

Autistic people also do not always know how to behave in a job interview.

This is because they do not always know what the job interviewer wants from them.

At the EDPD Helena Dalli gave out the Access City Award for 2024.

Helena Dalli is European Commissioner for Equality.

The Access City Award is a prize for the best cities without barriers in the EU.

Different cities across the European Union got different prizes.

South Dublin County got a special prize for removing accessibility barriers in the landscape.

South Dublin County is in Ireland.

South Dublin country made its playground autism friendly.

That means autistic children can use playgrounds in South Dublin country.

Saint-Quentin got the third prize of the Access City Award for 2024.

Saint-Quentin is a city in France.

France is a country in the EU.

Saint-Quentin put sensory tents in public spaces for autistic people.

San Cristobal de la Laguna got the first prize of Access City Award for 2024.

San Cristobal de la Laguna is a city on the island of Tenerife in Spain.

Spain is a country in the EU.

San Cristobal de la Laguna gives out sensory backpacks for music festivals.

With sensory backpacks people who cannot hear music can enjoy it through vibration.

San Cristobal de la Laguna also gives out papers in easy-to-read.