A delegation led by our President, Yannis Vardakastanis, met the Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, on 22 May to call for stronger legislation that upholds our rights.
The meeting followed the recommendations by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with disabilities.
Our delegation asked for the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 to be updated with new actions. The Strategy is the Union’s guide to advancing disability rights until 2030. However, all flagship actions but one were completed. That is why we call for new commitments, including:
- A Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, which should financially support the employment of persons with disabilities;
- A new regulatory European agency for accessibility;
- A fund for accessibility in the new European plan on affordable housing;
- Legislation on the affordability of assistive technology.
We discussed how the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034 should do more to support the rights of persons with disabilities. This includes:
- Guarantee strong funding for organisations of persons with disabilities and related activities.
- Properly fund the initiatives established by the Disability Rights Strategy.
- Safeguards to guarantee that no funding goes to initiatives that infringe the rights of persons with disabilities.
We outlined the need to reverse the course on the proposed withdrawal of the EU Directive on Equal Treatment.
We underlined the need for disability inclusion in emergency preparedness and disaster management. We put particular focus on the need to support local organisations of persons with disabilities as humanitarian responders and to improve information gathering on the number of persons with disabilities impacted by crises.
Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said:
Thank you for sharing your ideas for improving the lives of persons with disabilities. Your work – our work together – helps to build a strong second phase of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For a Union that is fairer and more inclusive.
Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, stated:
I appreciated the fruitful discussion with Commissioner Lahbib. I explained our view: the United Nations Committee’s observations must be the starting point of a strong second phase of the Disability Rights Strategy.
Related documents
- Ensuring the next EU budget supports disability rights
- 10 key recommendations to the European Union by United Nations disability experts.
- Updated EU Disability Rights Strategy
Contacts
André Félix
Communications Manager – European Disability Forum