The European Union has 3 main bodies:

• the European Commission
  The people of the European Commission
  suggest laws for the European Union.

• the European Parliament
  The people of the European Parliament
  are elected by all people in Europe
  to stand for their rights.

• The Council of the European Union
  People who make decisions
  in every country of the European Union
  come together and make
  the Council of the European Union.

These 3 bodies are very important for the European Union.

They work closely together to make things better in Europe:

• The European Commission suggests laws.
• The European Parliament
  and the Council of the European Union
  discuss these laws and decide if they want these laws
  to happen in Europe.

If they decide that a law must happen in Europe,
all countries of the European Union must work
to make this law happen in them.

How does the European Union protect people with disabilities?

The European Union must work to protect the rights of all people. 

It should protect the rights of people with disabilities too.

It must make sure that they are treated fairly
and they have same chances in life as all other people.

The European Union and its countries
have signed the ‘UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’.

In short, we call it the ‘UN Convention’. 

The UN Convention is a document that says
what rights people with disabilities have
and how countries should protect these rights. 

By signing the UN Convention,
the European Union agreed to do what the UN Convention says
to protect people with disabilities. 

For example, the European Union agreed to make sure
that all people with disabilities:

• Have same chances in life as all other people, 
• Are not treated unfairly or badly just because they have a disability, 
• Can take part in the community as everyone else.

The European Union has made an important law
that protects the rights of all people.

This law is called the ‘European Charter of Fundamental Rights’. 

This law protects people with disabilities too. 

For example, it says that people with disabilities
have the right to: 

• Live an independent life, 
• Have a job,
• Be part of the community, 
• Take part in all things in life like all other people. 

It also says that it is against the law to treat people unfairly
just because they have a disability.

The European Union makes important plans
in order to better organise its work on the rights
of people with disabilities. 

We call these plans ‘Disability Strategies’. 

These strategies help the European Union
to plan their work ahead and make things better
for people with disabilities in Europe. 

The European Union asks its countries
to use the European money for the good of all people. 

The European Union gives money to its countries.

The countries should spend this money
to make schools, streets and other things
that are important for people. 

This money is very important
for people with disabilities too. 

It can be used to make things accessible
so that people with disabilities can use them. 

For example, this money can be used
to make schools, offices, metros, buses and other things accessible. 

This way people with disabilities can study, work
and take part in life like everyone else. 

To get this money from the European Union,
countries should agree to use this money
for the good of people with disabilities too.

They should not use this money for things
that leave people with disabilities out. 

They should use this money to make things accessible for them.

The European Union has made laws that allow people and things
to move freely among its countries. 

We call this ‘Freedom of Movement’. 

Freedom of movement means that all people in the European Union
have the right to:

• move, work, study and live
  in any country of the European Union.

• For example, a German person can move to France
  to study or work.
• buy and sell things and services in other countries
  of the European Union more easily. 

• For example, a Spanish person can buy a computer from Italy
  without extra taxes.

• transfer money, open a bank account or buy a house
  in other countries of the European Union. 
• For example, a French person can buy a house in Greece
  and pay the same price as people who live in Greece. 

Freedom of movement is a very important right. 

The European Union works to make sure that
people with disabilities enjoy freedom of movement too.