Our 10 October workshop explored how national disability strategies should support the rights of persons with disabilities. Representatives of national organisations of persons with disabilities from Greece, Austria and Malta shared their experience identifying common points and shared learnings.
Speakers included:
- Antonia Pavli, representing the National Confederation of Disabled People of Greece
- Nicola Onome Sommer, representing the Austrian Disability Council.
- Marthese Mugliette, representing Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disability
Main conclusions included that:
- Cooperation is key. Excluding relevant stakeholders from participating and contributing to discussions limits the effectiveness and impact of disability strategies.
- National strategies must cover a large spectrum of areas to be effective, including accessibility, independent living, health, education, employment and awareness-raising.
- Having a strategy in place is just the first step. Implementation and an efficient monitoring system have a positive impact.
The Greek disability strategy – an ongoing effort
Antonia Pavli explained how the National Confederation of Disabled People of Greece, is contributing towards the development of the Greek National Disability Strategy.
She explained that after that the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had called on Greece to transition from an “action plan” to a consistent Strategy.
National authorities then presented the plan to establish a national strategy in December 2023, during an event organized by the Confederation. A dedicated Committee gathering relevant ministries, authorities and organisations was created to monitor the strategy development. The final draft of the strategy was presented in April 2024 – it suggestions proposed by the Confederation.
However, even though the period of public consultation ended in May 2024, the strategy is still not finalized in October 2024.
The final draft presents a structure consisting of 6 pillars:
- accessibility
- independent living
- health
- education
- access to work and employment
- visibility, awareness-raising and information.
Flagship initiatives include:
- Establishment of a new legislative framework for inclusive education
- Reforming the legal framework of the employment quotas system in private sector
- Linking the Disability Card with all benefits for persons with disabilities and transposition of the (forthcoming) European Disability Card Directive into the Greek legislation
- Evaluating the “personal assistance” service and implementing it at national level
- Reforming the emergency plans and mainstreaming the disability dimension in them
Austria – insufficient implementation of the strategy
Nicola Onome Sommer, from the Austrian Disability Council followed with the perspective from Austria. The Austrian disability strategy was adopted in 2022 and is the result of a participatory process involving 26 expert teams, ministries and federal state authorities. The strategy runs until 2030.
However, Nicola noted that the raised by the UN CRPD Committee were not addressed in this National Action Plan (NAP), a pre-strategy plan that ended in 2022.
Federalism also poses challenges in addressing disability rights as decisions are made at different levels. For example, access to personal assistance varies across federal states.
It was noted that Austria is not delivering on the original plan. Nicola commented that the implementation of measures is slower than planned, and participation in NAP support group meetings and working groups is limited, with some federal states not engaging.
She then focused on the work carried out by the Austrian Disability Council, which aims to influence legislative processes through direct engagement and strategic alliances. Efforts involve influencing EU laws, international treaties, and networking with civil society representatives.
Malta – lack of involvement of representative organisations
Marthese Mugliette, from the Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disability, introduced the Maltese National Disability Strategy, whose development started back in 2010 with a roadmap to achieve the UN sustainable development goals.
In 2021, Malta proposed a national disability strategy until 2030.
Marthese remarked that the Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities has not been involved in key groups or received regular reports. Despite being members of the ENGAGE board, one of the officially appointed bodies from the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, the Federation is excluded from important discussions, and when involved, the capacity to influence decisions is negligible.
Marthese described the structure of the strategy, colour-coded based on a timeframe for completing actions (2 years, 5 years, or 9 years). There are 13 objectives aimed at improving the situation for persons with disabilities.
- Reforms and Equality
- Research and Data Collection
- Disability Awareness Raising
- Accessibility
- Participation in Culture, Leisure, Recreation and Sports
- Relationships, Family, Sexuality and Parenthood
- Informal, Formal and Non-Formal Education
- Healthcare
- Work and Employment
- Living Independently and in the Community and De-institutionalisation
- Participation in Political and Public Life
- Disaster Risk Management and Reduction
- Regional and International Efforts
She expressed disappointment in the implementation of some actions, such as on inclusion and education. She raised concerns about the creation of new segregated spaces for children and youth with mental health and intellectual disabilities, emphasising the need for inclusive education practices.
Marthese concluded by stressing the importance of the full participation of persons with disabilities in the implementation and monitoring of the strategy for its success.