As the European Parliament meets for the first time after elections, disability organisations call on the MEPs to again establish the Disability Intergroup. The Disability Intergroup has been important during the previous years in coordinating political action from different political groups to ensure that the Parliament fully lives up to the UN CRPD and the expectations of persons with disabilities across the EU.
European Disability Forum leads the call on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to re-establish the cross-party group:
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To support the re-establishment of the Disability Intergroup, constituted MEPs from all Member States and from all pro-European political forces.
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To ensure that this Disability Intergroup is committed to actively mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities, in the work of the European Parliament, and that the Parliament itself becomes a more inclusive and accessible institution to all persons with disabilities- including staff, visitors, elected representatives and all EU residents.
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To ensure that the European Disability Forum continues to provide the secretariat for the Disability Intergroup, in line with article 4.3 of the UN CRPD and the motto of the disability movement “nothing about us, without us”, ensuring a strong ongoing collaboration between organisations of persons with disabilities and Disability Intergroup members.
Inclusion Europe supports this call on MEPs: having the Disability Intergroup will be instrumental for achieving the goals of our elections manifesto. We invite our members to contact their MEPs and encourage them to support the establishment of the Disability Intergroup and to join it.
The European elections saw an unprecedented visibility for people with intellectual disabilities as well as progress on their political rights. Let’s make sure there’s more!
