European Foundations Forum for Inclusion

Accessibility is an important part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (in short, UN CRPD). Accessibility is about helping everyone to take part in society, whatever their ability. For example, being able to understand information in legal agreements. The European Commission is working on rules that make sure everyone can access services and goods. These rules will be called ‘European Accessibility Act’. The ‘European Accessibility Act’ aims to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Europe. The European Economic and Social Committee (in short, EESC) is holding a conference to discuss how we can make everyone’s daily lives more accessible. Experts, organisations of persons with disabilities and policy-makers will come together to share ideas and talk about successful examples from different countries. If you would like to learn more about the event, click here. To register, click here.

On 22 June 2016 The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) together with the European Foundation Centre and its Disability Thematic Network are hosting an international conference to tackle the issue of accessibility which affects many areas of life.

Accessibility is a human right, absolutely essential for full participation and inclusion in society. Difficult to understand information is one example of the extent of consequences accessibility has on everyday life. If a person with intellectual disabilities cannot understand a contract they are prevented from seeking employment, obtaining an education and participating with others in leisure activities. Accessibility is therefore a cross-cutting issue and must be considered a mainstream tool to building inclusive communities and empowering people with intellectual disabilities. The draft of the European Accessibility Act is a key piece of legislation in establishing the principles of accessibility, breaking down barriers and removing harmful or ineffective regulations.

The conference provides an opportunity for representatives from the EU institutions, disability associations, experts, , academics and various stakeholders to discuss how to mainstream accessibility and pinpoint some successful examples that showcase potential replicability. It will provide an opportunity for a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge on different funding models.

The conference provides two keynote speakers, Anna Lawson, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Disability Studies from the University of Leeds and Inmaculada Placencia from the European Commission, three panel discussions and an extended networking lunch.

To download the full conference programme, click here.

To register to the event, click here.