Day 1

• Author: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission)
• Pages: 11-22

Speakers

Joost Korte, Director-General, DG EMPL, European Commission

Ioannis Vardakastanis, President, European Disability Forum

Yrsa Nyman, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Justice –

Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU

What better way to set the tone of the European Day

of Persons with Disabilities, than to remind everyone

that consultation and good communication are the

essence of agreements that withstand the test of

time? The phrase Nothing about us, without us is a

powerful, enduring symbol of this. It is the title of

the European Disability Forum’s 2018 manifesto

and was echoed by several speakers including

the European Commission’s Joost Korte who

opened the event on Thursday 28 November.

As Director-General for Employment, Social

Af‌fairs and Inclusion, he reminded everyone that

building a more inclusive Europe is a step-by-

step process and events like the EDPD of‌fer a

unique chance to address important topics and

shine a light on what still needs to be done.

He recounted several landmark achievements over

the past decade, including how the EU was the

f‌irst regional organisation to ratify the UNCRPD.

Proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights,

he continued, made disability a key principle in all EU

Member States. Adoption of the European Accessibility

Act this year means that the 100 million-plus people

with disabilities can look forward to participating

more fully in society and the labour market.

Meanwhile, the employment rate of people with

disabilities grew from 46.4% in 2008 to 50.6% in

2017. And the rate of people with disabilities at risk

of poverty or social exclusion decreased from 30.4%

in 2011 to 28.7% in 2018. These are positive signs, he

said, but clearly there is room for improvement.

This conference takes place at a crucial time, as a new

Commission starts and the European Disability Strategy

nears its end. It is a time to ask basic questions, he said.

How successful was the Strategy, what do you expect,

what can we learn from outside and how do we achieve

‘sports for all’? “I don’t have the answers, but I hope you

will help with that,” he challenged.

THE QUESTION

‘Nothing about us,

without us’…

OPENING

DAY 1 · OPENING

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