The context

• Author: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission)
• Pages: 9-10

Our vision is that persons with disabilities

in Europe are fully included in society on an

equal basis with others and that our human

rights, as outlined in the UN Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are fully

respected, protected and fulf‌illed.

European Disability Forum w ebsite

THE CONTEXT

The European Union wants to lead by example in the

inclusion of persons with disabilities, with the European

Pillar of Social Rights (Social Pillar) encapsulating

what the EU is working to achieve. As Member States

strive to implement the 20 principles of the Social

Pillar, initiatives like the EDPD provide an important

sounding board and ideas factory for concrete action

on the ground – and in light of wider international

commitments to the UN Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs). The outcomes of the

conference feed into ongoing consultations shaping

policies and strategies on disability and inclusion

beyond 2020, and how EU programmes and funding

instruments can be best targeted to achieve a fairer

Europe for all.

As an umbrella organisation, EDF defends the interests

of over 100 million persons with disabilities in Europe.

It is a platform that brings together representative

organisations of persons with disabilities and their

families across Europe. Together with many other

representative groups at EDPD, the Forum f‌ights for

a strong social and human rights-based Europe with

active civil participation at its core.

All of these ef‌forts are underpinned and supported by the

Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme (European

Commission DG Justice and Consumers, 2014-2020),

ensuring that the voices of the most marginalised

people, including those with disabilities, are truly heard.

Men, women and children with disabilities; people with

intellectual or psycho-social disabilities; those with

disabilities requiring intensive support; refugees with

disabilities …

Social inclusion, independent living, freedom of movement

and social security coordination, digital accessibility and

universal design, media accessibility, employment and

education, exchanges and mobility programmes, gender

equality, and equal opportunities in sport are among the

many strategic issues under consideration.

THE CONTEXT

No one gets

le behind!

9