The European Parliament adopted, on Wednesday evening 10 March, by a solid majority (578 votes to 65 with 51 abstentions), for the first time in its history, a report written in simplified text to make it understandable to the greatest number of people.
This report, by Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, Germany), on the general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the UNCRPD, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has a rather unique feature so far: it opens with a series of short explanatory paragraphs made up of very short sentences and accompanied by pictograms to illustrate the points made.
“This is how it should be, especially for issues that directly affect people with intellectual disabilities”, said Milan Šveřepa, director of Inclusion Europe, on Twitter, highlighting the principles of ‘easy-to-read’, which defines specific formatting and easy writing to facilitate maximum comprehension (short sentences, with a line break for each sentence, writing in positive form at all times, etc.)
In this report, MEPs reiterate the key messages from the debate held at the beginning of the plenary session, on Monday 8 March (see EUROPE 12674/9). In particular, they call on Member States to consider introducing diversity quotas in the workplace, with effective and proportionate sanctions for non-compliance. They ask the European institutions to set an example in this respect by setting such a quota.
The report also invites the European Commission and the Member States to harmonise the definition of disability in order to ensure mutual recognition of the status of disabled people in the Member States, so as to guarantee the free movement and enjoyment of their rights as European citizens. They call, as well, for the rights of employees working in sheltered workshops, to have employee status. Above all, these workshops should serve as a springboard for people with disabilities to enter the labour market.
To read the ‘Langensiepen’ report: https://bit.ly/3bEzrwx
To consult the explanatory document on the principles governing ‘easy-to-read’ writing: https://bit.ly/3veuT7z (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)