Brussels, 04/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - During the European Day of People with Disabilities at the Centre Belge de la Bande Desinée on 2 December, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities Anna Diamantopoulou set out the EU priorities for the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003. Many activities and awareness campaigns to help the disabled integrate into the labour market and society are being organised on the initiative of the European Commission in collaboration with the European Disability forum (EDF). In a statement to the press in Brussels, Ms Diamantopoulou declared that 37 million Europeans are disabled and face, "discrimination and exclusion from all parts of society". Drawing on figures from a Eurobarometer survey of May 2000, the Commissioner pointed our that in Europe, "38% of disabled people aged 16-34 across Europe have an earned income, compared to 64% of non-disabled…that 97% of Europeans think hat something should be done to ensure better integration of people with disabilities into society. Ms Diamantopoulou is convinced that giving job opportunities to the disabled is the best way of guaranteeing this integration.
Ms Diamantopoulou explained that the objective of the European year of People with Disabilities was not simply changing things for people with disabilities but that the initiative comes from, "the grassroots. Rooted in localities where people with disabilities live." During the year 2003, the theme will be guaranteeing fundamental rights for disabled people, with activities in each country focusing on the disabled communities. These activities will include festivals, mass demonstrations with the slogan, "nothing about us without us", adopted as the ethos of disabled people throughout the world. Participating countries will be linked up by a European bus specially designed for the occasion and will begin its tour in January 2003 in Athens and travel through the rest of the fifteen Member States of the EU, accompanied by people with disabilities.
Another initiative involves around 9,000 children aged between 10-15, disabled and non-disabled throughout Europe, in a postcard writing competing organised by the Commission, which should be used to make 2003 the year of people with disabilities. 15 prize-winners have been selected and their pictures will be used to create post cards and the official electronic cards for the year. Ms Diamantopoulou awarded the winners their prizes and called on them to become "ambassadors" for equal rights for the disabled. (Info: http://www.eypd2003.org ).