24/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Year of Disabled People 2003 will be officially launched in Athens on 26 January, with the participation of the Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, Anna Diamantopoulou, Greek Minister of the Health, Costas Stefanis and the President of the European Disability Forum, Yannis Vardakastanis. The goal is to draw attention on the sustainable progress that 2003 is expected to create in the long run to the 37 million disabled people who live in the EU. The opening ceremony will coincide with the departure of the European bus that will be travelling through European cities, going through Greece and Austria and finishing its journey under the next Presidency in Italy at the end of the year. The Commission will be assessing the results of Athens during the first half of 2004 (Info: http: //http://www.eypd2003.org , accessible to the visually impaired).