European Day of People with Disabilities 2006

YOUTH = FUTURE
Let's make an equal future for all

Recent discussions between Disability Champions have focused on young people and the transition from full time education to employment. The great debate is of course mainstream education vs. separate education. This conference was a forum for young disabled people from across the member states to hear from the great and the good in the European Commission about their plans. More importantly it gave the delegates an opportunity to take the floor and share their problems, issues and ideas.

Nikolaus Van der Pas formally opened the conference and soon mentioned mainstreaming. He clearly saw this as the way forward, but emphasised the need to remain focused on the motto “nothing about us without us”. His and subsequent speeches supported our Disability Champions approach of educating disabled and none disabled people together to learn from one another and to tackle issues together.

We were then joined by European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Špidla. Mr Špidla addressed conference welcoming delegates and emphasising the importance of their participation. European Disability Forum President, Yannis Vardakastanis called for the young people present to be active in their organisation and to look to lead them.

The first plenary debate was called “You In the E.U.” The speakers were Mr Pierre Mairesse, form Directorate General (DG) Education and Culture, Mr Pascal Lejurne also from DG Education and Culture and Mr Miroslav Nedeljkovič who chairs the EDF Youth Committee. Mr Mairesse said that chairing the youth forum had been one of the brightest points of his career. Mr Lejurne spoke of funding to reach 100,000 disenfranchised young people per year. Mr Nedeljkovič welcomed the fact that the previous speakers had such a feel for the issues. He used a phrase that we use so often as Disability Champions “Being equal does not mean being the same”.

When the floor was opened the contributions flowed. This was a very large room, lots of people, simultaneous translation into German, French, English and at least two sign languages – and intimidating arena for anyone. To hear young people overcoming any nerves and speaking out on their issues, many in a language that is not their first was wonderful to witness. The focus of the debate was how the EU can be an enabling factor. Delegates talked about the problems and opportunities presented by the expansion of the EU and the issues that turn young people off and discourage participation.

After Lunch the second plenary session took place with the theme “Your Education”. The speakers were Mrs Maruja Gutierrez-Diaz, DG Education and Culture, Mr Tony Geudens of SALTO – an inclusion resource centre and Gina Waggott, EDF youth committee member and member of the European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA). I was particularly taken by Gina’s presentation. She talked about her experience of education, being bullied, being diagnosed as hearing impaired because she didn’t speak (to hide her stammer). She talked about being sacked and told by her boss “we’re going to get a girl who can talk”. If you’re reading this thinking of becoming a Champion, or wondering why you did become one, click on this link to read a similar speech that Gina made at another event. If this is what our kids face in school and our young people face is the world of work, then everyone should get involved and do their bit to change things.

Following the presentations there was another 75 minute lively debate from the floor. Margie got the floor and spoke about the role of disabled people in awareness training for both children and teachers.

Day 1 was closed by Wallis Goelen. Those of you who have done your training may remember her name, she’s quoted on page 16 of the course materials talking about ‘the social model’. Wallis thanked all of the speakers and participants from the floor for what had been an excellent day’s discussions.

Day 2’s theme was “You in Society”. The speakers were Mr Robert Strauss, DG Employment Social Affairs and Equal Opps, Ms Carlotta Besozzi, Director of the European Disability Forum an Thyra Kirknes, a member of the EDF Youth Committee.

Mr Strauss said that “disabled people need to be fully integrated into the world of employment” and talked of a concept of “flexicurity”, no, this isn’t the title of Peter André’s next single (I thought that too) it is about combining the flexibility required by reasonable adjustments with employment security. I’m not sure if the wordplay got lost in the translation but he certainly had some serious defending to do when the floor opened – mainly from people who had first hand experience of either a lack of flexibility, security or both.

Ms Besozzi spoke about the transition from education to employment. She was particularly concerned about the stereotyping of the jobs people with certain disabilities can do, blind people in call centres for example. She was concerned about how this leads to pigeon holing of people and employers never actually looking at peoples abilities as individuals.

Ms Kirknes talked about the social implications of work, not just the financial ones. “Being out of work means being out of a big social environment” she said. She ended with a couple of quotes from disabled children. one young girl had told her “being born disabled isn’t so bad – it could be worse – I could have been a chicken or a duck!”, a boy with a similar outlook on life was talking about playing football wearing two hearing aids “It’s great, I don’t get rain in my ears!”

I managed to get the floor in the plenary debate and shared in a few brief moments the essence of the Disability Champions project and the role the trade unions were playing for disabled people of all ages in the UK and Ireland.

Conference closed with the historic signing of a memorandum of understanding between the European Disability Forum and the European Youth Forum making a link between disability, youth, and hopefully the future.

Lisa Pavan closed the conference which had been an excellent opportunity for the EU to communicate with young disabled people from across the member states. As the conference came to a close across the Atlantic the United Nations were preparing to adopt the final text of the UN treaty on disability in New York City.

This was a very inspiring conference and it was great to spread the word about the project and to meet with Beth Straw, Wallis Goelen, Knut Weltlich and Lisa Pavan who I have met on previous occasions.

The challenge for us now is to make the adaptation of the Disability Champions project to match the legal frame work of the Republic of Ireland a successful one. We then need to use this to demonstrate that our initialtive is one that can be used by our sisters and brothers across all EU countries to make a real difference for disabled workers and to show our contribution to the lasting legacy of the success of the European Year of Disabled People 2003.

Dave Parr.
Project Worker, Disability Champions. 12th December 2006