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THE CRISIS RESOLUTION

THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

EDF RESOLUTION
The European Disability Forum, the voice of 80 million persons with disabilities and their families in Europe, calls on:

the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Central Bank the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and all the Governments of Europe

to ensure that people with disabilities and their families are not excluded from society through economic, political and social policies undermining their fundamental rights including civil, political, social and economic rights.

Regardless that the European Union Europe 2020 strategy has made social inclusion one of the three pillars bringing Europe out the crisis, the European Disability Forum (EDF) denounces that current economic, social and political policies adopted by Member States and the European Union may lead to an increase in the numbers so of people experiencing social exclusion in Europe.

The current actions undertaken by EU governments in Europe will undermine progress towards the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
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disabilities, the social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy and the European Disability Strategy 2010 2020.

Poverty, social exclusion, discrimination, marginalisation, illiteracy and negative stereotypes of people with disabilities can be the sad legacy of the current economic, social and political reforms implemented by some governments of the European Union.

Reminding that:

1. People with disabilities represent 80 million people in the European

Union (more than 15% of the population), one in four Europeans has a family member with a disability, people with reduced mobility represent more than 40% of the population. 2. According to data available before the financial crisis, people with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be unemployed than non-disabled people; the more severe the degree of disability, the lower the participation in the labour force. Only 20% of people with severe disabilities, compared to 68% of those without disabilities, have a job. Persons with disabilities are less likely to reach third level education as non disabled persons by more than 50%. 38% of people with disabilities aged 16 - 34 across Europe have an earned income, compared to 64% of non-disabled people. People with disabilities income are dramatically lower than the income of non-disabled people. Compared to non-disabled people, twice the number of people with disabilities meet their friends and relatives less than once or twice a month 3. The European Commission has calculated that momentarily and due to the impact of the crisis: 80 million people in Europe are exposed to the risk of poverty, that more than 5 million people have lost their job with a 10% increase in the unemployment rates of some EU countries. 4. The European Union has concluded the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2010 which entered into force in January 2011, today the EU is a party of the CRPD together with 18 EU countries. EDF would like to remind of article 4.21 together with article 4.1.d of the CRPD stating that state
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Article 4.2 UNCRPD: With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, each State Party undertakes to take measures to the maximum of its available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of these rights, without prejudice to those obligations contained in the present Convention that are

parties undertake to refrain from engaging in any act or practice that is inconsistent with the present Convention and to ensure that public authorities and institutions act in conformity with the present Convention The EDF calls on the European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and all the Governments of Europe to ensure that people with disabilities are not socially, economically or politically excluded. In order to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are not undermined by current the current responses to the economic crisis, we must consider that:

1. Awareness-raising of the needs of persons with disabilities should

2.

3.
4.

5.

6.

7. 8.

take place in order to ensure that the portrayal of persons with disabilities in the media and other relevant stakeholders is done correctly and does not lead to social stigmatisation. People with disabilities can freely move in European societies, live independently and included in society: no action restricting these capacities should be envisaged in any social protection reform. Personal assistance and other community support services should not be undermined by austerity measures. Freedom of expression and opinion and access to information is not restricted by reforms of public and private services Respect for family life is ensured by guaranteeing to all people with disabilities and their families adequate family policies. These policies should remain a priority. Education of persons with disabilities will be respected and reforms in the education systems will not mean reduction in education support policies in mainstream education and should not lead to segregation to special schools. The right to work and employment is fully respected: Measures for full inclusion in employment including reasonable accommodation and supported employment should not disappear from the national employment policies. Access to health services for people with disabilities is not put into question and health services for people with disabilities do not consider their health as secondary in respect to non-disabled people. That Social habilitation and rehabilitation is considered an investment for European societies ensuring that all capacities are collected and fully participate in the construction of Europe after the

immediately applicable according to international law

crisis. The quality of social services should remain a pre-condition for respecting the human rights of people with disabilities. 9. Adequate living standards and social protection are ensured. This will mean that no measures are taken that will have the effect of leading people with disabilities into poverty, social exclusion or reduction of his/her living income. 10. That lack of participation in public life is considered as a loss for the whole society, no policy measures should lead to social isolation. 11. Finally, that appropriate statistics and data are collected to assess properly the situation of people with disabilities in Europe. 12. Organisations representing people with disabilities should be consulted in regard to any action that could have an impact on the rights of people with disabilities.

EDF observatory on the impact of the economic crisis on the rights of persons with disabilities

EDF will create a monitoring tool through the EDF observatory on the impact of the economic crisis on the rights of persons with disabilities that will monitor, through the collection of adequate examples by EDF members, the measures taken by EU member states, European Union institutions and International financial institutions. This observatory will ensure that (1) any damage to the rights of persons with disabilities, (2) any negative portrayal of the persons with disabilities and (3) any regression on the rights of persons with disabilities is correctly acknowledged, assessed and abrogated. EDF will also condemn any actions portraying people with disabilities as part of the problem of the economic crisis and not part of the solution. In cooperation with the International Disability Alliance the EDF will send this resolution along with other international calls to all relevant policy makers and stakeholders, working towards overcoming the international economic crisis to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are heard.

>About us:

The European Disability Forum is the European umbrella organisation representing the interests of 80 million persons with disabilities in Europe. The mission of EDF is to ensure disabled people full access to fundamental and human rights through their active involvement in policy development and implementation in Europe. EDF is a member of the Social Platform and works closely to the European institutions, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

>Contact us:

Simona Giarratano | simona.giarratano@edf-feph.org EUROPEAN DISABILITY FORUM Square de Meeus 35 | 1000 Brussels +32 2 282 46 09 info@edf-feph.org | www.edf-feph.org | T +32 2 282 46 00 | F

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