Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-04-03-Speech-2-283"
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"en.20010403.11.2-283"2
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"Mr President, I would like to begin by congratulating Mrs Hermange on the quality of her report and also on her generosity in accepting the amendments presented in committee, which will have contributed to enriching the report but, above all, in taking on board the differing sensitivities in dealing with measures for combating a possible situation of inequality: the inequality resulting from disability.
Although we might not realise it, we are not nevertheless mistaken in stating that the number of people suffering some form of disability in the European Union stands at around 10% of the population, which currently means some 37 million people, and that disability is not a homogenous category.
We could say that there is no such thing as disability, but rather there are disabled people and therefore, whether the disabilities are visible or invisible, slight or serious, single or multiple, chronic or intermittent, whether they affect mobility, hearing, sight or speech, all of these people – and I repeat, people – have to face difficult barriers when it comes to accessing the various aspects or areas of their social lives despite these limitations.
I would like specifically to refer to the area of employment in relation to this policy which is intended to create a barrier-free Europe and furthermore a Europe with a high level of employment. And therefore, to name but a few factors, we should refer to the adaptation of the procedures for examinations and tests of the abilities of disabled candidates; access to specific training activities for general employees and, perhaps, for public officials in particular, with reduced abilities; to measures for the retention of staff who have suffered some incapacity during, or in the execution of, their work; to the reorganisation of work and flexible hours, part-time work, etc.
It seems to me to be extremely important that 2003 be declared European Year of Disabled Citizens. It seems equally important – maybe more – that each day we reinforce the idea that each and every disabled person is one more citizen, one more European of the almost 400 million Europeans who are protected by Article 13 of the EC Treaty and who expect specific actions, the coordination of policies within the European Union and who expect to see an increase in people’s awareness and sensitivity, since it may be that the main barrier they face is a lack of awareness."@en1
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