Views of incluD-ed on the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and its Education Objectives

05.02.2015 | incluD-ed | Barcelona | Spain

Thu, 05/02/2015

The incluD-ed network, the European Network on Inclusive Education & Disability, recently shared its reflections with regards to the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and its Education Objectives.

The EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020, launched in tandem with the EU 2020 Strategy in 2010, has been designed to empower people with disabilities and create a “barrier-free” Europe by removing environmental and attitudinal barriers in eight main areas. In this way, it aims to allow the around 80 million European citizens with a disability (approximately, one out of six Europeans) to fully take part in the economy and in society.

This position paper has been prepared in the context of an upcoming mid-term review of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and the beginning of a new EU political cycle, with the aim of drawing attention to the situation of young people with disabilities and to give our opinion of what should be the priorities for the coming years, both for the EU institutions and Member States.

The paper has been sent in January to representatives of the European Commission (DG EAC, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), to members of the European Parliament (CULT Committee, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)), to the members of the newly re-established Disability Intergroup as well as to Employment and Education Counsellors of all Permanent Representations of EU MS.

In the position paper, the incluD-ed network:

  • - underlines that the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 provides an opportunity for concrete progress in the social and educational inclusion of people with disabilities.
  • - agrees on the need to harmonise definitions of disability in the EU.
  • - judges of utmost importance the improvement of data gathering on inclusive education within the EU.
  • - underlines the need to continuously foster the participation of students with disabilities in European education exchange programmes.
  • - stresses the need for increased investment in inclusive education.
  • especially underlines the importance of adequate teacher education and training.
  • - calls for a more effective promotion of inclusive education.
  • - encourages the EC and EU MS to make use of the newly-created European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
  • - strongly encourages a mid-term review of the European Disability Strategy in 2015.

To read the full position paper, click here.


              

            

          

        

        
      

    

    
  

  

  

    

      Close
      

        

          

             
          

          

             
          

        

      

      

        Request new password
      

    

    
Image loading the web