Fundación ONCE
Summary
The Fundación ONCE (ONCE Foundation for the Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities) was founded in 1988 by ONCE (the National Organisation of Spanish Blind) as an instrument of cooperation and solidarity from the Spanish blind towards other people with disabilities in order to improve their living conditions. In addition to the ONCE itself as the founding entity, the principal organisations for people with disabilities are represented in Fundación ONCE, through its maximum governing body, the Board of Trustees.
It also includes CERMI (Comité Español de Representantes de las Personas con Discapacidad – The Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disability), a platform that unites the main organisations for people with disabilities in Spain, bringing together more than 4,000 associations and entities, which represent the 3,8 million people with disabilities, and their families, that live in Spain.
Since 2000, Fundación ONCE has managed the Operational Programme (OP) “Fight against Discrimination”, co-financed by the European Social Fund, now in the period 2007-2013. Within this framework, many activities have been implemented to promote the employability of people with disabilities, considering education and training as key factors in obtaining better jobs. One of these activities, within the transnational cooperation pillar of the OP, is the development of the European Network on Inclusive Education and Disability, incluD-ed. This network is being promoted with coherence to Fundación ONCE main objectives.
Target
The principal objective of Fundación ONCE is to implement integration programmes of work-related training and employment for people with disabilities, and to help develop universal accessibility by promoting the creation of accessible environments, products and services.
Through these actions, Fundación ONCE seeks to improve the rights and quality of life for people with disabilities and their families.
Activities
The main activities of Fundación ONCE are:
► Education, training and employment programmes.
► Actions to improve the accessibility and design of accessible environments, products and services.
► Financial support for projects of disability organisations.
► Policy action.
► European programmes, such as the Transnational cooperation Networks.
► Fundosa Group, created in 1989, to increase the employment possibilities of people with disabilities.
Today the Fundosa Group, with a workforce of more than 14,000 employees, and the majority people with disabilities, is the largest provider of products and services in the disability sector. It is mostly supplied by Sheltered Workplaces with a wide base in technology, industrial, service, accessibility and socio-sanitary sectors.
In the field of Education, Fundación ONCE works closely with the CERMI (Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disability) and with the public administration. It also develops various programmes to improve the educational level and qualification of this group, from an inclusive perspective, as a key factor for labour integration and social inclusion. It pays special attention to the participation of people with disabilities in tertiary education.
Other information
The Fundación ONCE is present at various relevant European platforms such as the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), representing the Spanish Business Confederation on Social Economy (CEPES); Social Economy Europe; the European Forum on Disability (EDF); and the European Foundation Centre (EFC).
