SocialDialogue.net

In this short paper, the European Disability Forum (EDF) sets out its demands for the use of the proposed 336.1 billion Euro European Structural Funds in the funding period 2007-2013. Key elements of the EDF's demands include:

• That the interests of disabled persons should be given much greater recognition and for disability issues to be mainstreamed across all the Structural Funds objectives and key themes of the programme;
• The design of the programmes should be fully accessible to disabled participants (with additional funding to ensure this, if necessary);
• A specific Article in the General Regulation on mainstreaming non-discrimination and disability and accessibility for disabled persons.
• Mandatory conditions on accessibility attached to funding which concerns built environment, transport (e.g. extending and upgrading basic infrastructures); support for information communication technologies and support for research and development projects;
• Non-discrimination to be made an overarching issue in the European Social Fund programme and across the Structural Fund programmes in general.
• Accessibility must also be recognised among the criteria for the funding of European Social Fund projects.

Links

European Disability Forum, European Structural Funds page

European Commission Structural Funds 2007-2013 site