FIMITIC

Europe celebrates the Day of Persons with Disabilities – Creating conditions for independent living.

To mark the European Day of People with Disabilities, the European Commission organized in cooperation with EDF a conference in Brussels on 3 and 4 December. Representatives from the disability movement and decision-makers focused on "Creating conditions for independent living". The Conference's goal was to contribute to a better understanding of issues related to independent living, in particular economic autonomy, community services and assistive technologies.

On the 3 December, the symbolic date for persons with disabilities, the EU regulation on the rights of rail passengers entered into application. This regulation includes a chapter on the specific rights of persons with reduced mobility, thus guaranteeing important rights such as the right to transport, the right assistance by trained personnel, information in accessible formats and full compensation in the event of damaged mobility equipment.

On Monday 9 November 2009, the European Commission published its third Eurobarometer survey which aims to track perceptions of people in Europe towards different forms of discrimination and diversity.

This survey was carried out with a sample of 26,756 people interviewed in 30 countries (the three Candidate Countries: Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Turkey were included for the first time).

November 26, 2009. The European Community has just ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Unprecedented step forward for the first human rights treaty ratified in the history of Europe and a great signal sent to all EU Members States.

 In the light of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the European Disability Forum (EDF) joins the struggle against all forms of gender violence, to which thousands of women in the European Union and worldwide fall victim. All forms of sterilization without full and informed consent must be seen as violence.

Stockholm, October 19, 2009. The European Disability Forum, the voice of 65 million European citizens with disabilities, met in the Swedish capital to adopt the proposal for the European Disability Pact. “This policy instrument ensures real mainstreaming of disability in the European Union by promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and by developing a strong agenda engaging both the EU institutions and Member States” announced Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the organisation.

Friday, October 9, 2009. An Open Letter, signed by Hungarian and European human rights and disability organisations, was today sent to Hungary's Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai and the Minister of Social Affairs László Herczog. The letter protests against the Hungarian Government's proposals - Measures 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 of the Social Infrastructure Operational Programme - that will permit the building and refurbishment of institutions for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems using EU Structural Funds.

On 19 September 2009 Miguel Angel García Oca was elected as President of FIMITIC on the occasion of the FIMITIC Delegates´ Conference in Spa Topolsica, Slovenia.

FIMITIC and the Federation of Disabled Workers of Slovenia ZDIS held events from 17 to 19 September in Spa Topolšica in Slovenia. The international conference the venue and the technical conditions were organized by the ZDIS. The administrative part official documents such as invitation, preliminary agenda, call for registration, statutory matters etc. was done by the FIMITIC Secretariat. 

The Strasbourg Freedom Drive was a rally to the EU Parliament in Strasbourg. It was an opportunity for people with disabilities from all European countries to join together and unite at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where they met MEPs of different countries, the forthcoming Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament and representatives of other key EU institutions.