Inclusion Europe releases its annual report 2012
http://www.e-include.eu/news/1348-inclusion-europe-s-2012-annual-report-released
Mié, 03/07/2013
In 2012, the annual conference ‘Europe in Action’ of Inclusion Europe focused on the participation of persons with intellectual disabilities in the open labour market. Quality inclusive education and vocational training were presented as important instruments to increase the competitiveness of job-seekers with intellectual disabilities.
Improving access to lifelong learning for persons with intellectual disabilities was one of the key objectives pursued in 2012. Within the framework of the European project Pathways II, Inclusion Europe and its members disseminated the European standards for making information easy to read and understand and organised a number of trainings for adult education staff and self-advocates across Europe. Project Topside brought together organisations from seven European countries that developed and tested training for persons with intellectual disabilities to become professional peer-supporters.
In 2012, austerity measures in most European countries jeopardised the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities to live included in the community. It was against this backdrop that Inclusion Europe campaigned for the development of quality community-based services. Inclusion Europe actively supported Inclusion International’s global campaign on Article 19 of the UN Convention: the right to live and be included in the community. At European level, they contributed to the development of the Common European Guidelines on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care and of the toolkit on the use of EU funds to support this process.
Another key topic of Inclusion Europe in 2012 was access to healthcare. The position paper on inclusive health care adopted by the 2012 General Assembly addressed the challenges to ensuring the access of persons with intellectual disabilities to good quality and affordable healthcare. Key recommendations included the need for education and disability awareness training for health professionals and better communication between healthcare professionals and social care professionals to facilitate support for persons with disabilities.
In addition, Inclusion Europe participated in the European consultation in view of the future European Accessibility Act and put forward four components as essential criteria to enhance accessibility of goods and services from the perspective of persons with intellectual disabilities.
Click here to read the report online.
