There are over 37 million people with
disabilities in the European Union. In 2003, the European
Commission and the
disability movement are organising the European Year of People with disabilities,
to highlight barriers and discrimination and to improve the lives for those of
us who have a disability.
The European Commission will organise a major
event, called the People’s March. Starting in January 2003 in Athens, a specially
designed European Year bus will travel through the 15 EU member countries, with
disabled children, their friends and allies accompanying the bus on its journey.'
The disability community in each country will organise events along the bus’s
route.
Besides the March, there will be thousand of activities such as street
festivals, competitions and demonstrations taking place in towns and villages
throughout Europe.
The European Year will be run by people with disabilities. Everyone can participate. As many disabled people say:“Nothing about us without us!”.
European Year of People With Disabilities Website
http://www.eypd2003.org/eypd/eypd/index.html
European
Day of Disabled People Website
http://www.eddp.org/eddp/index_2.html