European Year of Persons with Disabilities - 2003

2003 is the European Year of People with Disabilities. In this year people with and without disabilities all over Europe will fight for equal rights for disabled people.

One in ten people has a disability. Persons with disabilities are able and willing to contribute to the economic, political and cultural life of their communities, but still face many barriers, which must be eliminated to ensure that persons with disabilities, their families and communities can participate to their fullest potential in all aspects of life and in society.

(Source: EYPD 2003 and UN Department of Public Information)

News

Call for proposals for public awareness/education campaigns on mental disability/patient rights (Southeast Europe and Hungary) (31 January 2003)
European Year of People with Disabilities should not be limited to within EU borders (30 January 2003)
We want to be heard and influence our own lives, disabled people say (3 December 2002)
Disability is a human rights issue, says UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (3 December 2002)
Ecuador: Remarkable efforts to promote rights of disabled persons (20 September 2002)
Talks advance on UN treaty for disabled persons (9 August 2002)

Useful links

European Year of Persons with Disabilities - 2003

International Day of Disabled Persons 2003

Disabled Persons and Human Rights

International and regional treaties on the rights of the disabled:
- Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- European Social Charter
- ILO Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace
- Other treaties on the rights of disabled persons (University of Minnesota Human Rights Library)

Selected learning materials

The Disabled: "Making Our Own Charter"
The exercise in this manual (Popular Education for Human Rights) is highly participatory and can be adapted to diverse settings and cultures.

Other International Days and Years