Renew Europe calls for creation of a European Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee
Author: Linda Aziz-Rohlje
Date:
Ensuring the inclusion and equality of people with disabilities in our European society is imperative for Renew Europe. Therefore we proudly present a set of thirteen adopted commitments to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities covering policy areas ranging from accessible housing to political participation. We are pleased to have secured the lion's share of them in the initiative report foreseen to be adopted in the Committee on Employment and Social affairs on Monday the 20th of October. This report will be crucial in ensuring the Commission respond to our call to present an ambitious update to the current EU Disability Strategy for the next five years.
For Renew Europe it is of particular interest that a European Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee is created as soon as possible. Inspired by the Youth Guarantee, it would increase the participation of persons with disabilities by setting up a support system to ensure that each individual gets adequate counselling, training, education and access to employment in cooperation with private and public sectors. With the disability employment gap standing at 24 percent, tangible EU action is needed to make the union of equality a reality.
Renew Europe’s lead MEP on the matter, Valerie Devaux, (France/Union des démocrates et indépendants) says:
“All people are free and equal in their dignity and rights. This is non-negotiable. But when it comes to responding to systemic barriers on the labour market, inclusive education, affordable and accessible housing, mutual recognition of rights... Europe still has much to do for our citizens living with disabilities.
There is no other way. I will, together with my colleagues in Renew, continue to work assiduously to ensure that people with disabilities are individually equipped with the tools needed to be fully integrated into our European society. There can be no true inclusion without the participation of those directly concerned.”
