Eliminating the barriers” “

While various European countries are still finalizing their projects and programmes for the European Year of People with Disabilities, in many others the first events have already taken place. We present a brief review below. In Italy, the inauguration of the European Year will coincide with the 2nd Conference on policies for disability, scheduled to be held in Bari from 14 to 16 February. The national coordinating body has been set up at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies. Composed of representatives of the ministries, regions, local authorities and associations, it has the task of organizing and coordinating the various projects and events. Italy will also have the honour of hosting the conference that will close the European Year of People with Disabilities, on 3 and 4 December. The conference will fall during the six months’ Italian presidency of the EU and be organized in close liaison with the European Commission and the European Disability Forum. In Austria preparations suffered some delay due to the general elections held in mid-November which monopolized the attention of politicians in the electoral campaign. Graz, capital of Styria, has been chosen as European Capital of Culture for 2003. So the Austrian representatives of the EDF, the European Disability Forum, intend to stage many events in the Styrian capital. The projects comprise symposia on the elimination of barriers. It is hopes that the proposals will be turned into a reality in the public works to be completed in Graz by the end of the year: here public buildings will be made accessible to disabled persons to enable them to move about freely by eliminating all steps and stairs. In Spain too the coordination of the EDF has planned various events such as the first “International Congress on Women and Disability” to be held in Valencia from 27 February to 1st March. The committee in Castille is organizing a “Conference on the Family and Disability”, to be held in Valladolid in February. But the most important event planned in Spain will be held in Malaga in May: it’s the “Conference on Disability of the Council of Europe”, which will be attended by the competent ministers of all the member states of the Union. In Portugal, Lisbon will host the 17th “International Congress on Autism” from 14 to 16 November 2003. Germany will host, apart from a long series of projects planned in the various Länder, also some international events, such as the Conference on rehabilitation in Aachen and the European championships of women’s wheelchair basketball at Hamburg in February. The Year will be officially inaugurated in Magdeburg on 22 February with a symposium of all the associations for the disabled in the country. In Belgium the main events will be held in Mons, where debates on the problems of accessibility and transport faced by the disabled, both on the urban and architectural levels, are due to be held. But minor problems of coordinating the activities of the various ethnic groups in Belgium have arisen, because the committee is mainly based in Flanders, while other independent committees exist in Wallonia and in the region of Brussels. Ireland, in turn, is hosting the World Summer Special Olympic Games (16-29 June), the greatest world sporting event planned for 2003: 7,000 disabled athletes, 3,000 trainers and official delegates, 28,000 friends and family members from 160 countries are due to arrive for the Games. Before the competitive events proper, which will be held in the area of Dublin, the teams will have the chance to prepare for the event by being offered hospitality in cities, towns and communities throughout the whole island. The aim of the event, explains the president of the Games, Denis O’Brien, is “to give disabled athletes coming from Europe and from all over the world, as well as their trainers, families and volunteers a chance to meet together to share a unique cultural and sporting experience, based on love for sport, dignity and individual achievement”.