"Accessibility to public transport", "equal access to education", "proactive participation in the political and public life"; as well as "job-oriented vocational training". These are some of the items covered by the "Action plan of the Council of Europe for the disabled 2006-2015", which is to be outlined in Strasbourg today by the special European Forum convened at the Palais de l’Europe. "For the very first time explains a note from the organisation , the 46 member states must develop a specific policy for a better social integration of the disabled, who have been estimated at 100 million in Europe". The meeting is attended by politicians, experts and representatives of the associations of people with varying degrees of physical, motor and psychical disability. Other measures to be taken include home rehabilitation, "equal access to health-care services", "protection from any form of violence". "So far, the policy of the CoE for the disabled was established by a partial agreement which involved only a small number of member countries". The organisers explain that "the transition from a medical model of disability to a social model based on human rights has led to create this intergovernmental cooperation platform" which will apply all over the continent.
