The Lisbon goals may not be realised if Europe overlooks the needs of disabled people, the Government said today.
Opening the first EU disability conference of recent years, Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, said meeting this employment challenge would be conditional on ending discrimination against disabled people, and on political will.
Anne McGuire said:
'We are here because we share a commitment to strengthen our societies - and our European Union - by ensuring equality of opportunity for disabled people. Any society which overlooks the needs of part of its population is weak and cannot grow or prosper. This is matched by a powerful economic argument.
'We can only become 'the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world' by ending the discrimination which limits potential.'
Anne McGuire urged European Disability Ministers to meet year on year to maintain the momentum.
She continued:
"If we are truly committed to the Lisbon goals, we need to ensure disability issues remain high on the agenda at the European Level. So I would like to see an annual conference of European Ministers responsible for disability issues established, because I believe that we need the opportunity to work together at the highest level to help to deliver real change".
In a pre-recorded message to the conference, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said:
'Delivering Europe's vision of social inclusion means extending opportunities to everybody. Breaking down the barriers faced everyday by disabled people throughout Europe is key to ensuring that disabled people can play their full role in society".
The two-day conference brings together Ministers, officials and NGOs across Europe and the European Commission to share experience and ideas on how best to tackle the disadvantage disabled people face, Europe wide. The event will explore four themes - the role of the media, mainstreaming disability in policy, promoting independence and engaging disabled people in policy development.
Notes to editors
Minister for Disabled People Anne McGuire delivered her opening speech at the two-day UK Presidency conference 'Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People' in the London Docklands on Tuesday 8th November.
The conference brings together Ministers, officials and NGOs across the UK and Europe and the European Commission to debate solutions to the issues faced by disabled people across Europe. This is co-funded by the European Commission.
Specialist workshops will focus the debate on four key areas of which Anne McGuire chaired the workshop, 'Engaging Disabled People'.
European leaders agreed at a summit in Lisbon 5 years ago that our goal was to become "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world" by 2010.
