Annual Report 2020 Nothing about us without us Author: Natalia Suárez Editors: Catherine Naughton Contributors: Alejandro Moledo, An Sofie Leenknecht, Gordon Rattray, Haydn Hammersley, Loredana Dicsi, Marie Denninghaus, Marion Steff, Marine Uldry, Mher Hakobyan, Muriel Davia, Raquel Riaza Graphic Design by: Visually Thinking Avenue des Arts 7-8, 1210 Brussels Belgium [email protected] www.edf-feph.org Twitter: @MyEDF This report was co-funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme. The European Union was not involved in the preparation and publication of this report. The European Disability Forum recognises that the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union. Table of Contents Highlights of our year 5 Who we are 7 Mission and Values 8 Executive Committee Members 10 Board Members 12 Committees and Expert Groups 14 Meet the Team 16 Our members 19 2020 achievements by areas of work 27 Accessibility 28 European Accessibility Act 28 Digital development 28 Transport and the Built environment 29 Children and Youth with disabilities 30 COVID-19 32 Human Rights and non-discrimination 33 International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action 34 Social Policy 36 Women with disabilities 37 Making our voice heard 39 Impact of communication 39 Events 41 Transparency 43 Our partners & close collaborators 43 Financial report 45 4 Annual Report 2020 5 CHAPTER 1 Highlights of our year I am proud to present EDF’s 2020 Annual Report. I would like to dedicate it to all the persons with disabilities who lost their lives, who became ill, or who spent long weeks and months isolated due to COVID-19. You will not be forgotten. We will also never forget 2020. Even as we publish our 2020 Annual Report, halfway through 2021, persons with disabilities in Europe and around the world are fighting for their lives, their safety and their livelihoods as COVID-19 still ravages our communities, our cities and towns, our health services and our economies. Our Annual Report tells you who we are and what we achieved in 2020. I encourage you to also consult our website, where all of our work is reported in more detail. You can also download our new Human Rights Report on COVID-19 and persons with disabilities. I would like to thank all our members for working tirelessly in 2020. I would also like to thank our partners and supporters for their collaboration during this period. No one was prepared for a pandemic. However, the disability movement reacted bravely and strongly. In spite of the challenges 2020 threw at us, in 2020 we at EDF continued our work, our collaboration and our advocacy. As we look to the future, the disability movement needs to be strong, diverse and united to ensure that recovery from COVID-19 is inclusive. Let’s make “Nothing about us without us” a reality for all of us. We will work together to rebuild a more diverse, thriving and inclusive Europe. Yannis Vardakastanis EDF President 6 The European Disability Forum ? Annual Report 2020 7 CHAPTER 2 Who we are The European Disability Forum defends the interests of over 100 million persons with disabilities living in Europe. We are an umbrella organisation of persons with disabilities, created in 1996 to ensure that decisions at European level concerning persons with disabilities are taken with and by persons with disabilities. We are run by persons with disabilities and their families and we serve as a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe. 8 The European Disability Forum Mission and Values EDF’s values are built on the principles of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), notably: Annual Report 2020 9 • Individual autonomy, including the freedom to make one’s own choices • Non-discrimination • Full and effective participation and inclusion in society • Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity • Equality of opportunity • Accessibility • Equality between men and women • Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities. 10 The European Disability Forum Executive Committee Members Yannis Ana Peláez John Patrick Vardakastanis EDF Vice-President Clarke EDF President Comité Español EDF Vice-President National de Representantes Confederation of de Personas con Disabled People Discapacidad (NCDP) (CERMI) Maureen Piggot Gunta Anca Albert Prevos EDF Treasurer EDF General French Council of Inclusion Europe Secretary Disabled People The Latvian for European Umbrella Body Affairs (CFHE) for Disability Organisations (SUSTENTO) Annual Report 2020 11 Humberto Klaus Lachwitz Nadia Hadad Insolera Deutscher European Network European Union Behindertenrat on Independent of the Deaf (EUD) (DBR) Living (ENIL) Pirkko Rodolfo Mahlamäki Cattani Finnish Disability European Blind Forum (FDF) Union (EBU) 12 The European Disability Forum Board Members Athena Branislav Cato Lie Frangouli Mamojka International Social Firms Slovak Disability Federation of Europe (SFE) Council (NROZP) Spina Bifida and CEFEC Hydrocephalus (IF) Christina Dovilé Francisco Vano Wurzinger Juodkaité International Austrian Disability Lithuanian Federation of Council (Der Disability Forum Persons with Österreichische (LDF) Physical Disability Behindertenrat) (FIMITIC) Gabor Petri Giampiero Gisèle Marlière Mental Health Griffo Belgian Disability Europe (MHE) Disability Forum (BDF) International People Europe (DPI-Europe) 13 Goran Kustura John Dolan Jolijn Luisa Bosisio Slovenian Disability Santegoeds Fazzi National Council Federation European Network Italian Disability of Persons Ireland (DFI) of (Ex-) Users Forum (FID) with Disabilities and Survivors of (NSIOS) Psychiatry (ENUSP) Marcel Marica Miric Pierre Thorkild Bobeldijk Croatian Union Gyselinck Olesen of Associations European Action Européen Disabled Peoples’ of Persons with Federation of des Handicapées Organisations Disabilities (SOIH) Hard of Hearing (EAH) Denmark (DPOD) (EFHOH) Thurídur Vera Bonvalot Sigurdardottir Brain Injured and Organisation Families – European of Disabled in Confederation (BIF EC) Iceland (OBI) 14 The European Disability Forum Committees and Expert Groups In order to have the full involvement of members and a balanced representation of all categories of disabilities, EDF set up different structures to support its work. We have 4 committees that are established for 4 years and include a mid-term review. Human Rights and Non-Discrimination Committee It ensures that national and European leaders are closely involved in and fully informed about our work on human rights, equality, non- discrimination and particularly on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Social Policy and Inclusion Committee It contributes to EDF’s work on social and employment policy and supports its members by providing expertise on social rights, including the right to work and employment, social protection and full inclusion in society. Women’s Committee It mainstreams gender in all EDF policies and documents, in order to raise awareness on the situation of women and girls with disabilities and to work towards the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in society. Youth Committee Its role is to ensure that EDF’s work takes into account the perspective of young people with disabilities, but also represents young people with disabilities in both EDF and external events. Annual Report 2020 15 16 The European Disability Forum Meet the Team Catherine Alejandro André Felix Naughton Moledo Communications Director Policy Coordinator Coordinator An-Sofie Marie Marion Steff Leenknecht Denninghaus International Human Rights Policy Coordinator Cooperation Coordinator Manager Muriel Da Via Aoife Price Diana Zsoldos Human Resources Research Fellow Communications and Office and Logistics Officer Manager for International Cooperation Annual Report 2020 17 Gordon Haydn Loredana Dicsi Rattray Hammersley Membership, Internal International Social Policy Communication and Cooperation Officer Youth Officer Officer Marine Uldry Mher Naomi Mabita Human Rights Hakobyan Communications Officer Accessibility Assistant Officer Raquel Riaza Natalia Suárez Events and Communications Administration Officer Officer 18 The European Disability Forum Annual Report 2020 19 CHAPTER 3 Our members In 2020, EDF had 101 members. EDF has four categories of membership: Full Members In 2020, we had 54 full members: 29 national councils of persons with disabilities and 25 European non-profit organisations representing persons with disabilities. 29 national councils of persons with disabilities elgiu 2 uebourg 3 echia 4 Sloakia celand Sweden orway 5 ustria 6 ungary Finland 7 roatia 8 Sloenia Estonia Denark atia ithuania reland etherlands oland 1 erany 3 2 4 France 5 6 oania 8 7 ulgaria Spain ortugal taly Malta reece yprus 20 The European Disability Forum 54 members Austria Belgium The Austrian Belgian Disability 29 national councils Disability Forum (BDF) Council (Der Österreichische Behindertenrat) Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic National Council Croatian Union Cyprus Czech National of People with of Associations Confederation Disability Disabilities of Persons of Organisations Council (CNDC) in Bulgaria with Disabilities of the Disabled (NCDPB) (SOIH) (KYSOA) Denmark Estonia Finland France Disabled Estonian Finnish Disability French Council People’s Chamber of Forum (FDF) of Disabled Organisation