Media release June 9, 2011: Major human rights issue in residental care.

Maltreatment of persons with disabilities in closed institutions or residential care is unacceptable. The European disability movement continues to lobby key decision makers in the field to end institutionalisation and promote community-based living.

The BBC's Panorama programme, shown on Tuesday 31 May, which highlighted the systematic abuse of people with learning disabilities, autism and personality disorder and in a residential care unit.The programme exposed a regime of routine unnecessary punishing, restraining and bullying of the institution’s residents.

Yannis Vardakastani, EDF President stressed: “For the European Disability Forum, the mistreatment of persons with disabilities in institutions is a grave issue. Those most in need of protection and care are locked away where their voices cannot be heard. The practices going on behind closed doors are inhumane. The undignified treatment persons with disabilities are often exposed to, is a dramatic violation of their human rights.”

Read the complete media release on major human rights issue in residental care here:

Media release June 1, 2011: Disability rises high on the European agenda.

A delegation of the European Disability Forum led by its President, Yannis Vardakastanis, met with President of the European Commission Barroso in Brussels recently. This was the opportunity to discuss the next steps for disability in the EU.

The outcomes were successful: Mr. Barroso endorses the State of the Union on Disability, and committed to ensuring the right enforcement of the UN Convention throughout the European Commission. Finally, the President promised to put pressure on national authorities to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities during times of crisis.

Read the complete media relase on disability on the EU agenda here:

From 27^th to 29^th of May; the 15th Annual General Assembly of the European Disability Forum (EDF) gathered the whole disability movement in Budapest. Among all the important topics, the 200 participants focused on how to make sure the European Union will guarantee freedom of movement for all persons with disabilities.

“Collaboration, consultation and involvement - the fundamentals of a democratic society, the fundamentals of Europe! In this trying time, governments need to remember that they have to include us in all the decisions about us: Nothing about us without us.” Reminded Yannis Vardakastanis, EDF President. This, he said is one of the strong messages we should carry out from this annual assembly.

Read the complete media release on disability movement here:

Media release April 15, 2011: Clear violation of EU regulation leads to discrimination of passengers with disabilities.

Last week flight passenger Shuaib Chalklen was refused to board flight number LX353 London-Geneva on the grounds of his disability. The airlines motives for refusing this passenger stand in direct violation of EU law governing the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when traveling by air.

On Monday, Vice President of the Commission responsible for transport Siim Kallas released a report on the functioning and effect of this regulation. This report additionally demonstrates the gravity of such discriminatory behavior.

Freedom of movement is the EDF's top campaign in 2011, therefore, in response to this incident, the disability movement calls on the EU to step up its monitoring of EU law and for a clear definition of concepts to improve the journey for 80 million persons with disabilities.

Read the complete media release on discrimination of passengers with disabilities here.