LLinE Lifelong Learning in Europe

Editorial - A Large Minority

A large minority

More than one in ten people are with disabilities worldwide according to the declaration adopted by the 1995 UN Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development. One may say that with their families, approximately 4 in 10 people are involved in issues of the disabled. In the EU, there are 37 million disabled people, almost as many as the whole population of Spain.

This year has brought about statements and declarations on the position of people with disabilities. In this issue LLinE publishes extracts of a few of them. These statements are extremely important; and we can later refer to them. But the decisive development takes place in the actual reality of the living conditions of the people with disabilities. When the social partners issue a joint declaration, we want to see how the national and local trade unions take that into their actions in the next negotiations.

Human rights are a practical issue. It is a difficult task to decide what the right to education, to work, to independent life carries. Is inclusive education always the best? Not necessarily, we have to listen to the people themselves.

b>Education and work
Even in Europe’s richest countries people with a physical, mental, sensorial or psychic restraint are still at a disadvantage. They are heavily undereducated. Most of them cannot find paid work or are underpaid. In the UK, a recent statistic showed that disabled people were only half as likely as non-disabled people to have a qualification. It is not unique in Europe. Stephen Hawking or Kalle Könkkölä or the other well-educated people presented in this issue show us the power and potential in the disabled people – but not all of them are bold and tenacious enough to defend their rights to develop that potential.

They have no, or only limited access to public buildings, transportation, educational institutions or recreation facilities, and in many countries they are still confronted with prejudices. Putting issues of the disabled on the political agenda is, therefore, not enough. Tackling those issues effectively requires the mobilisation of political support among the majority in society, which in its turn presupposes changes in their perceptions, attitudes and acting. This is a considerable educational challenge.

The challenge is even more considerable in Europe’s post-totalitarian countries, where the societal acceptance of people with disabilities is for at least two reasons on a significantly lower level. In the era of Communist dictatorship, civil society was suppressed so that there were no NGO’s that could make a stand for their rights and educate the public. Moreover, state policy concerning the disabled was characterised by social exclusion. It might be true that on the eve of their entry into the EU the legislation of the involved post-totalitarian countries more or less matches the EU criteria also where it concerns equal opportunities. However, this is an outcome of top-down policies. Their effective implementation requires changes in the realm of values and norms.

Cultural life and sports
Two very visible fields have shown the way – culture and sports. We have seen dancers in wheelchairs, even deaf, we have seen fantastic performances in paralympics.

We still have to work to lower the thresholds in our minds, in our staircases, in all the different gates and obstacles we have built in our societies. Mostly the changes are to make the life of the disabled people easier are only for the better for everybody. When the low-floor buses were introduced, it was not only the disabled who benefited, but the elderly, people with babies, with heavy shopping bags. Who didn’t? We should really ask whose voices are the best to be heard – for us all?

Eeva Siirala, Editorial Manager, LLinE