Cycling heroes demonstrate their abilities and ask European decision-makers to experience disability firsthand for just one day

[Version FR bientôt disponible]  On Monday 14 December, the European Economic and Social Committee, partnering with the United Nations, hosted a screening of the film "El desorden de los sentidos" (Disorder of the senses), featuring two young cyclists from Spain with disabilities, Gerardo and Antonio (represented by his father Javier Luque).  The special screening was opened by George Dassis, President of the EESC.

How do day to day realities of living with disability impact families' lives, and more importantly, how the protagonists made it an opportunity for personal courage, resilience and achievement, really hit a chord with the whole of the 230 participants. When asked by the moderator Pavel Trantina, Chair of the EESC Social section, the one message they would have for the EU institutions, Javier Luque replied by asking EU decision-makers to spend one day living with and understanding the real challenges of disability before deciding on the final text of the new EU disability Act.

The event had special significance, held to mark the recent International Disability Day and taking place just after the publication of the new EU Accessibility Act (http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-6147_es.htm), an important landmark for people leaving with disabilities in Europe.

The EESC has been long committed to the rights of persons with disabilities, and will prepare an Opinion on the new EU Accessibility Act in early 2016. It has also set up a permanent study group on disability rights to monitor the implementation of the UNCRPD, to contribute to EU policy making on the topic and to facilitate the participation of civil society, in particular organisations representing persons with disabilities.

You can check our work on these issues in our SOC section: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.disability

 

El desorden de los sentidos - watch the film trailer on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/54042747