On 7 December EESC President George Dassis and members Yannis Vardakastanis and Krzystof Pater will participate in the 4th plenary session of the European Disability Forum (EDF), to be held at the European Parliament to mark the EDF's 20th anniversary.
EDF President Yannis Vardakastanis (Various Interests, EL) will deliver a keynote address while Georges Dassis and Krzystof Pater (Various Interests, PL), who was rapporteur for the EESC's opinion Right of persons with disabilities to vote in EP elections, will participate in a session entitled "We want to vote", which aims to ensure that the 2019 European elections are fully accessible to persons with disabilities.
The EESC firmly believes that participation in public life lies at the heart of every democratic society, and thus that denying someone this right on grounds of disability constitutes a form of discrimination. For this reason, EP election procedures are being looked into ahead of the 2019 European elections, as persons with disabilities currently remain excluded or face obstacles to participation. (mrg)