A few months ago we brought you news of an EU campaign to collect one million signatures to compel the European Commission to take action on disability. Just over 4,500 people have signed up in Ireland so we are still some way off our target of 8,000 signatures. The deadline for signing the petition is Sunday 30th September so if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to sign up and be included in this important campaign.

“Only 8,000 Irish signatures are needed to banish disability discrimination forever,” according to Kathy Sinnott, MEP, who launched the Irish campaign in March. Under EU policy, one million signatures from its citizens supporting a campaign compels the European Commission to take action on the issue.

“My hope for the campaign is to get the European Commission to formulate a legally binding Disability Directive which specifically addresses issues such as equality, opportunity, access, independent living, care, consent, force and institutionalization, that are of special concern to people with disabilities. Although Ireland’s portion of the one million signatures is only 8,205 names, with everyone’s cooperation, we will have many more than that,” said Ms Sinnott.

The 1million4disability campaign is an initiative of the European Disability Forum in conjunction with the European Parliamentary Intergroup for Disabilities, of which Kathy Sinnott MEP is vice-president. The Irish launch was attended by representatives from numerous disability organisations, including Down’s Syndrome Ireland, Fighting Blindness, Irish Guide Dogs, Centre for Independent Living and People with Disabilities in Ireland.

“The campaign message is positive and makes a clear call for action: “1million4disability” will demonstrate that the disability movement is made up of active and valuable citizens”, Continued Kathy. “We have been hampered by the legislative system that gives the European Commission sole responsibility for initiating legislation, as MEPs we would have produced a Disability Directive a long time ago.”

By gathering the signatures, the campaign hopes to force the Commission to start the legislative process that will one day see a European Disability Directive. Almost 80% of legislation passing through the Irish Oireachtas comes from Europe as an EU directive or regulation, so a European Disability Directive would have a formative effect on Irish legislation in relation to disability.

The signatures gathered by the Member States must be returned to EDF by 30th September 2007. The campaign will be concluded on October 4th in the European Parliament in Brussels with a celebration attended by people with disabilities and their representatives of disability organisations from all EU countries as well as high level representatives from the EU institutions and other stakeholders and allies of the European disability movement. At the ceremony the EDF and the European Parliament Intergroup for Disability will hand the million, and hopefully many more, signatures to the Presidents of the European Commission and the Parliament.

How to sign

To sign the online petition or to obtain petition forms, log onto www.1million4disability.eu or contact Kathy Sinnott’s office on 021 4888793.