The United Nationes proclaimed that 3 December would be observed every year as the International Day of Diabled People. On this occasion, the European Commission supports events at European and national levels. The European Commission and European Disability Forum (EDF) started preparing the 2008 European Day of Disabled People conference, which will take place in Brussels on 1-2 December 2008.
The official title of this year conference is “Acting locally for a society for all”.
The year 2008 marks substantial progress in the policy process supporting persons with disabilities and the conference will a focus on how this is experienced at the local level. The process of ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons is on its way. Mainstreaming of disability issues in all policy areas is main pillar of the Convention and the inclusion of the local level is absolutely necessary to be successful.