EdbN European Campaign. |
EdbN European Campaign. |
5th April 2004)The European Parliament has just passed a written declaration on the rights of deafblind people. Deafblindness is not simply the sum of deafness and blindness but has its own complexities. However many European countries do not even recognise it as a distinct disability. Now more than 320 MEPS have signed a declaration urging Europe to recognise deafblindness. This was the result of a long campaign organised by the European Deafblind Network (EDbN) and led by the British charity Sense.
Liz Lynne MEP said "after the last minute rush to get the final few signatures it was a great privilege to be able to stand up in Parliament and announce the success of the declaration. I hope it will encourage governments at all levels to tackle the problems of social exclusion experienced by the 150,000 deafblind people in the EU."
Richard Howitt MEP who has been involved in the campaign from the outset added “the European Parliament has recognised that as fundamental human rights are the basis of the EU they cannot be denied to deafblind people. This is only the seventh time the European Parliament has passed a written declaration in the last five years.”
Lucy Drescher, Campaigns Officer at Sense, said “we have been campaigning for months to make sure MEPs signed this declaration asking for rights for deafblind people. The importance of recognition to the daily lives of deafblind people can be seen by hearing a few accounts of their experiences.”
One deafblind person recalled going “to vote but they wouldn’t tell me who was on the list.”
Another said “when my daughter told them I couldn’t hear one nurse kept writing things on paper (I couldn’t see). I dread going there as I get so scared when I don’t know what is going on.”
If you have any questions please contact Lucy Drescher at lucy.drescher@sense.org.uk.
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