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COUNCIL RESOLUTION

OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL

OF 21 DECEMBER 1981

ON THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE

THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF 21 JANUARY 1974 CONCERNING A SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMME ( 1 ) ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF 27 JUNE 1974 ESTABLISHING THE INITIAL COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION OF HANDICAPPED PERSONS ( 2 ) ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE COMMISSION REPORT ON THE INITIAL COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION OF HANDICAPPED PERSONS ( 1974 TO 1979 ) AND TO THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL , ADOPTED AT ITS MEETING ON 9 JUNE 1980 , CONCERNING THE FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAMME ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION OF 29 OCTOBER 1981 ON THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE ( 3 ) AND THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE VARIOUS DELEGATIONS WITHIN THE COUNCIL ON THAT COMMUNICATION ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE IMPORTANCE ATTACHED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ( 4 ) AND THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ( 5 ) TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE ,

NOTING THAT THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION HAS DESIGNATED 1981 AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PEOPLE AND THAT THIS INITIATIVE HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY AND ITS MEMBER STATES ;

CONSIDERING THAT HANDICAPPED PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHT AS OTHER PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO ALL ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE ;

CONSCIOUS OF THE DIFFICULTIES HANDICAPPED PEOPLE FACE IN EXERCISING THAT RIGHT IN PERIODS OF ECONOMIC RECESSION ;

CONSIDERING THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE MEMBER STATES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROMOTE BETTER LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE ;

TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT ALL MEMBER STATES HAVE MADE THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE A GOAL TO BE ATTAINED , AND TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN BY MEMBER STATES TO PROMOTE SUCH INTEGRATION ;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALSO THE DIVERSITY OF SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES IN THE MEMBER STATES ,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS :

I . MEMBER STATES ARE INVITED TO CONTINUE , AND IF POSSIBLE INTENSIFY , THEIR MEASURES TO PROMOTE THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE , IN ORDER TO ENABLE THEM TO MAKE A PRODUCTIVE AND CREATIVE CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY , AND IN PARTICULAR TO :

- ENSURE THAT DUE ACCOUNT IS TAKEN , IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES AFFECTING THE LIVING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE , OF THE NEED TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE IN SOCIETY ;

- FACILITATE THE COORDINATION , AT NATIONAL , REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS , OF SERVICES CONCERNED WITH HANDICAPPED PEOPLE , AND TO ENCOURAGE COOPERATION IN THIS RESPECT BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT BODIES ACTIVE IN THE FIELD , INCLUDING ASSOCIATIONS OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE AND THE SOCIAL PARTNERS ;

- PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE , THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATIONS AND , WHERE APPROPRIATE , THEIR FAMILIES IN THE FRAMING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM ;

- ENSURE THAT HANDICAPPED PEOPLE MAY LEAD AS INDEPENDENT A WAY OF LIFE AS POSSIBLE ;

- ENSURE THAT HANDICAPPED PEOPLE DO NOT SHOULDER AN UNFAIR BURDEN OF THE EFFECTS , ON BOTH EMPLOYMENT AND RESOURCES , OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES ;

- PROMOTE MEASURES TO PREPARE HANDICAPPED PEOPLE FOR AN ACTIVE LIFE , IN PARTICULAR BY INTEGRATING THEM IN NORMAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS WHEREVER POSSIBLE ;

- DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT MEASURES ON THE HOUSING AND MOBILITY OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE AND IMPROVED ACCESS TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS , TRANSPORT AND OTHER PUBLIC FACILITIES , SO AS TO PROMOTE THE FULLEST POSSIBLE INTEGRATION AND PARTICIPATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE ;

- ENCOURAGE INFORMATION ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTRIBUTION IT CAN MAKE TO THE INTEGRATION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE , AND THOSE ACTIVITIES DIRECTED AT HANDICAPPED PEOPLE THEMSELVES ;

- PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF TECHNICAL AIDS , THE POOLING OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD AND THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES , SO AS TO FACILITATE THE COMMUNICATION , MOBILITY AND EMPLOYMENT OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE .

II . IN ORDER TO COMPLEMENT AND SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE MEMBER STATES , THE COMMISSION IS INVITED , WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE UNDER THE SOCIAL FUND , TO SET UP , IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE MEMBER STATES A NETWORK OF SELECTED DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS TO PROMOTE MODEL COORDINATION OF THE ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN , ESPECIALLY AT LOCAL LEVEL . THIS NETWORK WILL BE BASED BROADLY ON THE GUIDELINES SET OUT IN THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION AND WILL OPERATE FOR FOUR YEARS BEGINNING EARLY IN 1983 .

IN ADDITION , THE COMMISSION IS INVITED TO PURSUE ITS EFFORTS IN PARTICULAR BY :

( A ) FURTHER DEVELOPING EXISTING ACTIVITY AT COMMUNITY LEVEL BASED ON THE NETWORK OF REHABILITATION CENTRES IN ORDER TO PROMOTE AND DISSEMINATE GOOD PRACTICE AND TO RESTRUCTURE THE NETWORK , TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE INSTITUTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE ESPECIALLY WELL-PLACED TO CARRY OUT THE TASKS OF THE NETWORK , SO THAT ALL SUCH INSTITUTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE NETWORK AND CAN BENEFIT FROM THE OUTCOME OF SUCH WORK ;

( B ) CONTINUING TO PROMOTE PILOT PROJECTS ON THE HOUSING OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THOSE EXPERIENCES WHICH ARE WORTHY OF COMMUNITY APPLICATION ;

( C ) POOLING THE INFORMATION AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXISTING NATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS , AND ENSURING AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE SERVICES INVOLVED IN FRAMING AND IMPLEMENTING THE ABOVE MEASURES , INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE .

III . THE COMMISSION IS REQUESTED TO PREPARE BY THE END OF 1984 A PROGRESS REPORT ON MEASURES TAKEN BY THE COMMUNITY AND A FINAL REPORT BY THE END OF 1986 .

( 1 ) OJ NO C 13 , 12 . 2 . 1974 , P . 1 .

( 2 ) OJ NO C 80 , 9 . 7 . 1974 , P . 30 .

( 3 ) SEE PAGE 14 OF THIS OFFICIAL JOURNAL .

( 4 ) RESOLUTION OF 11 MARCH 1981 ON THE ECONOMIC , SOCIAL AND VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ( OJ NO C 77 , 6 . 4 . 1981 , P . 27 ) .

( 5 ) OPINION OF 2 JULY 1981 ON THE SITUATION AND PROBLEMS OF THE HANDICAPPED ( OJ NO C 230 , 10 . 9 . 1981 , P . 38 ) .