6th February 2007 - Linda asks for your support to end disability discrimination

Linda McAvan is asking people to sign up to support a new campaign which seeks to outlaw discrimination against people with disabilities across the European Union.

People from across the region are being asked to add their names to an online petition set up by the European Disability Forum, which declares;

"I sign for a European Union in which disabled people’s rights are protected through effective legislation, combating all forms of discrimination and guaranteeing the full inclusion of 50 million citizens with disabilities in the European society."

The petition is online now at www.1million4disability.eu.

Ms McAvan, who is Labour's Health spokesperson in the European Parliament, last year took up the case of a deaf Sheffield man, David McLennan, who had been unable to take a cruise because of his disability. She says that such experiences show how disabled people can still lose out and access to public transport, restaurants and hotels can still be difficult, especially in unfamiliar places.

Linda McAvan said;

"In Britain, our rules to protect disabled people from discrimination are much stronger than they are in some other countries, but even here they are by no means perfect. A recent opinion poll suggested that 79% of people around Europe think that being disabled is a real disadvantage. There are no excuses for not reducing that disadvantage wherever we can."

She added;

"The European Commission has pledged to look at issues when a million people sign a petition asking them to do so, and for that reason I hope that people living locally will join me in adding their names."