Accessibility shall now be as obvious as gender equality

In the Nordic countries, nobody is to be excluded, and accessibility for individuals with a disability shall be as obvious an expectation as gender equality. This is the stance of Maria Montefusco, who is leading the work with the Council of Nordic Cooperation on Disability. A council intended to strengthen the cooperation between the Nordic countries with respect to disability. 

It all started in 2013. The Nordic Council of Ministers formed what is known as the Council of Nordic Cooperation on Disability, or the Disability Council for short, a collaborative body between the Nordic countries with a focus on issues relating to disability.

In 2015, an action plan for the Council’s work came into effect. This plan has been evaluated during the year. The external evaluation was extremely positive and it is now a certainty that the Council will continue its activities for an additional five years. In light of this, a new action plan is being established. This is following a recent decision by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Dagfinn Høybråten is the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. His hope is that the decision will bolster Nordic cooperation regarding these issues, not least through strengthening alliances between public authorities, international organisations and disability organisations.
”We in the Nordic countries shall represent a model and fulfil our obligations in respect of the UN goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where disability is specifically addressed. It is a public responsibility, but it cannot succeed if we do not utilise the expertise represented by the service user organisations,” says Dagfinn Høybråten.

The person responsible for coordinating this work is Council Secretary Maria Montefusco at the Nordic Welfare Centre.
“We now want to change gears and enter the next phase of this important assignment. Our new goal, among other things, is to highlight issues concerning inclusion and accessibility for individuals with a disability as a public interest in the Nordic countries in a similar manner to equality between women and men,” says Maria Montefusco.

Ola Balke works at the Swedish Agency for Participation/Myndigheten för delaktighet in Sweden. He is one of the experts in the Disability Council. Ola Balke expects big changes and improvements in the Nordic work with disability issues.
“A lot has happened in recent years but there is still much to do. The Disability Council has an important mission in endeavouring to ensure full inclusion for all citizens in the Nordic countries,” he says.

Synne Lerhol is Secretary General for theNorwegian Association of Youth with Disabilities and she participates in the Council’s work. She says that it is time to seriously reflect on the situation for children, adolescents and young adults with disabilities.
“In the action plan we are currently preparing, it is vital that this issues is included. This covers areas such as education, employment and obstacles to accessibility. More young people should also be represented,” she says.

Information on the updated action plan:

• Relates to the period 2018-2022
• The focus areas are human rights, sustainable development and free movement
• Is cross-sectoral in nature with activities that encompass several policy areas