Issue 3 October 2005

A cohesive disability policy

The Danish Disability Council has recommended Bendt Bendtsen, the Government’s coordinator in disability matters, to take the initiative to draw up a new action plan focusing on cohesion in disability policy and on the implementation of the sector responsibility principle.

Information technology for everybody

When Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Helge Sander, visited the Danish Disability Council, the Council expressed its appreciation of the ministry’s initiatives concerning information technology for disabled persons and hoped that the good initiatives would be followed through.

New action plan needed

The Government’s action plan in disability matters is almost completed. The Danish Disability Council has therefore made a list of themes that the Council wants the Government to include in a new action plan.

Sceptical debate on Norwegian anti-discrimination legislation

The Danish Disability Council is sceptical towards a Norwegian bill for anti-discrimination of disabled persons. The Council is afraid that it will give preferential treatment to physical accessibility, but will forget people with learning disabilities and people who are mentally ill.

‘Dansk Handicappolitiks Grundprincipper’

Danish Disability Policy is built on few, but very important principles, which everybody dealing with disability needs to know about. A new pamphlet introduces the principles of sector responsibility, solidarity and equal opportunities and relates the principles to Danish disability policy. The pamphlet also introduces the modern concept of disability.

No shame to be disabled

It is a myth that ethnical minorities look upon disability as a shame and for that reason do not ask for help from the local authorities. According to a project in ‘Københavns Kommune’ (The Municipality of Copenhagen) prejudice, language barriers and discontent with the service offered are the real barriers. See www.etniskeminoritetermedhandicap.dk