The European Movement and the EDF want to encourage all citizens including persons with disabilities to participate to the European elections.

European Movement Secretary-General Hendrik Kröner and European Disability Forum (EDF) Director Carlotta Besozzi met in February to share common objectives about how to improve participation to the next European ballot. In June 2009, European Parliament elections will simultaneously take place in the 27 European Union (EU) countries. Voter turnout in European elections 2004 has followed the downward trend experienced since 1979. This represents a participation figure of 45.5 per cent for the EU.

As more than 50 million disabled citizens of Europe, representing 15% of the European electorate could change this low turnout, the EDF has launched its 2009 information campaign website www.disabilityvotescount.eu:

• encouraging citizens with disabilities to exert their rights to vote and to participate to the European elections

• promoting free and equal access to the electoral debates and procedures for citizens with disabilities

• inviting the candidates to the elections to engage with the demands of 50 million disabled citizens within EU policies and legislation.

Citizens, candidates and electoral authorities will also find special sections to know more about:

• the impact of the EU in the daily lives of persons with disabilities

• the EDF Manifesto: Nothing about Disabled People, Without Disabled People which contains the TOP 10 demands to make disability discrimination history, calls on politicians to assure equal access for voting and participation in electoral campaigns and for a European Parliament for all. The EDF invites the political leaders to endorse the Manifesto and to integrate its principles in their parties’ campaigns

For more information visit www.disabilityvotescount.eu