Presentation by Marily Christofi, Greek NCDP accessibility expert, on the occasion of the EESC SOC section conference on Civil society perspectives on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Brussels on 2 October 2014.

1. Implementation of disability provisions in the structural funds
The case of Greece
Marily Christofi, Accessibility expert, NCDP Collaborator

2. NCDP is…
 the Greek ‘umbrella’ organization of persons
with disabilities and their families,
 founded in 1989 ,
 recognized as a key interlocutor of the Greek
state for disability issues,
 has specialized expertise and administrative
capacity to implement projects in the frame of
the Structural Funds,
 participates in the Economic and Social
Committee of Greece, and the European one
through the Greek delegation, by its president

3. NCDP considers…
 the contribution of the Structural Funds
particularly important for the development of
the country ,
 that especially today, in the frame of the
financial crisis, the Funds will be the major if
not the only development tool,
 the Funds have to be exploited in the best
possible way for the benefit of all citizens,
including citizens with disabilities.

4. NCDP aims to…
 the horizontal mainstreaming of disability
and accessibility concepts to the actions
targeted to the general public
 the provision of actions targeted to
persons with disabilities

5. NCDP insures
“rostrum” and “information”
 former periods: non-voting member of
some Monitoring Committees
 2007-2013: voting member of the
Monitoring Committees of all the
Operational Programs
 2014-2020: the action will continue

6. 2007-2013
 report submitted to the Parliament for the impact of Article 16 of
the Regulation 1083/2006 in the operational programs
 informal "help desk" of Managing Authorities in disability and
accessibility issues
 creation of two eligibility criteria on non-discrimination and
accessibility
 checking of all documents to ensure the mainstreaming of disability
and accessibility and the inclusion of actions targeted to persons
with disabilities
 pushing for the establishment of e-accessibility legislation
 national standard for the holistic accessibility of organizations /
businesses
 cooperation with the Greek Statistical Authority
 open issue : the effective control of the accessibility of the
deliverables of this period

7. 2014-2020 (until now)
 approval of NCDP’s official function as Managing
Authorities’ "help desk"
 Working Group on mainstreaming disability and non-discrimination
in the CSF 2014-2020, under the National
Coordination Authority
 participation in the consultation of all operational programs
 meeting with all the Managing Authorities in northern
Greece about the new provisions of the Structural Funds on
disability and accessibility. Similar cooperation with the
rest of Managing Authorities will follow
 seminar informing disability organizations staff , who will
represent NCDP in the Monitoring Committees, in the new
Regulations – highlighting of local needs and indicative
actions to be submitted to Managing Authorities

8. General ex-ante conditionality 3:
the big challenge
 training of Managing Authorities’ staff on
disability and accessibility issues : 8 -9 October in
Athens (presentations and workshops for the
specialization of disability and accessibility)
 training material, tele- courses, seminars on
specialized topics, forum on the mainstreaming
of disability and accessibility in the CSF
operational programs etc.

9. NCDP considers necessary
 The creation of supporting tools to specialize
Article 9 of UNCRPD in the thematic
objectives of EU policy for the upcoming
period
 The provision at European level of a
mechanism monitoring the fulfillment of the
general conditionality 3 and the application of
Article 9 of UNCRPD

10. In this period of economic
crisis…
…it has to be ensured in a practical and clear
way that the European Funds will be used on
equal basis for the benefit of all citizens
including citizens with disabilities!
Thank you!