Stavros Papastavrou: Removing obstacles to Disabled persons is a matter of social justice

In view of Friday’s Cabinet, where it will be presented by the Minister of State Stavros Papastavou, the “National Rights Strategy of 2024-2030: A Greece with All for All”, the Minister had the opportunity to refer to the issue, the greeting he addressed at the 1st Annual Conference of the Welfare and Social Solidarity Organization. The Conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family and OPEKA. St. Papastavrou noted, in this respect, that “the government of the New Republic and personally the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has highlighted the inclusion of all our fellow citizens in every aspect of life in his sovereign priority.” While, at the same time, she thanked the Minister for Social Cohesion and Family, Sophia Zachrakis for their good cooperation, among others, on issues of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Minister of State also stressed that “now, we are speeding up. I have the honour to present tomorrow to the Cabinet the “National Strategy for the Rights of People with Disabilities 2024-2030: A Greece with everyone”. The aim is to remove obstacles so that our 1 million disabled fellow citizens actually enjoy equal rights to each and every one of us. Enjoy what other European citizens do. This is the heart of our goal, “double convergence”, i.e. people with disabilities in Greece enjoying the same standard of living as the general population in Greece and people with disabilities in Europe.” And, he assured that “removing obstacles is a matter of social justice, our constitutional obligation, and, above all, it is our moral commitment.” To conclude, “what I think should be changed primarily is mentality, we need a reset in our way of thinking. And we must all understand that disability does not mean incompetence. They are the constraints, the obstacles that we, society, our structures, pose. Our perceptions, our prejudices, our omissions, our actions. That is why we need a collective awakening that we need to achieve, so that our goals are attainable,” he concluded.