Disabled people's rights campaigner welcomes European Year Roadshow to Birmingham

12.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th Jun 2003

West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne welcomed the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 Campaign Bus to Birmingham in Victoria Square today.

Liz drafted the report in the European Parliament that lead to 2003 being branded the European Year for People with Disabilities. Birmingham City Council are using the bus' visit to launch their own Disability History Week, which aims to draw together a history of the Disability Rights Movement and eventually even establish a museum in Birmingham on the subject.

Liz said:

"The European Year of People with Disabilities is an excellent opportunity to put disabled people into the mainstream. Already this year I have visited several European Year projects in the West Midlands region, from a computer bank in Leamington Spa to a disabled people's dance troupe in Shrewsbury. The clear message I have received from disabled people themselves is that they do not need or want 'looking after' – what they want is equal access in the wider community. We must get away from the 'medical' model that treats disability as a problem to be cured."

"The Campaign Bus, setting off from Athens in January, will have visited every single European Country by the end of 2003. I am absolutely delighted that Birmingham's Equality Unit has chosen to use its own visit to launch an initiative to piece together the history of disabled people's rights. I wish them every success and hope to be at the opening of the planned museum in Birmingham before too long."