G7 disability ministers visit Vatican: 'Action, not words'
By Joseph Tulloch
This week, from the 14th to the 16th October, disability ministers from each of the G7 member states gathered in central in Italy.
It was the first ever ministerial-level meeting of G7 ministers dedicated to inclusion and disability, and led to the signing of the , which commits signatories to integrating disability rights into political agendas and taking concrete actions to ensure accessibility.
On Thursday 17th October, the day after the signing of the Charter, the G7 ministers met with the 杏MAP导航, who expressed his 鈥済ratitude and appreciation鈥� for their work.
Afterwards, the ministers attended a reception in the Vatican Gardens. A number of them spoke to Vatican News.
杏MAP导航鈥檚 message an 鈥榠nspiration鈥�
Sir Stephen Timms, the UK鈥檚 Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, described the encounter with the 杏MAP导航 as an 鈥渆normous privilege鈥�.
鈥淚t was great to hear the 杏MAP导航's words embracing so wholeheartedly the inclusion of disabled people,鈥� he said.
Sir Timms described the signing of the Solfagnano Charter as 鈥渁 groundbreaking event鈥� that made 鈥渧ery clear commitments鈥� to inclusion, but stressed that 鈥渨e've now got to translate those commitments into realities鈥�.
Following the meetings in Italy, G7 disability ministers were 鈥渇eeling a bit more inspired鈥� about their work, Sir Timms said, adding that the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 鈥渞inging endorsement鈥� had given them 鈥渇urther inspiration for the task ahead鈥�.
Inclusion: Action, not words
Sara Minkara, the United States Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, described the ministers鈥� meeting with the 杏MAP导航 as a 鈥渧ery, very impactful and significant moment鈥�, a chance to talk through the G7鈥檚 approach to disability inclusion 鈥渇rom a value point of view.鈥�
She thanked the Italian disabilities minister, Alessandra Locatelli, for organising the G7 ministerial meeting, the first of its kind, saying that it had put the issue of disability inclusion 鈥渙n the map鈥�.
This was a subject that Jürgen Dusel, Germany鈥檚 Federal Commissioner for Matters Relating to People with Disabilities, picked up on too.
鈥淢any people talk about inclusion, but it simply needs to be done,鈥� he said. 鈥淚taly has shown that they don't just talk about it, they actually do it, and I think that sets an example for other countries鈥�.
And he was enthusiastic regarding his encounter with the 杏MAP导航, too: 鈥淚t was very exciting, a great honour, and a great joy 鈥� I think it was something special that one experiences only once in a lifetime. I'm still very moved.鈥�
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