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The overall goal of the Council of Europe Disability Strategy (2017-2023) is to achieve equality, dignity and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in specific areas where the Council of Europe can make an input. In order to ensure independence, freedom of choice, full and active participation in all areas of life and society, the strategy highlights work and activities required in five priority areas:

1. Equality and non-discrimination

2. Awareness raising

3. Accessibility

4. Equal recognition before the law

5. Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse

The strategy also proposes action targeting five cross-cutting themes: participation, co-operation and co-ordination, universal design and reasonable accommodation, gender equality perspective, multiple discrimination and education and training. 

"Ensuring equal opportunities for persons with disabilities is an important facilitator of participation and inclusion in society. Both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Council of Europe Disability Strategy 2017-2023 address equality and equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities. Article 5 of the UNCPRD requires States to adopt positive measures aimed at ensuring equality across the substantive rights in the Convention. The Council of Europe Disability Strategy aims at guiding and supporting the activities of Council of Europe member States in their implementation of the UNCRPD and Council of Europe standards regarding disability, and similarly addresses equality and non-discrimination.

The overall goal of this study is to analyse the obligations contained in the UNCRPD regarding equality and non-discrimination, and to provide examples of good national practices regarding equality and non-discrimination"

This set of guidelines is intended to ensure that national governments, and their counterparts at regional and local level, civil society organisations and relevant offices in both the public and private sector obtain a clear idea of how to proceed with the provision of disaster risk reduction for people with disabilities. It begins with a set of working definitions and then considers the requirements of good preparedness during all the phases of crisis management: mitigation and planning (disaster risk reduction), alert, emergency action, and recovery. The care of people with disabilities needs to be considered with respect to all of these phases

AP/CAT (2013) 11