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Dear friends and colleagues (with apologies for cross-posting)
We are pleased to announce the launch of the new website for the European Commission's 'Academic Network of European Disability experts' (ANED).
ANED was established by the European Commission in 2008 to provide academic and scientific support and advice for its disability policy Unit. In particular, the activities of the Network will support the future development of the EU Disability Action Plan and practical implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People in Europe. The Network is managed by Human European Consultancy (NL) and the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (UK).
The Network includes a management team and advisors, national contacts in 30 European countries and experts in particular fields who contribute analysis on specific themes. It is therefore a very ambitious project that seeks to promote the sharing of research and policy knowledge, and public access to relevant information about the situation of disabled people in European countries and the development of polices for equality and social inclusion.
The website includes information about the work of ANED, links to detailed information and resources in each country, and the publication reports on key themes. We aim to publish country reports on selected topics (this year the focus is on employment policies and policies for social inclusion and social protection). There will also be reports and new resources on the development of European level disability law and policy, on sources of comparative research data, and on mechanisms for monitoring practical implementation of the rights established in the UN Convention. We welcome your suggestions for future topics and reports of importance to the European policy agenda.
We would like to thank everyone who has worked so worked hard to produce reports, and to provide information about their countries. Thank you also to the Network management team and core researchers, who have worked hard to co-ordinate and present the material for the website.
We believe that the ANED website will provide an important resource for the research and policy community and that it will help to influence future research and policy making in Europe and internationally. For the first time, we can begin to understand the situation of disabled people and disability policies in a truly European context.
The address for the new web site is www.disability-europe.net (please read the notes on web accessibility if required). In the future we will also develop more information in additional languages and easy-read formats. We welcome your feedback.
We welcome you to visit ANED and to share in the knowledge of all our experts, working on different tasks across Europe. We hope that you will also promote the website to your friends and colleagues in different countries, international networks and to disabled people, policy makers and students who may find it useful.
Best wishes
Mark Priestley
Scientific Director - Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED)
Professor of Disability Policy
Centre for Disability Studies
University of Leeds
LEEDS
LS2 9JT
UK
tel: +44 113 343 4417
fax: +44 113 343 4415
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies