|
|
 | Introduction
The information contained on this page was compiled in April 2009 by our country team.
Contact:
José Smits
jcsmits@dds.nl
The full text can be downloaded here.
|
| Policy and enforcement bodies
The key national bodies with responsibility for
disability law and policy implementation include:
The Dutch Equal
Treatment Commission (CGB) is an independent agency that promotes equality
in relation to gender, race, age, religion, sexual orientation in addition to
disability. Its opinions are not legally binding but are highly persuasive.
The Ministry of
Public Health, Welfare & Sport (VWS) is responsible for coordinating
disability policy among the various governmental departments. The State
Secretary of VWS reports to the parliament at regular intervals on the status
of initiatives and laws having to with disability policy and commissions
evaluations of the effectiveness of laws and policies concerning persons with
disabilities.
|
|
|
| Social protection
Key features of the national system include
(including adapted items from the MISSOC
database December 2008):
Disability benefits
Invalidity
related benefits are funded through the general system of state social benefits
and ‘pay as you go', earnings-related,contributions. There is compulsory social
insurance.
read complete article
|
| Facts and figures
Data on population indicate that:
The
Sociaal Cultureel Planburo estimates the number of persons with some degree of
a physical disability in the Netherlands
to be 3,377,000 persons, or 22.5% of the population ( SCP
2007, chap. 2, table 2.1, p. 33).
read complete article
|
| Academic networks and resourcesDisabilty
studies is not a developed field of academic study in the Netherlands and
is not supported by an organized academic network. Research is being conducted
to explore the feasibility of developing disability studies. Several people and
institutions are involved in doing disability research, but mostly in isolation
from each other.
read complete article
|
| Organisations of disabled people
The
national organisation representing disabled people at the European level
(European Disability Forum) is:
Vereniging Gehandicapten
Platform Nederland (VGPN) is hosted by the National Disability Council of
the Netherlands, the largest disability advocacy group in the Netherlands, and
is a ceremonial representative to the European Disability Forum.
read complete article
|
| Additional information
Useful sources of more
detailed information about the situation of disabled people, and the policies
and support available, include:
SCP Rapport 2007, M. Klerk (ed.) Meedoen met Beperkingen,
Sociaal Cultureel Planburo, Den Haag, 2008
EUMAP
Report on Access of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities to Education and
Employment, published 2006, rapporteur J. A. Schoonheim
Statistics
Netherlands, Special Education, 2008
Statistics
Netherlands, Health Care 2007
|
|
