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OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME “FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION: AN EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC AND

PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP: COFINANCING STRATEGIES OF THE ONCE FOUNDATION”

BRUSSELS, 10th October 2006

Virginia Carcedo European Programmes Department

ONCE Foundation

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The public-private partnership is becoming an instrument used to transform the European economy into an economy with a competitiveness

and dynamism based on the knowledge society

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Lisbon march 2000 =

The partnership is becoming a great instrument to join together the involvement and responsibility of all the public and private

social agents

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The ONCE FOUNDATION FOR COOPERATION AND THE INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

is a non-profit organisation which was founded in 1988 by the General Council of the ONCE (National Organisation of the Spanish Visual Impaired People) and:

- It aims at contributing to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities - It is a platform acting as an umbrella group for the main Spanish organisations

for people with disabilities, which are all represented in its governing board together with the founder (ONCE).

- It Encourages other organisations and administrations to take part in specific programmes aimed at providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

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The ONCE Foundation's mission is four-fold:1. Achieving the full integration and normalisation of people with disabilities, in the

Spanish and European society.2. Helping to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, through the

development of work integration, training and employment programmes.3. Seeking global accessibility -understood as more than just the elimination of

architectural barriers for people with limited mobility- by incorporating the viewpoints of Global Accessibility, Design for All and Self-Sufficiency.

4. Achieving effective equal opportunities to make the integration of people with disabilities, into society a reality.

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The ONCE Foundation advocates for quality employment and, in terms of equal opportunities, the promotion of

disabled women, people who are seriously affected by their disability, young disabled persons and disabled persons over

45 years.

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The operational programme is a symbol of the innovative and inclusive characteristics of this kind of relationship, not

only because of its transversality but also because it joins together the administrations, the groups at the risk of

exclusion and the social partners such as the employers

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Operational Programme =

TRANSVERSALITY AND TRANSFERABILITY

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ADVANTAGES FOR THE GROUPS AT THE RISK OF EXCLUSION

=The OP system can be divided in three main

action lines:A. IMPROVEMENT OF THE

EMPLOYABILITYB. RESEARCH ON EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITIESC. SENSITIVITY AND DISSEMINATION

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FACTS AND FIGURES. RESULTS DETACHMENTThe ONCE Foundation has created more than 54,000 jobs and

occupational vacancies since 1988, a 90,37% for disabled people. Hence, the ONCE Foundation is a leading social and economic operator and

creator of employment in the disabled sector in Spain and in the rest of Europe.

Related to the OP, the 5 years from 2000 to 2005, the balance sheet gives out excellent facts and figures: 72.637 people with disabilities have been

orientated and assessed to achieve their social and labour integration, 14.479 have been trained and 15.463 have got a job. On the other hand,

and in economical terms 124,23 M€ have been invested.

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ADVANTAGES FOR THE SOCIAL PARTNERS: COMPANIES

• disabled people represent 10% within EU, a rate that increases adding the other members of the families who are real consumers not to be left out by the companies. Disability should not be a discrimination fact of the products and services provided by the company and even less as a segregation element in the recruitment.

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ADVANTAGES FOR THE PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATIONS =

PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES

=MODERN AND

COHESIVE EUROPE.

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OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME=

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP 2007/2013

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Disability is not a 'brave struggle' or 'courage in the face of

adversity'...disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live