News item | 03-02-2022 | 13:44
The threshold for people with disabilities to become and remain politically active is often high. That is why the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot has set up a booster team with ambassadors. In the near future, these ambassadors will use their own experiences to increase the political and administrative participation of people with disabilities.
Of the approximately 12,000 MPs and administrators, less than 0.5% has a structural functional limitation, while this applies to 10 to 15% of the Dutch population. To change this, the ‘Action Plan for political office holders with a disability’ has been drawn up, with the aim of putting people with disabilities in the same starting position as people without disabilities with regard to the exercise of political functions.
Political office holders as role models
From conversations with people who want to commit themselves to public administration, it appears that there is a need for examples of political office holders with a disability, such as municipal councilors, aldermen or members of parliament. Role models can strengthen and promote the target group’s interest and participation in politics and governance.
Minister Hanke Bruins Slot: ‘It is important that everyone who wants to be able to participate in politics and government. This is not a matter of course for people with disabilities. It’s great that Marleen Sanderse, Arjan Koerts, Tjarda Struik and Rob van den Hoek are willing to commit themselves to this based on their own experience.’
In the coming period, the members of the booster team will act as ambassadors to make politics and government more inclusive and diverse. They do this by supporting people with disabilities in becoming politically active, but also by encouraging municipalities, water boards and provinces to be accessible and offer appropriate forms of support.
The booster team consists of 4 members:
- Marleen Sanderse; Mayor of Hattem.
- Arjan Koerts; Member of Parliament for the province of Utrecht.
- Tjarda Bush; councilor of the municipality of Zeist.
- Rob van den Hoek; member of the general board of the Stichtse Rijnlanden Water Board.