News item | 12-12-2022 | 11:30
As of December 15, 2022, former Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and former mayor of Nijmegen Guusje ter Horst will start Unlimited Participation as an administrative driver. In this role, she will work to make society more accessible to people with disabilities. The administrative booster will bring parties such as companies, governments and civil society organizations together in so-called inclusion pacts. The agreements in these inclusion pacts must immediately realize a noticeable difference in the daily lives of people with disabilities.
Minister Helder: ‘I am delighted that Guusje ter Horst is taking up this gauntlet. Because of her extensive experience within local and national government, she is, in my opinion, the right person to fulfill this important connecting role. She has a big job ahead of her because together with companies, governments and social organizations we have to make the move towards a society in which everyone can participate. I have every confidence that Guusje ter Horst will make an important contribution to this.’
Administrative booster
As an administrative booster, Guusje ter Horst will bring parties together to conclude inclusion pacts. In addition, it can raise obstructive laws and regulations and other social problems for people with a disability with the relevant government agency or implementing organization. Ter Horst has a personal affinity with the subject. Her partner’s son had a serious physical disability.
Guusje ter Horst: ‘I want to make every effort to help realize the unlimited participation of people with a disability. Through our Bob, who was severely physically limited due to a muscle disease and who passed away in July this year, I experienced how participation can be made more difficult or, on the contrary, made easier. Everyone with a disability deserves the latter.’
In addition to the administrative booster, a mirror group, consisting of experts by experience, will start working on 19 December to think about policy from the perspective of people with a disability.
Inclusion pacts
Inclusion pacts consist of concrete agreements between parties such as governments, social organizations and companies. The agreements can cover all themes from the UN Convention on Disability, such as work, housing, education and transport. These agreements should immediately make a noticeable difference in the daily lives of people with a disability. The accumulated knowledge and experience is widely shared so that everyone can contribute to an accessible society in which people with disabilities naturally participate. Experts by experience are involved from the start in the design and implementation of the plans.