Dec 16, 2023 at 11:48 AM Update: an hour ago
Guusje ter Horst was appointed at the end of last year as the administrative driving force for Unlimited Participation to stand up for people with disabilities. A year later, the former minister is annoyed by the lack of clarity. “I continue to harass municipalities.”
The Netherlands was not exactly a leader in signing the UN Convention on Disability, which should improve the position of the two million inhabitants of our country with disabilities.
“The Netherlands was certainly not early on in 2016. Last year, the House of Representatives wanted more ‘push’ through a national strategy to allow people with disabilities to participate fully in terms of work, housing, transport, etc.. The MPs will probably receive that strategy in January The next step is a work agenda with measures by ministries and other organizations so that there are no more obstacles for people with disabilities by 2040.”
I can imagine that someone with a disability thinks: 2040 is very far away. What will I actually notice from this? It all sounds so bureaucratic, with ‘work agendas’.
“People are indeed not interested in policy memos. It’s really about the measures. An example could be the abolition of the deductible in healthcare. Many people with disabilities already lose 385 euros in the first month of every year because they have a lot of extra healthcare costs.”
What specifically prevents the abolition of the deductible?
“Nothing, it is also in some election manifestos of political parties. But it costs 6 billion euros. This is an example of a measure that you can simply take. And not only in 2040, but already now.”
Are you going to do something concrete about this? Lobbying or something like that?
“That is not my role. Those are political choices.”
I can’t crack a whip over it
Guusje ter Horst, administrative driver Unlimited Participation
Advocacy organization Elke(in) says about your first year: “She had to get in, but she is comfortable with it now.” How did you experience your first year?
“I spoke to sixty organizations. The main question was who is most eligible to be given administrative support. My impression was quickly that it was mainly in the national government and municipal authorities.”
You could have predicted that in advance, right?
“Certainly. But you can implement it in different ways. Now that the national agenda is in place, I will be chasing the municipalities next year.”
How will citizens notice in concrete terms that you are pushing municipalities and chasing your pants?
“I cannot crack down on it: I have no power. At least 50 percent of municipalities do not yet have an inclusion agenda, the basis of the measures to improve the situation of people with disabilities. While the law states that they You can say: ‘We enforce with the stick.’ But you also have to get to the root. By this I mean that stimulation works better than punishment. We also need to know more about the background: How come those municipalities do not have an inclusion agenda?”
Hasn’t that been known for years? No money, no staff, say the municipalities.
“That is true, but no measures have been taken to make it better. And the municipalities that have an inclusion agenda are not necessarily richer than the municipalities that do not have one. So now I am going to work with the Association of Dutch Municipalities to see what we can do. to help municipalities. And also apply a little pressure: ‘Guys, we understand that you are all very busy, but it is a legal obligation. So come on, it really has to be done now’.”
“You could also ask large municipalities to look around at municipalities in the area without an inclusion agenda. You could help them as a large municipality. What’s wrong with a little cooperation?”
And yet, this obligation for the inclusion agenda has been in place since 2016. Half of the municipalities still do not have it. At some point it just stops, right?
“We just have to be at 100 percent by the end of next year. Really at 100 percent.”
“By helping and also saying: ‘It won’t go like this anymore’.”
“You should always set your goals high, right? The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) also believes the same. They also believe that things should be improved.”
That is different than a few months ago. The VNG then said that the dragging was not up to the association.
“But the articles on NU.nl about the inclusion of people with disabilities have an effect. The VNG also reads them. Since then I have talked to the director of the VNG. He and I are going to find out which municipalities are not doing well enough and contact them. It is of course possible that there are municipalities without an inclusion agenda that do do something about inclusion.”
It is not the case that we are not going to do anything until 2040 and think ‘oh yes’ in 2039.
Guusje ter Horst
Afran Groenewoud is a society and inclusion reporter
Afran writes about inequality in society and colonial history. Read more stories from Afran here.
Have you already called municipalities?
“You want everything at the same time. We are still working on a list of municipalities without an inclusion agenda.”
But you’ve been at it for a year now. The disadvantaged position of people with disabilities has been going on for years. Municipalities have not complied with the law for years.
“The national agenda had priority. You don’t want incident politics. You don’t want to do small things. You want society to be obstacle-free for people with disabilities by 2040.”
Again, that sounds very far away.
“The countries around us are also taking so much time for this. It is not the case that we are not going to do anything until 2040 and think in 2039: oh yes.”
You can’t explain to the average person why municipalities don’t just get their asses off.
“Municipalities are autonomous. You have to rely on councilors who put the subject on the agenda, or action groups of people with disabilities in the municipality itself.”
Could you not send a template letter about this as an example for those action groups, or a letter directly to all council members?
“I do not rule out that more pressure will come from the minister.”
I mean you do that yourself.
“That is not my role. I am going to talk to those responsible. These are the councilors who have to implement this.”
You have been appointed for two years. What do you consider most urgent to achieve by the end of 2024?
“If I have to choose, I choose work and social security: people with disabilities should be able to work and live from it.”
“Playing together is of a different order but also urgent. Children with and without disabilities must come into contact with each other from an early age. This way they learn to interact with each other in a pleasant way. This ensures that they also do the same when they become adults. are.”
What do you want to convey to people with disabilities in your role?
“Stand up for yourself. I also see many good examples of this within interest groups.”
That is at organizational level. And the human level?
“Many people with a disability are very modest. But even if you have a disability, you can be of great value to society. And if you cannot make this clear to those around you on your own, organize yourself with others.”
Guusje ter Horst’s career in brief
Guusje ter Horst (1952, Deventer) is a former Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and former mayor of Nijmegen. She studied psychology and was a scientist and lecturer at the dental faculty. In Amsterdam, Ter Horst was a municipal councilor and alderman for the PvdA and a director at the University of Amsterdam. She was also a senator in the Senate.
On December 15, 2022, Ter Horst started as the administrative driver of Unlimited Participation in the service of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
2023-12-16 10:48:16
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