Legislative Advances 

The ONCE Foundation, guided by its commitment to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities actively follows the legislative developments both at European and national level which affect the rights of people with disabilities and their families.

Throughout 2008 we have worked in collaboration with CERMI (Comité Español de Representantes de las Personas con Discapacidad – The Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disability) in this sense, and we must highlight in this period the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities which came into force on 3rd May 2008, becoming part of the Spanish legal system and invocable before the political, legal and administrative authorities. 

In the Social Affairs field, in the implementation of the “Ley 51/2003, de 2 de diciembre, de Igualdad de Oportunidades, No Discrminación y Accesibilidad Universal de las personas con discapacidad – LIONDAU (Equal Opportunities, Non-Discrimination and Universal Accessibility for people with disabilities Act ), the approval of Act 49/2007 of 26th December stands out, which establishes a system of infringements and sanctions in regard to equal opportunities, non-discrimination and universal accessibility for people with disabilities, establishing sanctions of up to a million euros for companies which discriminate against people with disabilities. Likewise we have contributed to the legislative implementation of the “Ley 39/2006, de 14 de diciembre de Promoción de la Autonomía Personal y Atención a las Personas en Situación de Dependencia (Promotion of Personal Autonomy and Dependent Care Act), with the approval among others of the Royal Decree 7/2008 of 11th January regarding the financial provisions of the Act and Royal Decree 179/2008 of 8th February, modifying Royal Decree 6/2008, of 11th January, regarding the determination of the minimum level of protection guaranteed to the beneficiaries of the SAAD - Sistema para la Autonomía y Atención a la Dependencia (Autonomy and Dependence Assistance System). 

In the employment framework the Global Strategy for the Employment of People with Disabilities 2008-2012 was approved by the Council of Ministers of 26th September 2006, with two general or strategic objectives: to increase the levels of activity and occupation as well as the labour insertion of people with disabilities; and to improve the quality of employment and to dignify the working conditions of the collective, actively combating its discrimination. On the 1st May 2008, after a legal void of six months, the Public Procurement Act 30/2007, of 30th October, came into force which represents a step forward by incorporating measures which enforce the universal accessibility of products and services which are the object of Public Administration contracts and by including the new possibility of reserving participation in the tender process for these contracts to the Sheltered Workplaces.

The participation of the ONCE Foundation in the principal legislative observatories has been fundamental in achieving these legislative advances, as well as its collaboration with the different legal operators, such as the General Council of Spanish Lawyers, the General Council of Notaries, the Justice and Disability Forum promoted by the General Council of the Judiciary and the Royal Board of Trustees regarding Disability.