EESC public hearing: "Accessibility as a human right: empowering persons with disabilities"

The European Commission is committed to removing the economic and social barriers that prevent people with disabilities from enjoying their rights and from a complete participation in every area of life. 

Equality of opportunity for people with disabilities is at the centre of the multiannual European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: accessibility is the heart of the strategies in the meaning of giving equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communication technologies and system (ICT), in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of person with Disabilities.  The Commission carried out a mid-term evaluation of the European Disability Action plan, in order to give the proper attention to initiatives related to accessibility, concluding that the achievement of a good level of accessibility will be possible just on the long term.

About the public hearing

Many issues have been discussed during the public hearing, such as the economical one: in order to reach a good level of accessibility, for example in the field of public transport, according to Jean-Eric Paquet, Director of European Mobility Network at DG Move (European Commission), an investment of around 30 billion of euros is necessary.  But the most important thing to focus on is the implementation of what already exists and the additional measures.  Those costs must be taken as investments, because people with disabilities will be consumers and that’s the main point.  Involving people in every aspect of life, and not just people with disabilities, but all the people who are part of a vulnerable category, like elders.

Stéphane Buffetaut, President of the TEN section of the EESC, rightly observed that rights only exist when they are reals.

That’s why Accessibility shouldn’t be taken just as a technical issue, because it’s an essential part of everyday life. The dignity of a human being deserves all the possible efforts: accessibility is a right, and people with disability deserve to have this right just like everybody else.