From 29/05 to 29/05
For the eighth year in a row, the Swedish disability movement is marching for accessibility. The marches will be held in 29 cities around Sweden on the same day - 29 May.
Behind the march, which is politically and religiously independent, stands the united Swedish disability movement and other organizations which agree with the demands of an anti-discrimination law including inaccessibility.
Despite 20 years of investigations, inaccessibility has not been considered as grounds of discrimination in the Swedish anti-discrimination law, which took effect in 2009. A proposal existed but was lifted out late from the new law.
Despite decades of good intentions and beautifully worded political promises, Sweden is very much an inaccessible country. "We do not need more promises; we need mandatory laws with severe penalties against those who discriminate against us daily," says Emma Johansson, spokesperson for the March for Accessibility.
The purpose of the march is to demand a law classifying inaccessibility as discrimination against people with disabilities. Similar laws are already in the US, Australia, Britain, Hong Kong, South Africa, France and Norway.