Social Agenda Issue 54

Accessibility directive coming up Many services and products due to become more accessible across borders to persons with disabilities In 2011, the EU became a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which addresses disability as a human rights issue: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The convention covers a wide range of policy areas: From justice to transport, employment to information technology, etc. One of the Convention's articles contains the obligations for State Parties on accessibility. Its aim is to ensure access to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. Since 2011, therefore, EU countries have adopted some additional laws on accessibility. National variations In areas already covered by EU legislation, such as transport, the focus is on assistance to people with disabilities rather than on accessibility as such but at least EU laws have been transposed into national legislation in a coherent way. While in those areas that are not covered by EU legislation with regard to accessibility - such as computers, private websites or ticketing machines - national laws vary. For example, almost all EU countries have obligations for public websites, while fewer include also private websites. Moreover, obligations differ on issues like addressing the needs of people with intellectual disabilities or those of deaf people. Second generation accessibility: National laws vary in areas not covered by EU legislation, such as information and communication technology. © Belga Image PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 8 / SOC I A L AG E NDA / MA R C H 2 0 1 9