DISABILITY VOICE
EDF’s quarterly newsletter | issue1 |march 2014
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Editorial | Every vote counts!
With the EU elections coming closer, the active participation of every citizen is more than imperative. Especially in such difficult times of economic and human rights crisis, the voice of every citizen should be heard and every vote counts. Access to elections either as a candidate or as a voter, is a pre-condition for active citizenship and should be taken for granted in a democratic society. Nevertheless, most polling stations in EU countries remain inaccessible excluding millions of citizens with disabilities from their fundamental right to vote. EDF’s ongoing campaign on the EU elections focus on the inclusion of persons with disabilities and the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) by the EU.
Apart from the EU elections, in the following pages you will find among others, some news on the accessibility of websites and ICTs and transport, as well as information on a survey we just launched to monitor the situation on the rights of passengers all around Europe.
We hope that you will enjoy reading this newsletter!
We count on you to further disseminate our manifesto and our survey.
Carlotta Besozzi
EDF director
European elections 2014
WE VOTE FOR INCLUSION: EDF CAMPAIGNS FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS
The European Disability Forum launched its campaign on the European elections 2014. The campaign targets candidates to the European Parliament, European political parties but also the Parties’ candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission and future candidates for Commissioner.
Polling station, voting procedures, electoral debates and programmes remain largely inaccessible to persons with disabilities across Europe. Data, when available, shows that only 2 to 50% of polling stations across EU are accessible, depending on the country.
In its manifesto, EDF identified 6 key policy priorities and political demands to EU decision-maker for the coming years, in order toenable 80 million European citizens with disabilities to enjoy their civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights:
- The promotion of a vision of an inclusive, sustainable and democratic Europe;
- A reform ofEurope’s economic and social policies, in particular through the revision of the Europe 2020 strategy and through the European Semester process, to ensure the protection and enjoyment of human rights of Europeans with disabilities;
- Making goods and services accessible for all;
- The adoption of the proposed general non-discrimination directive;
- The swift ratification by the EU and by all Member states of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- The establishment of mechanisms within EU institutions to mainstream the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities while ensuring the involvement of persons with disabilities.
EDF calls on candidate MEPs, candidates to the Presidency of the European Commission and to the College of Commissioners tomake strong commitments to work towards those priorities.
EDF also urges decision-makers in Europe to ensure the accessibility of the European elections, without which the fundamental human rights - right to vote and right to political participation cannot be a reality for persons with disabilities. Governments, electoral authorities, political parties and candidates, parties have the responsibility to remedy this major factor of exclusion and to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities to participation in political and public life.
80 million persons with disabilities, their families and friends can make the difference!
Want to know more about our campaign?
Visit EDF’s special page on the EU elections and vote for inclusion!
EDF survey on passengers‘rights
DENIED BOARDING BECAUSE OF YOUR DISABILITY? DAMAGED WHEELCHAIR? NO ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION AT THE TRAIN STATION? EDF WANTS TO HEAR YOUR STORIES!
It has been a bit more than a year now that the European Union has laws on passengers’ rights in all transport modes: air, rail, bus & coach, and sea. What interests us now is to see if these laws have changed anything in the everyday lives of EU citizens – you!
EDF is launching a little survey to learn more about your experiences, whether you travel every day or only once a year. If you have recently used any of those transport modes (or you wanted to but could not because it was not accessible) and you would like to share your stories with us, EDF would be happy to receive your feedback. EDF will use this information in its advocacy work to set our priorities and also to illustrate the problems that persons with disabilities face when travelling with real life examples.
Some questions that might help you:
-In which transport mode and in which country did the incident occur?
-What exactly happened (lack or low quality of assistance, damaged/lost mobility equipment, denied boarding, lack of information, inaccessible facilities….)?
-Did you lodge a complaint afterwards? If yes, to whom? The transport provider (airline, railway undertaking, bus company, etc.)? The competent authorities or another body (Ombudsman, mediator, other dispute resolution mechanism)? Did you go to court?
-How did the transport provider react? Did you get any reply? Did you get compensation?
-Did you know about your rights as a passenger and especially as a person with reduced mobility?
-What could be improved to avoid these situations in the future?
-Do you agree that EDF can use the information you give anonymously in its advocacy work?
Please send your full answers to . You can also submit contributions on our facebook or twitter by using the hashtag: #FreeMove
We would be happy if you could forward this request to other interested parties: the more examples the better!
Contact EDF:
Air passengers‘ rights
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS TEXT IN THE PLENARY
In March 2013, the Commission published a proposal to revise the Regulation on Air Passengers Rights (261/2004). While mainly dealing with air passengers’ rights in general, this proposal also included some relevant changes for persons with disabilities. After the Committee on Transport and Tourism in the European Parliament issued a mainly favorable report, the text was now voted in the plenary on 5 February 2014.
EDF succeeded in including some important provisions in the final text such as for example the provision of information in accessible formats in case a flight is delayed or cancelled (Article 14 (3)), the obligation of the airline to consider the needs of guide and assistance dogs in above named situations (Article 11 (3)) and the confirmation of an exemption for persons with disabilities concerning rules that limit the time that an airline has to provide accommodation to passengers in cases of disruption such as the ash cloud incident in 2010. Furthermore, a new provision was introduced which underlines that an airline may not deny boarding to a person with disability travelling alone and that the airline may not insist on an accompanying person (Article 11 (3) b new).
While there were many positive changes adopted during the plenary, some amendments were unfortunately less favourable for persons with disabilities and contradicted some of EDF’s proposed amendments. One of the most important points for us was that airlines should be fully liable for damage to or loss of mobility equipment such as wheelchairs if its value is declared by the passenger at the time of check-in. EDF supported the Commission proposal that this declaration should, of course, be free of charge but this provision was finally removed by the Parliament.
EDF insists that the declaration should be free of charge and as un-bureaucratic as possible in order to facilitate travelling for persons with disabilities and will continue advocating at national level with its members, but also towards the European Council that has not decided on the issue yet.
Contact EDF:
European Court of Human Rights
A JUDGEMENT THAT INCREASES ITS RECOGNITION OF UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
On 6 February 2014, the European Court of Human Rights came out with a positive judgment in the case of Semikhvostov v Russia (Application no 2689/12) in which EDF and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) had submitted a third party intervention to the Court in January 2013.
The case was brought by a wheel chair user prisoner who was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment due to conditions in prison and the denial of reasonable accommodation. The Court concluded a violation of Article 3 on account of the inhuman and degrading conditions of the applicant’s detention, as well as a violation of Article 13 of the Convention due to the absence of an effective domestic remedy with which to raise claims of inadequate conditions of detention.
In coming to this judgment, the ruling reflects arguments elaborated by EDF & IDA in its third party intervention and highlights the failure to provide reasonable accommodation to the applicant as a central issue resulting in inhuman and degrading conditions.
It is significant that the European Court of Human Rights has taken up reasonable accommodation in its jurisprudence, and it represents a step toward increased CRPD recognition and compliance.
Want to know more about this case, as well as other pending cases?
Contact EDF:
Web accessibility
A WIKIPEDIA ON WEB ACCESSIBILITY IS NOW AVAILABLE
eAccess+ project is a thematic network to improve e-accessibility in three main domains: web accessibility, accessible convergent communication (e.g. digital television) and self-service terminals. Funded by the European Commission e-inclusion unit under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme ICT Policy Support Programme, this project has established and developed a cooperative platform for co-ordinating, supporting and improving the implementation of e-accessibility throughout Europe. EDF is part of the consortium to provide the perspective of persons with disabilities and explain their digital accessibility requirements.
Thus, the eAccess+ hub has the aim to become the encyclopaedia that answers concrete questions about accessibility of websites, digital television and self-service terminals. It collects goodpractices, policies, standards, training materials, test tools and studies. Like in Wikipedia, the search field is your friend, so do not hesitate to use it!
Find out how today!
Contact EDF:
EDF, AGE PLATFORM EUROPE & ANEC URGE THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE PARLIAMENT’S POSITION
Currently, less than one third of public websites are accessible, while over 60% of the European population accesses the Internet everyday. Many citizens, especially persons with disabilities and older people, are excluded from taking full advantage of the internet since the websites are not properly designed for them.
On February 26, Members of the European Parliament showed their strong commitment to a more inclusive internet for all. The Parliament’s report on the proposal for a Directive on the Accessibility of Public Sector Bodies’ Websites and websites operated by entities performing public tasks has introduced extremely valuable changes to the Commission proposal. Unfortunately, the Council is lagging behind and has not started the negotiations on this important piece of legislation yet. EDF, Age Platform Europe and Anec call on all Member States, and especially the Greek Presidency, to prioritize this dossier and endorse the Parliament’s position.
Find out why this is important!
Assistive technologies
ATIS4all PORTAL IS OUT!
After three years of work, the EU thematic network Assistive Technology and Inclusive Systems for All (ATIS4all) has launched its collaborative portal.
The purpose of this project has been to create a web portal about Assistive Technologies (AT) and digital accessibility, supported by an online community consisting of users, providers, researchers, and developers. In the portal you can find all kind of information related with AT, such as best practices, legislation, standards, case studies, publications, training materials, ongoing projects, as well as a powerful search engine to find all the AT available.
Another important tool of the portal is its two forums concerning the Market Place and Research and Development. In this section of the portal different key actors exchange ideas and comments about the last hot topics.
EDF was a member of the consortium of the ATIS4all project, and since now is ready, we encourage you to join the portal and disseminate it.
Join the discussion!
Contact EDF:
Women with disabilities
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S REPORT IS OUT!
The disability movement welcomes the adoption today of the European Parliament’s report on women with disabilities, which took on board all of its recommendations.
During the last year, EDF was given the opportunity to present its views in the European Parliament on the draft report on ’women with disabilities’ of the Committee on Women’s rights and gender equality. EDF worked closely with the Committee Members and with the European Parliament Disability Intergroup to ensure that the voice of the disability movement is heard. Promoting the rights of women and girls with disabilities is one of key aspect of EDF’s work; we are mainstreaming the rights of women and girls with disabilities in our work as well as taking specific actions to promote their rights, as for example the 2nd Manifesto on the Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in the European Union.
EDF welcomes the fact that all its recommendations were taken on boardand in particular welcomes the reference made to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the EU 2011-2020 Gender Equality Pact and the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (2010-2015).
Among others, the report highlights that:
- Member States have to ensure that women and girls with disabilities enjoy equality before the law and are entitled to equality of legal protection and legal benefits;
- changing the situation of women and girls with disabilities lies in including disability in all programmes, measures and policies on gender, as well as developing specific measures for them. In this sense, the report urges the Commission to develop a gender approach in the mid-term review of its European Disability Strategy 2010-2020;
- it is important to optimize the use of EU funding instruments, particularly the Structural Funds in order to promote accessibility and non-discrimination regarding women with disabilities;
- the EU and Member States need to take all appropriate measures to protect women and girls with disabilities, both within and outside the home, from exploitation, violence and abuse and to facilitate their access to justice through community-based assistance and support.
Read the full report here
Contact EDF:
Mobile for good Europe awards
30.000€ AWARD TO APPLICATION FOR COLOUR-BLIND USERS
On 5 December 2013, the Vodafone Foundation announced the four winners of the 2013 Mobile for Good Europe Awards. Organised by Vodafone Foundation, the European Disability Forum and AGE Platform Europe, these awards recognise transformational apps designed to improve people's lives, deliver substantial public benefit and stimulate thinking of how mobile technology can improve the delivery of public services for society.
A total prize fund of 200,000 EUR for the best Android and iOS apps and concepts has been shared between 12 finalists, with the winner of each category receiving 30,000 EUR. This money has been awarded for the further development of the applications.
The awards categories included health, accessibility, education and the mobilisation of public services.
In the accessibility category, the winner was ColorADD, an app designed to enable colour-blind users to understand colours through a simple coding system. Using the camera, the app overlays the appropriate icons on top of colours shown on screen. ColorADD ensures equal accessibility for all when colour is a factor of identification, orientation or choice, for example when navigating the London Underground/Metro where lines are colour coded.
In the category of education, the award went to Dyseggsia, a mobile game which uses science-based language exercises to help young people with dyslexia overcome issues with reading and writing.
Find out more!
French law on accessibility
FRANCE CANNOT FURTHER POSTPONE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL LAW ON ACCESSIBILITYEDF is concerned about the decision of the French government to further postpone for another 3 to 9 years the implementation of its law for the accessibility of services and public spaces. The French law of 11 February 2005 was foreseeing that all public spaces, houses and transport would become accessible before 1 January 2015 but this deadline will not be met.
The authorities have thus postponed the implementation of the law and worked out a timetable according to which certain places shall be accessible after another 3, 6, or 9 years depending on the sector, to give public and private sector more time.
EDF calls on the French government to set severe penalties for any public or private actor who does not respect the law of 2005 and does not hand in a plan by the end of 2014 explaining which concrete accessibility measures they will take. A monitoring mechanism should be also created to collect fines that could contribute to a fund that supports accessibility measures in areas which are not covered by the law. Finally, information on existing financial support instruments should be made available to the actors involved.