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Austrian representatives of disabled people welcomed the proposal in principle, but said the initiative was only a first step towards real accessibility for all people.
If the previously nationally defined disability status is not recognized abroad, those affected are not entitled to special conditions such as reduced fees or personal assistance. In order to solve this problem, the EU Commission proposes the introduction of a standardized European disability card. The voluntary pilot project, in which eight EU countries – Austria was not among them – took part, is to become a mandatory guideline.
The European Disability Card is intended to enable equal access to special conditions for public and private services throughout the EU, for example in transport, at cultural events, in museums, leisure or sports centers. The EU identity card is issued by the national authorities and complements the existing national cards or certificates. The European parking card is also to be improved: according to the plans of the Brussels authorities, it is to have a binding EU format in the future and be valid in disabled parking spaces throughout the EU.
Essential step – but expandable
“The mutual recognition of disability status between the EU member states is an essential step towards enabling the free movement of people in the EU for people with disabilities,” commented Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council for Disabled Persons. In any case, it is important that the end result of the directive covers a wide area of application. In addition to those envisaged in the Commission’s current proposal, fundamental areas such as education or working life would also have to be dealt with.
Martin Ladstätter, chairman of the BIZEPS advice center for people with disabilities in Vienna, emphasizes that this initiative is still a long way from real accessibility: “It’s an encouraging start, but we have to remain realistic. The EU disability card should cover areas that go far beyond culture , leisure and sport to enable true inclusion in all walks of life.” It is also “pointless to have an ID card that facilitates access to services when many of them are still inaccessible,” he explains, and calls on the EU to create binding guidelines for real accessibility in all member countries.
“The European Disability Card can play an important role in removing barriers and improving the mobility and integration of people with disabilities into society. The Commission must ensure that the card works in practice and brings real benefits to citizens in their daily lives brings,” said ÖVP MEP Christian Sagartz, member of the Committee on Labor and Social Affairs.
The EU Commission’s proposal is now being discussed by the European Parliament and the member states in the Council.
Source: Nachrichten
