MEDIA: HOW TO MOBILIZE SOCIETY

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What is EDF?

• Created in 1997
• European Platform of Disability NGOs
• Organisation established by people with
  disabilities and their families
• An independent and strong voice

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A representative organisation

• National Councils of disabled people in the EU
  and in accession countries
• European NGOs representing different impairment
  groups
• All organisations, companies and individuals
  committed to disabled people Human Rights

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EDF Vision

• Disabled people form a diverse group
• Barriers in society leads to discrimination and
  social exclusion
• Disabled people are independent citizens and
  consumers
• Disabled people are rights holders

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EDF Values

• Disability is a human rights issue and concerns
  everybody
• Disabled people want equal opportunities and not
  charity
• Visibility of disability everywhere
• Nothing about us without us
• Independence and empowerment

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European Policy on Accessible Transport

• Increased interest for accessibility by policy
  makers
• Demographic changes more and more disabled
  people (today about one in six in working age)
• Benefits
• More inclusive society
• Economic benefits
• High quality travel for all
• However, a lot of barriers to transport remain

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What does accessibility mean?

• A seamless travel chain!
• Access to built environment/
• infrastructure and transport modes
• Information on accessibility and accessible
  information
• Disability awareness training of personnel
• Safety and security for all passengers

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EU LEGISLATION

• The  Bus and Coach  Directive
• The only EU legislation on access to urban
  transport
• Principal aim is to guarantee safety of
  passengers
• Includes accessibility requirements for urban
  buses (and optional requirements for rural buses)
• Covers both physical and sensory impairments
• Still not mandatory

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2. The Directive on Maritime Safety

• Revised in 2003 adds accessibility
  requirements for disabled people for new ships
• Access to the ships
• Accessible signs
• Means to communicate messages
• Alarm
• Additional requirements ensuring mobility inside
  the ships

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3. Proposed TSI on Rail Accessibility

• Aim to improve accessibility to rail systems
• Applies to new stations with more than 1000
  passengers a day
• Applies to all new domestic and international
  trains
• Will be adopted later this year and become
  binding across the EU in 2007

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4. Passenger Rights Regulations

• Air passengers rights in the case of denied
  boarding, delays and cancellation (No 261/2004)
  specific section on disabled passengers
• Disabled air passengers (adopted by EP December
  2005, will be formally adopted by Council in
  April 2006)
• Proposal on Rail Passengers
• Forthcoming proposals on maritime and coach
  passengers

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5. Regulation on Disabled Air Passengers

• First disability specific legislation at EU level
  ever
• No denied boarding or booking because you are
  disabled (48 hours pre-notification)
• Seamless assistance at no extra charge
• Compensation for lost or damaged equipment or
  assistive devices

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Important projects and policy-making bodies in
Europe

• EU-funded projects
• - COST projects on accessibility to transport
  COST 322 (low-floor buses), 335 (heavy rail) and
  349 (long-distance coaches)
• - UNIACCESS etc
• ECMT and ECAC
• Produce recommendations at European level on
  accessibility to transport (Guides to good
  practice, guidelines, training manuals, research
  on transport needs for people with different
  kind of disabilities)

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