ENUSP together with EDF and 18 other organisations signs the open letter urging Member States to significantly improve the European Accessibility Act ahead of the next negotiations on 2 October. We demand that a strong European Accessibility Act is agreed upon before the next European Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The European Accessibility Act was proposed by the European Commission in 2015. It aims to add common minimum requirements on accessibility for a range of products and services. It’s meant to dramatically improve Europeans’ lives, especially the lives over 80 million persons with disabilities and 190 million people aged 50 or older. Unfortunately, negotiators, especially Member States, are trying to erase essential elements. The exclusion of public procurement and micro-enterprises will mean that the vast majority (93%) of products and services will be excluded. The exclusion of emergency services means that persons with disabilities will continue to die because they cannot reach or contact emergency responders. The exclusion of the built environment means that millions of products and services will still be out of reach for millions of Europeans. It will mean that the Act is meaningless.
The open letter is available here.