Movement Profile
Freedom of movement is one of the cornerstones of the European construction and a fundamental right for European citizens. It has enabled millions of EU citizens to work, establish themselves, study and travel abroad and to have easy access to goods and services in any Member State. However, people with disabilities are prevented from making use of the rights to freedom of movement to the same extent as other EU citizens. Many different barriers, such as access to the physical environment and to communication, as well as legislative and administrative barriers, exclude them from fully enjoying these freedoms.
About the project
The European Disability Forum (EDF), the European umbrella organisation representing the interests of 80 million people with disabilities in Europe, aims at ensuring people with disabilities full access to fundamental rights in Europe through their active involvement in policy implementation. In order to contribute to an inclusive society free from discrimination, it has been decided to dedicate the EDF Top Campaign 2011 to freedom of movement addressing the removal of all barriers that prevent people with disabilities from exercising their rights to free movement.
EDF has produced a publication known as the ‘Freedom Guide’ which provides an overview of the existing obstacles to free movement for people with disabilities and recommendations to decision-makers in this area. Individuals with disabilities and their families have shared their opinions and offered concrete examples – positive and negative – of their everyday experiences in relation to freedom of movement. Their testimonies illustrate the many remaining barriers that currently exist such as inaccessibility; unaffordable goods and services; lack of exportability of benefits, of personal assistance services or sign language interpretation; and denied access to guide dog owners. Furthermore, EDF invited a number of eminent personalities from various arenas at the European level to contribute to the content of the Freedom Guide. They all agreed on the great value that accessibility represents and on the need for a more inclusive market and society.
The campaign would not only lead to respect for the rights of people with disabilities but it would also greatly contribute to a more competitive European Union market. Experience has shown that the market, and society as a whole, has a lot to gain from accessibility. For instance, the lesson we learn from the United States’ experience is that the cost of accessibility remains negligible when evaluating the positive outcomes and effects are not only for people with disabilities, but for society as a whole. Currently the EU is missing a market opportunity: 1 billion people with disabilities across the world are waiting for improved accessibility. With the aging of the population, this number is steadily increasing.
Our vision for EU mobility
We believe that full accessibility, a key principle under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of people with Disabilities (UNCRPD), is an essential step towards enabling freedom of movement. This is why EDF strongly supports the adoption of a European Accessibility Act which was announced in the Disability Strategy 2010-2020 of the European Commission. To be effective, such an Act must be a legally binding instrument with an ambitious scope. Another concrete solution to facilitate travelling is the adoption of a European Mobility Card based on the principle of mutual recognition of existing national disability cards, with a harmonized design.
The Freedom Guide will be soon available on EDF website:
Tags: Movement Profile