Situation of people with disabilities in the European Union

Subject: Situation of people with disabilities in the European Union

By 2020, people with disabilities are expected to make up one-fifth of the European population. However, they remain one of the social groups in Europe facing the most discrimination. People with disabilities continue to suffer from social marginalisation and often face injustice in terms of job opportunities, medical care and education. They also struggle with inaccessible public transport and obstructed spaces on a daily basis. Earlier this year, the UN published both the Disability and Development Report and the Sustainable Development Goals Report. In the former, the UN acknowledges that disproportionately large numbers of people with disabilities continue to live in poverty, and that this group is underrepresented in terms of political participation.

1. What new legislation will the Commission propose in order to provide equal access to education, healthcare and the labour market for people with disabilities?

2. How will it provide equal and fair access to mainstream schools for children with learning disabilities?

3. Does it monitor whether new public buildings are constructed in compliance with the principles of accessible design?

Answer given by Ms Dalli on behalf of the European Commission

(10 March 2020)

As noted in its reply to Written Question E-003632/2019, the Commission is currently evaluating implementation of the European disability strategy 2010-2020. The Commission Communication on a strong social Europe for just transitions (1) announces a strengthened strategy for disability in 2021.

The Commission takes action to encourage, support and complement Member States' activities in the field of education, while respecting their overall responsibility for educational policy. It supports Member States' efforts to improve the inclusiveness of education systems through the European disability strategy 2010-2020. It works closely with the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. In addition, through the Erasmus+ programme (2014-20), the Commission finances various projects aimed at improving inclusive education.

The responsibility to monitor whether new public buildings are constructed in compliance with the principles of accessible design is for the Member States required, in accordance with Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to ensure access to persons with disabilities to the physical environment on an equal basis with others.

Nevertheless, the European disability strategy 2010-2020, supports national activities of the implementation accessibility and removing existing barriers, for example, through Commission standardisation request 420 which is developing an accessibility standard for the built environment.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_20_49 | | ( | | )