The European Accessibility Resource Centre, AccessibleEU, is a new service from the European Commission to support the implementation of accessibility across the European Union. We were a strong proponent of this measure within the current Disability Rights Strategy
Ahead of the launch event of the Centre on 4 July (a free-to-attend, hybrid event), we interviewed Jésus Hérnandez-Gálan, Director of Accessibility at Fundácion ONCE, who leads the consortium that manages the Centre.
Read the interview to understand the goals of the consortium and what Jésus expects to achieve.
Question
Can you give us some practical examples of how the Centre will improve accessibility in the EU?
Answer:
The main objective of the European Accessibility Resource Centre is to achieve a real implementation of accessibility in the 27 EU Member States.
There are different tools that AccessibleEU is already developing, such as the generation of shared knowledge between professionals, companies and public administrations so that this knowledge is extended to the maximum within the activity of all the key actors in society.
Developing a network of professionals who share their knowledge and concerns regarding the implementation of accessibility is an example of how to act within the European Union.
Another essential activity is to detect and contact the Single Points of Contact responsible for implementing the European Accessibility Act in each of the Member States (among other legislation), offering support for this purpose.
The Centre also holds awareness-raising events, technical workshops and networking events throughout the entire European territory.
Question
What 3 concrete achievements in accessibility in Europe would you like to see as a result of the work of the Centre?
Answer
I am absolutely convinced that one of the main goals is that accessibility must be present at a high level within the political agendas of all Member States, transversally in the different actions to be carried out at the national level.
On the other hand, I want companies and the professional sector to keep accessibility in mind in their daily activities as something normalised and not a mere requirement of regulatory compliance.
Thirdly, the fact that the implementation of accessibility is really effective will make us get closer to a Europe that is more accessible for all citizens.
Question
How can representative organisations of persons with disabilities get involved in the work of the Centre?
Answer:
The role of organisations of persons with disabilities is essential along different lines. First, to show that it is not a matter of a minority, of a mere whim of a few. Their participation in the different activities planned throughout the entire life cycle of the project will make public administrations, professionals and companies see that there are many needs that people with disabilities in Europe have been demanding for a long time. And it can be a key push point when promoting the implementation of this need for accessibility in different areas of society.
All the experience of organisations of persons with disabilities obtained over many years needs to be incorporated within every action that AccessibleEU develops.
Question
How can persons with disabilities, as individuals and activists, get involved?
Answer
In a previous answer, I mentioned networking and the creation of a Community of Practice as a tool of the European Accessibility Centre to generate synergies between different stakeholders in the achievement of an inclusive and accessible society for all citizens. The participation of persons with disabilities in this Community of Practices is very important in order to become speakers for other people with disabilities. Their participation will be essential in all the awareness-raising work that is carried out by AccessibleEU both at the European level and at the local level in the hands of the National Experts in each member state, representatives of AccessibleEU at the local level. Their knowledge and experience will be of great value to these National Experts when it comes to being able to contact key actors in the implementation of accessibility in each of their countries.
Question
Can you tell us more about how the AccessibleEU Centre will engage other organisations responsible for implementing accessibility solutions – such as public authorities, cities, companies, etc?
Answer
All this awareness activity is fundamentally aimed at those professionals, public administrations and companies that are not convinced about the importance of accessibility or about the consideration of accessibility as a matter of human rights.
Persons with disabilities, organisations of persons with disabilities and the entities that have been working for the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities for years are already convinced. We will seek to argue beyond the need for legislative compliance based on premises based on design for all people, on issues of human rights and inclusion, and on aspects that relate accessibility to social sustainability… We will try to show that accessibility must be present in public policies, in new technological developments, new mobility models, new urban developments,…, in short, in all issues that affect the daily life of citizens. Only in this way will we ensure that accessibility can be taken into account as a “first-level” issue.
We will try to show that AccessibleEU is a point of support, an accompaniment for Member States to implement policies and actions to improve accessibility in the built environment, transport, Information and Communication Technologies and public policies, among other subjects.
We will try to identify the current lacks in the Member countries in terms of accessibility so that public and private entities work to minimise these deficiencies by developing environments, products and services accessible to all citizens.
From AccessibleEU, we will reach out to all those who aim to achieve a fairer, more inclusive and more accessible society.