Would you like to help us draft our 9^th Human Rights Report on air passenger rights for persons with disabilities?  EDF is looking for a consultant (estimated 30 days)

• Deadline for applications: 24 March 2024 

Background   

The European Disability Forum is an independent NGO that defends the interests of 100 million persons with disabilities living in Europe. EDF is a unique platform which brings together representative organisation of persons with disabilities from across Europe. EDF is run by persons with disabilities and their families. EDF is a front runner for disability rights. We are a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe.

EDF has a regular human rights report series concerning the rights of persons with disabilities in the EU. The series looks at both the EU and national level and generates recommendations for both levels. The first issue was in 2016 to mark 10 years of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This was an introductory publication and provided a baseline to assess progress at the EU and Member States levels regarding CRPD ratification.  Issues until now :

• Overview on CRPD – December 2016
• SDGs and the CRPD – March 2018
• Equality and Non-discrimination – March 2019
• Poverty and social exclusion – April 2020
• COVID-19 – March 2021
• Political Participation – May 2022
• Right to Work – April 2023
• Legal capacity – to be released.

EDF will produce its 9^th Human Rights report on Air Passenger Rights for persons with disabilities. The report will aim to explain the main barriers to air transport that persons with disabilities face. It will do so by gathering, analysing and publishing information on the benefits and shortcomings in the implementation of Regulation 1107/2006 on the passenger rights of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air, the situation in different EU Member States and the policies and actions carried out by Carriers, Airports and National Enforcement Bodies (NEBs). The report will also include information on the experiences of persons with disabilities that travel by plane and recommendations to promote equal access to air transport. This overview will inform EDF’s future work on combatting barriers to the right to transport and mobility.

Objective of the consultancy

Research barriers to the right to transport by air in all EU Member States, specifically by providing information on

• The implementation of Regulation 1107/2006 by carriers and relevant public authorities
• Remaining gaps and barriers related to air transport and mobility for persons with disabilities.

Deliverables

30 EU Air Carriers fiches covering their policies to transport persons with disabilities. The fiches should cover the biggest air carrier in each Member State (full service, if available), the 3 biggest low-cost air carriers in the EU and 3 regional carriers in the EU. The fiches should provide comparable information on:

• Carriage of mobility equipment (conditions for the main type of aircraft and limitations) and availability of onboard wheelchairs.
• Liability for damaged or lost mobility equipment (including voluntary liability beyond Montreal Convention, if any)
• Carriage of assistance animals (conditions of carriage, including the documentation requested and any limitation on the number of animals per flight)
• Travel assistant (criteria for the requirement of a mandatory accompanying person, including the self-reliance criteria)
• Seating policies for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility.
• Limitations on the number of Persons with Disabilities / Persons with reduced mobility / Wheelchair users allowed on board.
• Carriage of batteries
• Carriage of medical oxygen (availability and pricing)
• Assistance request (characteristics of the process, including means of contact)
• Accessibility of the website
• Transparency on the level of information provided related to the carriage of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility
• Good practices of the carrier
• If available, number of persons with reduced mobility or persons with disabilities – related complaints

27 EU Member States fiches covering the work of Public Authorities in the implementation of Regulation 1107/2006, mainly by the National Enforcement Bodies (NEBs):

• National Legislation complementary and relevant to 1107/2006, if any.
• Complaint Procedure (handing of individual complaints, enforcement powers)
• Available alternative redress mechanisms
• If available, number of persons with disability and reduced mobility (PRM) related complaints

Drafting of the chapters of the report where the carriers / country fiches are analysed.

Ambitious air travel legislation / practices available in other parts of the world (to be determined with the consultant)

Methodology

Methodological approaches include:

• Desk research EU and national relevant legislation
• Desk research and potential request for information to 30 air carriers
• Desk Research and potential request for information to the NEBs
• Other sources (media, specialised reports…)
• Cross check information with EDF members, if necessary.

Timeline

To be defined with the selected consultant. To be completed by September 2024.

Application

If you are interested to apply for this consultancy, please:

• Send your CV and letter of interest to Daniel Casas, EDF accessibility officer (daniel.casas@edf-feph.org), by Sunday March 24^th March 2024.
• In your letter of interest, please indicate your experience and knowledge on this topic and your daily rate for consultancy (VAT excluded).