The European Parliament organised its first “Disability Rights Week” to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It took place from 27 November to 4 December. In our previous article, you can read about the different events from the 28th and 29th of November.
Transport Committee: exchange of view on the Disability Card and debate on barriers in tourism and public transport
The session took place on 30 November and started with an exchange of views on the European Disability Card and Parking Card. MEP Erik Bergkvist (Sweden), the Parliamentarian in charge of the file in the Transport Committee, highlighted the quick progress on the file and the work done to improve the original proposal. MEP Karolin Bransbeurger-Reinhold (Germany) drew attention to the EPP amendments to coordinate an awareness campaign and develop a dedicated website with all relevant information. MEP Tilly Metz (Luxembourg) acknowledged the progress that the proposal would bring but stressed that it fell short of meeting the expectations of persons with disabilities.
This exchange of views on the Disability and Parking Cards was followed by a debate on the accessibility of tourism and public transport.
It consisted of two interventions by Peter Hurst (Chairman of the Center for Equal Treatment – Luxemburg’s equality body) and Katerina Starzec (Polish Language Professor) followed by a debate. MEPs Metz (Luxembourg), Josianne Cutajar (Malta) and Izaskun Bilabo Barandica (Spain) participated in the debate, among others.
The interventions highlighted:
- The lack of accessibility when travelling by rail, bus and plane.
- The lack of coherence of existing national policies.
- The need to improve air travel experience by decreasing paperwork to travel with electric wheelchairs, shortening the time to get permits to travel with medical devices and allowing for the possibility of sitting in the front row.
MEP Metz particularly warned about the lack of progress made so far in the area of transport, explaining that you still need to pre-notify when you want to travel. MEP Cutajar drew attention to the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities.
Human Rights Subcommittee: rights of persons with disability in conflict and post-conflict situation
On 30 November, Members of the European Parliament debated the safety and protection of persons with disabilities during and after conflict situations.
MEPs Udo Bullmann (Germany), Bernard Guetta (France), Nacho Sanchez Amor (Spain) and Katalin Cseh (Hungary) participated in the debate.
The debate highlighted:
- The disproportionate impact of conflict situations on persons with disabilities (persons with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more at risk of death in situations of disasters), including being exposed to multiple barriers during conflicts and being at higher risk of exclusion from aid.
- The necessity to meaningfully involve and empower persons with disabilities and their representative organisations (OPDs/DPOs) in all decision-making processes.
- The urgent need to mainstream disability (“to make disability visible”), but also to accelerate the implementation of inclusive humanitarian policies, such as the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines for inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.
- The need to collect disaggregated data by disability to fully understand needs and to effectively monitor inclusion.
During the debate, speakers underlined the need for investment in disability-inclusion preparedness, with the involvement of representative organisations of persons with disabilities, and stressed the lack of funding for capacity development and disaster preparedness.
MEP Cseh particularly highlighted the issue of cutting resources and support to persons with disabilities during conflicts, saying that:
When the war hits a country and resources and functions of the State are interrupted, usually the vital support to persons with disabilities is cut first. Thus, causes grave consequences and ends up as an invisible tragedy.
Employment Committee: political participation of persons with disabilities
On 4 December, Members of the European Parliament debated the political participation of persons with disabilities in view of the upcoming European elections.
Following a welcoming statement from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the event included consisted of a keynote speech from EDF’s Vice President, Pat Clarke and an intervention from Irena Moozová, Deputy Director-General for International Dimension of Justice Policies, Rule of Law and Equality, followed by a debate. MEPs Evelyn Regner (Austria), Ana Miranda (Spain) and Domènec Ruiz Devesa (Spain) participated in the debate, among others.
The debate highlighted:
- What progress has already been made in EU Member States and which legal and accessibility barriers remain.
- The biggest challenges Member States face at national level that inhibit equal access to political participation.
- Improvements need to be made to facilitate participation in the electoral process for all EU citizens.
MEP Dragoș Pîslaru (Romania) particularly highlighted EDF’s European Elections Manifesto as “a very good starting point” in the work towards equality in political participation. In his closing remarks, he reiterated,
We will not stop until every eligible citizen can easily participate in the electoral process.
A recording of the debate “political participation of persons with disabilities” is available.
