2010: A Europe Accessible for All

17/03/2010 

Report from the Group of Experts set up by the European Commission : October 2003.  

“THE OBJECTIVE: A EUROPE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL” . This strategy has a target date: 2010.

This is why the "accessibility agenda" which is fleshed out in this report should be implemented with this same 2010 deadline. By this date, all new constructions, their vicinity (pavement, bus stops,…) and their environment (signage, electronic devices,…), should be accessible for all.

Accessibility should be dealt with in a global and integrated way promoting accessibility for all will contribute to the success of the European strategy of "economic and social renewal".

Accessibility is a concern for everyone, not only for a minority with physical disabilities. Accessibility means firstly that everybody should have equal access to the built environment, i.e. An accessible built environment is a key element for the realisation of a society based on equal rights, and provides its citizens with autonomy and the means to pursue an active social and economic life.

It is a cornerstone of an inclusive society, based on nondiscrimination. Our society is based on diversity, which entails a need to build a barrierfree environment, that does not create disabilities and impairments. It means that accessibility is a concern for everyone, not only for a minority with special needs. With an increasingly diverse and ageing society, the objective should –and will- increasingly be to promote accessibility for all.

To download this document in additional languages, visit the ENAT webpage.