European Accessibility Act ‘favours business demands; says disabled group

The European Disability Forum (EDF) has reacted strongly to the recent EU vote which aims to make key products and services, like phones, e-book readers, operating systems and payment terminals, more accessible to people with disabilities, under new draft EU rules. EDF is an umbrella group representing 100 associations and some 80 million disabled people across the EU. The Internal Market Committee (IMCO) amended and approved the rules, which would apply only to products and services placed on the EU market
May 8, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The European Disability Forum (EDF) has reacted strongly to the recent EU vote which aims to make key products and services, like phones, e-book readers, operating systems and payment terminals, more accessible to people with disabilities, under new draft EU rules.


EDF is an umbrella group representing 100 associations and some 80 million disabled people across the EU.

The Internal Market Committee (IMCO) amended and approved the rules, which would apply only to products and services placed on the EU market after the directive takes effect.

The proposed European Accessibility Act (EAA) would enable people with disabilities to benefit from more accessible products and services. The draft directive sets out accessibility requirements for a list including ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines, PCs and operating systems, phones and TV equipment, consumer banking services, e-books, transport and e-commerce. MEPs added other items to the list, such as all payment terminals, e-book readers and websites and mobile device-based services of audio-visual media.

EDF says the IMCO Committee has favoured business demands over the rights of people, including persons with disabilities, older people and all consumers. This fully contradicts all previous statements by the European Parliament on the Accessibility Act and in particular the European Parliament’s resolution of 7 July 2016. It claims the report is watering down the 1690 European Commission’s proposal to such an extent that there is a risk that the Accessibility Act may be meaningless for millions of people in Europe.

The accessibility requirements would also cover the built environment where the service is provided, including transport infrastructure, such as train stations, “as regards to the construction of new infrastructure or renovations with a substantial change of the structure of the existing building”, where member states do not already have requirements in place, the committee decided.

EDF is now calling on the European Parliament to substantially amend the IMCO Committee’s report in the plenary and to promote a strong and ambitious Accessibility Act that will bring a real change in the lives of its citizens.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US transportation 'needs political leadership'
    November 9, 2012
    Long-time industry leader John Worthington reflects on where transportation in the US is heading – and where it should be going. Interview with Jason Barnes. The US’s new transportation bill reflects much of what is wrong in the sector in general and in ITS in particular, according to John Worthington. While a decision is welcome, he says, it does little more than provide certainty of funding for anything other than day-to-day operations. Worthington, former Chairman and CEO of TransCore, is back in the ITS
    Read More
  • Surge in crime rate and terrorist activities in Europe ‘driving use of policing technologies’
    August 19, 2016
    The Europe policing technologies market is expected to register a 6.0 per cent CAGR from 2016 to 2024, with the revenue set to increase from US$1.4 billion in 2015 to US$2.4 billion by the end of the forecast period, according to a new Transparency Market Research (TMR) report, Policing Technologies Market - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024. Accounting for a share of 36 per cent in 2015, detection and surveillance technologies emerged as the leading policing
    Read More
  • Enforcement needs automation and communication
    February 1, 2012
    TISPOL's Peter van de Beek questions whether the thought processes which drive enforcement technology development are always the right ones. Peter van de Beek sees an ever-greater role for technology in traffic enforcement but is concerned that the emphasis of technological development and discussion is not always in the right places. 'Old-fashioned' face-to-face policing remains as valid as it ever did, he feels, but adds that there should be greater communication with those engaged at the sharp end of saf
    Read More
  • Network of associations
    December 18, 2015
    Snowmageddon response sweeps award, New push for seamless European travel, Young professionals group launched at ITS UK and Green transport initatives
    Read More

Highlighted Content