DOTCOM - The Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED)

Austria

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Accessibility of all kind of public transport services is covered by the Federal Disability Equality Act. The Act defines as ‘accessible’ a means of transport that can be used by people with disabilities without any particular difficulty and, in principle, without any external help. Every public transport company had to design a step-by-step plan for making all of their facilities accessible by the end of 2015. The Federal Disability Act provides a claim for financial compensation of the material or immaterial damage suffered in the case of discrimination. As of 1 January 2018 the following changes of the Federal Disability Equality Act came into effect that might be applicable to transport companies:

Class action suits may be taken to the Court not only by the Austrian Disability Council but also by the Federal Disability Ombudsman and by the Austrian Litigation Association of NGOs Against Discrimination;
Injunctive relief, as well as the elimination of discrimination, may be enforced against big incorporated companies.

A blind man submitted a complaint to the UNCRPD Committee under the optional protocol which was replied to in 2015. The UNCRPD Committee has recommended Austria to improve accessibility of written information with regard to public transportation.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-04-09

C2. Built environment accessibility

Accessibility of the built environment is covered by the Federal Disability Equality Act as far as federal buildings and private businesses are concerned. The Act says that access is given if buildings or services offered to the public can be used by people with disabilities without any particular difficulty and in principle without any outside help. According to the Federal Disability Act, a step-by-step plan was established to make all federal buildings accessible by the end of 2015. In 2010, the federal government introduced the option to postpone this deadline until 2019 in the framework of consolidating the budget. The Federal Disability Equality Act provides grounds for a claim to compensation for facing barriers but it does not provide any obligation or claim to remove barriers. Due to the long period of transition for the implementation of the Act by 2015, steps to eliminate physical barriers are taken at the discretion of businesses in line with their economic priorities. Apart from Federal buildings, building laws are the responsibility of the nine provinces and nine further laws cover the issue of accessibility differently. Additionally, each province has individual technical regulations for planning and buildings. The provincial laws as well as the technical regulations deal with accessibility quite differently with regard to standards and quality, for private as well as for public buildings. No comprehensive overview is available on the overall situation in Austria. In 2005, the Austrian Parliament passed a resolution that requested the Minister for Social Affairs to negotiate with the provinces for a unified contract for accessibility provisions in the planning and building laws. This led to standard guidelines on accessibility for planning and building which were developed by the Austrian Institute for structural engineering in 2007 and which were also agreed upon with all provinces. In 2015 the guidelines for user security and accessibility were changed. According to the second Alternative Report for the next state review by the UN CRPD Committee, legal regulations with regard to making buildings and public spaces accessible have deteriorated in some provinces since the first state review in 2013.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-04-09

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

Accessibility of information processing is covered by the Federal Disability Equality Act as far as federal responsibilities and private businesses are concerned. The Federal Disability Act does not establish any obligation for removing barriers in the case of discrimination, it only provides a claim for a low level of compensation. Austria signed the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled but has not ratified it.

Links

Federal Disability Equality Act

Update date: Tue, 2019-04-09

Belgium

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

On the legislative level a few measures have been taken concerning adapting the transport infrastructure to the needs of persons with disability and persons with limited mobility (stations, platforms, entrance zones)) and sanctions are foreseen so that the rights and duties of the train traveller are not violated. There is a contract between the Federal state and the three National Associations of the Belgian Railways (NMBS Group), which concerns personal mobility of persons with disability. The NMBS Group also offers other advantages such as price discounts.

The Ordinance (EC nr. 1107/2006) of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU of 5 July 2006 concerning the rights of persons with disability and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air, is converted in a Belgian law. It protects persons with disability or with reduced mobility who travel by air transport. The Belgian maritime and inland shipping law states that a person with disability or reduced mobility should enjoy a non-discriminatory treatment on board of a ship. They foresee a minimum prescription concerning informing all passengers during their travel and concerning the general rights of persons with disability or reduced mobility in the terminal and on board ship.

The regional transport companies also need to control the accessibility for persons with disability:

The Flemish government is committing itself to making public transport (De Lijn) more accessible, physically as well as psychologically. Besides this, the Flemish government finances transport services for persons with disability who cannot use regular public transport
The Flemish Minister of mobility points out that there is a shortage of adapted public transport for persons with disability or severely reduced mobility. The Flemish government has taken some initiatives in the form of pilot projects but there is not yet a decree to develop the system of services of adapted transport.
The policy contract of 2005-2010 which the Walloon Region, and the public transport (the SRWT and TEC) agreed to, had several specific goals such as: to arrange lower floors in busses and platforms adapted to persons with disabilities and reduced mobility.
The policy contract of public transport in Brussels (MIVB) has developed a strategy concerning the accessibility for persons with disabilities and reduced mobility.

In 2012 ‘MeerMobiel’ was introduced by the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public works, Hilde Crevits. It applies to Flanders and the Brussels-capital-region. It is some kind of a database with an overview of all alternatives of transportation means. This ranges from public transport (stop-to-stop) by train, bus, tram, metro to taxi, voluntary transport (door-to-door), etc.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-20

C2. Built environment accessibility

With the programme ‘Metropolitan policy’ (GBS) the federal government set contracts with the cities and the municipalities of the three regions to develop local projects concerning social cohesion and to decrease the ecological footprint and the aura of the cities. The organisation ‘Equal Chances in Flanders’ organises awareness raising and information campaigns, specifically for the construction sector. This is in the context of Decree of 10 July 2008 that regulates the structural cooperation of relevant partners in society.

The Walloon Government supports programmes concerned with improving the accessibility of persons with disability or reduced mobility to e.g. public institutions (Article 8 of the Decree of 6 April 1995) concerning the integration of persons with disability). In the French speaking Community there is a general framework for fighting the disability-based discrimination (Decree of 12 December 2008 concerning combating forms of discrimination). In the Brussels Metropolitan Region a regional coordinator for accessibility in the office of ‘Equal Chances and Diversity’ of the Ministry of the Brussels Metropolitan Region has the task of disseminating information and coordinating necessary actions. The government of the German speaking Community sets out the basic concept of accessibility of the buildings on their territory in the Decree of 12 July 2007. It sets the accessibility of subsidised infrastructure for people with disabilities. The Order of the Brussels-capital-region of 18 December 2008 acknowledges assistance dogs and sets requirements for the accessibility of public places. The Decree of 9 July 2010 by the French community concerning the battle against several forms of discrimination and the concept of equal treatment sets the definition of 'reasonable adaptations'. The Decision of 28 May 2009 concerning specialised services for accessing society for persons with disability sets the technical, architectural, functional and behavioural aspects of the accessibility of social spaces.

Concerning the technical prescriptions and guidelines of accessibility, several measures were also taken:

The Flemish Decree of 5 June 2009: regionally urban development regulation concerning the accessibility of public buildings.
The Walloon Code (1995) of Land Management, Urban Planning, Heritage and Energy (CWATUPE); more specifically article 414 and article 415 guarantee the accessibility to public and private buildings for persons with disability or reduced mobility.
In the Brussels Metropolitan Region there are rules concerning the adaptation of public spaces, set in the Regionally Urban Development Regulation.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-20

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

‘AnySurfer’ is the quality label assigned for accessible websites in Belgium despite the fact that there is no law in Belgium which obliges companies to ensure the accessibility of their websites to persons with disability. There is, however, the Law of 10 May 2007, which defines the lack of reasonable adaptations for persons with disability as equivalent to discrimination. Any form of direct or indirect discrimination is prohibited when providing public services. In the Belgian ratification (July 2009) of the UN Convention, the right to access to information on the internet is emphasised. The Flemish government wants all websites to be labelled ‘Anysurfer’. The Equal Chances in Flanders Group wants to stimulate organisations in the private sector and in the media to make their information more accessible for persons with disability. Since 2002 the Walloon government has been working on the National Action Plan to close up the digital gap and realise the label of 'Anysurfer' for their websites. Furthermore, the Brussels Metropolitan Region is trying to realise this label for all its websites. The French Community states in their Declaration concerning the community policy (2009-2014) that they want to realise an increase in the number of labelled websites.

The European directive (EU 2016/2102) on making the websites and mobile apps of public sector bodies more accessible was published on 2 December 2016 and entered into force on 22 December 2016. People with disabilities – especially persons with vision or hearing impairments – will have better access to the websites and mobile applications of public services. Member States, including Belgium, had until 23 September 2018 to transpose the text into their national legislation.
By September 2019 all new websites need to meet the guidelines of accessibility, and by September 2020 all remaining websites of the public sector need to be accessible.

For Belgium in general, Law of the Federal Government concerning the accessibility of websites and applications of the federal public service of 19 July 2018 is applicable.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-20

Bulgaria

C. Accessibility

Czech Republic

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Regarding transport structures, the principle of non-discrimination focuses mainly on accessibility of transport for passengers with limited mobility and orientation. Solutions of all constructions in terms of their accessibility and barrier-free usage are contained in the implementing Decrees to the Building Act - No. 398/2009 Coll., No. 499/2006 Coll., No. 501/2006 Coll., and No. 503/2006 Coll. Issues of barrier-free usage have also been incorporated in the national technical standards: ČSN 73 6110 Design of Local Communications (2006), ČSN 73 6425 Bus, Trolleybus and Tram Stops, Part 1: Design of Stops (2007).

The Czech Ministry of Transport has participated in the preparation of the European Parliament and of the Council Regulation on the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport which came into force on 1 March 2013 (Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 concerning the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004). This Regulation is, inter alia, targeted at persons with limited mobility in consequence of disability, and it was adopted with a view to enabling such persons to travel by bus and coach on equal terms with other citizens.

In railroad transport, the accessibility of persons with disabilities is incorporated in all programmes. By construction, update or renovation, the railroad buildings are designed and built to meet the requirements of barrier-free accessibility according to Decree No. 398/2009 Coll. on General Technical Requirements for Barrier-Free Usage of Constructions.

The Czech Railway Company stipulates in the Transportation Order (Přepravní řád) the rights of persons with reduced mobility in railway transportation. Persons with different categories of disability have access to travel information on the website of the Czech Railways Company (SPPO). Persons with reduced mobility have the right to use the Railways services as other citizens. Persons with reduced mobility are passengers who have difficulty in accessing trains and associated infrastructure as a result of disability, age or any other factor. The Czech Railway Company requires from a passenger with reduced mobility to submit a written request for special technical provision or assistance 24 hours before the journey. The Czech Railway Company may refuse transportation of a person with reduced mobility for technical reasons. In this case, it informs the passenger about the reasons within five working days from the refusal and suggest alternative solutions to transport the passenger(s).

Second, if the passenger fails to comply with the deadline for reporting their transit needs and arrives at the departure train carriage, he/she will be refused with reference to the provisions of Article 118 (point. d) of the SPPO. The passenger will be recommended another suitable connection, for which the carriage can be operationally secure, without delays.

Update date: Fri, 2019-05-03

C2. Built environment accessibility

The Social Welfare Act regulates assistance to disabled persons with independent living. This conceptualises state support as seeking to provide equal opportunities and active participation and independence. Among other measures, it includes obligation to provide access to public buildings for disabled persons. Legislation for buildings in Estonia covers also accessibility.

The new Building Code that aims to promote sustainable development and to ensure safety, purposeful functionality and usability of the built environment was adopted on 11 February 2015 and entered into force on 01 July 2015. Paragraph 7 of the Building Code stipulates that buildings should be planned and built according to good practice, following also other relevant legislation. Requirements to buildings are specified in §11 of the Building Code, and they have to take into account also the needs of disabled persons. A decree is currently being developed by the Ministry of Economics and Communication that would give the Minister the right to specify building requirements, however, the Building Code obliges builders, architects and other relevant people to take into account the needs of disabled persons when constructing the buildings. A decree on the quality of road building foresees that roads and pedestrian paths have to be free of barriers limiting the movement of disabled persons as well as have additional elements to help people with hearing, vision or moving impairments to cross the streets. The Monitoring accessibility website is monitoring access to buildings for people with disabilities on a continuing basis.

The project of housing adaptation is funded by the European Regional Fund and aims to adapt a minimum of 2,000 households of persons with special needs. In 2019 several local governments had used less these possibilities than foreseen by the project.

The National Transportation Development Plan 2014-20201 establishes that the principles of universal design shall be used in the development of infrastructure, steadily transitioning to rolling stock suitable for also serving people with reduced mobility, and implementing information systems corresponding to the needs of hearing and visually impaired people.

Links

Update date: Fri, 2019-04-05

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

The Finnish Parliament approved the Bill on ICT and web accessibility in their second reading on 12 February 2019. The official Act has not yet been published on the Book of Statutes (as of 5 March 2019). It regulates that web pages published after 23 September 2019 have to comply to the Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications in the public sector by 23 September 2019. The web pages published before 23 September 2019 have to comply with the aforementioned Directive by 23 September 2020. All mobile applications have to comply with the directive by 23 June 2021.

Links

The Government proposal on the Provision of digital services

Update date: Fri, 2019-04-05

France

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

The legal framework for the public policy on accessibility is represented by Law 2005-102 of 11 February 2005. Title IV 'Accessibility' of this Law is divided into three chapters: 1) Education and training; 2) Employment; and 3) Built environment, Transport and New technologies. The French law considers built environment, public spaces, public roads, transportation and their inter-modality integrated into the “mobility chain”. According to Article 45, the mobility chain was expected to be accessible by 2015.
To implement the Law, the Inter-Ministerial Observatory for accessibility and universal design (Observatoire interministériel de l’accessibilité et de la conception universelle) was created on 11 February 2010 with the mission of monitoring the development, identifying the challenges to the implementation of accessibility, disseminating good practice and developing monitoring indicators.
Concerning transportation, Article 45 implemented accessibility schemes of transport services (Schéma Directeur d’Accessibilité des services de transports, SDA) intended to:

clarify the programme of transportation accessibility by February 2015;
define the accessibility modalities of different transportation types;
identify technical barriers;
identify 'substitution means of transport';
determine maintenance modalities.

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Section 8 paragraph 2 of the Disability Equality Act [Gesetz zur Gleichstellung behinderter Menschen – Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz, BGG] stipulates that public transport has to be accessible at national level. This law has caused changes in the specific legislation on transport accessibility. In 2012, the national passenger transport law was reformed accordingly. It stipulates that full accessibility of public transport is to be ensured until 2022. Long distance bus services are to be fully accessible until 2019.

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Disabled passengers’ rights in rail and air travel are regulated directly by the EU regulations, in particular, by the European Regulation 1371/2007 for railway travel and the European regulation 1107/2006 for air travel. There has not been any other legislation for the implementation of the regulations in the national context.

Accessibility standards for city buses were first established in 1992 outlining measures for autonomous access in and out of buses, including necessary mechanical interventions, suitable space design and security for wheelchair users. In the city of Thessaloniki exclusively, the Organisation of Urban Transport is mandated (Law 3185/2003) to provide free transportation to people with disabilities by appointing two wheelchair accessible mini-buses, and an additional one if needs exceed fleet capacity.

Furthermore, accessibility standards for passenger ships were adopted through the National Action plan for disabled passengers, an initiative of the Ministry of Commercial Shipping in 2006, which included standards for access, common spaces, parking, securing of wheelchairs, signposting, communication and customer service. The right of passengers to accessible sea travel was consolidated with Law 3709/08 Rights and Duties of Passengers and Service Providers in Regular Sea Travel.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-05-14

C2. Built environment accessibility

The New Building Code 4067/2012 updated regulations regarding built environment accessibility existing since Law 2831/2000 (article 28). The Regulations require compliance with universal design standards for all new buildings- apart from housing where distinct regulations apply (Article 26 para. 1). The guidelines include standards for horizontal and vertical access, internal spaces (e.g. corridors, doors, elevators, WC, information desks, signposting) as well as external (pavement, entrance, outdoor common spaces). The regulations also cover constructions in public pedestrian spaces such as parks, pavements, or walkways, which must ensure access to disabled people through ramps, navigators for blind people, appropriate placement of civil equipment and designated disabled parking spaces (Article 26 para. 6). Buildings constructed before 2012 which host public sector services, local authority services, public spaces for culture, sports and entertainment, temporary accommodation, education, health and social welfare, and justice services as well as industry, trade and offices are required to ensure accessibility standards by 2020 (Article 26 para. 4).

As regards housing, new buildings must ensure horizontal and vertical access in all common spaces and permit easy adaptation of housing units for potential use of people with disabilities. Furthermore, the New Urban Planning Regulations 2012 introduce the right of disabled residents to make adaptations for ensuring access to common spaces within housing buildings, against any other regulation (e.g. housing contract) (Article 27 para. 2) and without a construction license (Article 4 para. 3), as long as the infrastructure of the building is not affected and they cover the expenses.

Law 4030/2011 regulating construction approval and licensing, refers to the prerequisite of submitting “an accessibility study for people with disabilities as and where necessary” (Art.3 para. 2b), while a circular in 2012 clarifies the scope and content of that accessibility study which is mandatory for any construction under the New Building Regulations (2012).

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-05-14

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

Article 5 and 5a in the revised Constitution of Greece (2001) state the equal right of all to information and participation in the Information Society. In particular, facilitating access to electronic means of information and communication, as well as to the production, exchange and dissemination of information electronically is an obligation of the state. E-accessibility standards in the provision of e- government services became compulsory by Ministerial Decision on 12 April 2012, whereby the websites of the public sector must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), version 2.0, at least to the AA level.

The principle of equal access to the digital environment and digital mass media was reinstated in the revised national legal framework for disability rights in compliance with the UN CRPD (Articles 64, and 67).

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-05-14

Hungary

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Transport providers are required by the Equal Opportunities Act (26 of 1998) to provide accessibility for disabled passengers, and this applies to all forms of public transport (railway, buses). The deadlines on accessibility of transport systems were deleted from the Act by an amendment in 2013 (Act 62 of 2013).

The Equal Treatment Act (125 of 2003) shall by applied regarding the legal disputes on accessibility. The Equal Treatment Authority and the courts may sanction breaching of obligations in the Equal Opportunities Act. The former Advisory Body of the Equal Treatment Authority (terminated in 2011) interpreted in its opinion the legal provisions on accessibility.

The accessibility of public transport vehicle is regulated by Decree 6/1990 (12 April) of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Energy, on the technical requirements for the operation of road vehicles. The scope of the Decree covers all vehicles on public roads, including cars, buses, trolley buses, motorbikes etc. It contains very basic obligations on special places for disabled persons.

In 2009, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights (Állampolgári Jogok Országgyûlési Biztosának Irodája, OBH-ÁJOB) launched an investigation about the conditions of public transport, including rail transport, in the capital and the country.
The results showed:

Railcars: 13% accessible, 6% partly accessible, 81% not accessible;
Passenger cars: 3% accessible, 97% not accessible;
Passenger facilities: 4.5% of the buildings are accessible, 4.7% have disabled toilet, 0.5% have tactile warning facilities.

C1. Transport accessibility

Public services (including transport) are required to be accessible according to the Disability Act 2005. Under this Act, the Transport Sectoral plan was first prepared in 2006 and the most recent update to the plan was published in 2012. The Act’s requirements for accessibility extend to all public transport services (public services as defined in the Act include any services provided by companies which are funded by a Minister or the Government). Airplanes or a service provided by a person who only operates a train service or railway infrastructure of historic or touristic interest,’ however, are not covered by the act.

Despite the 2005 Disability Act and the sectoral plan there are reports that transportation, especially outside major metropolitan areas remains inaccessible to people with disabilities. For example, in 2012, only 42% of Bus Éireann’s fleet was accessible. In 2018, in response to the slow progress made in this area and some controversy over access to train services, the Minister for Transport asked for a person with lived experience of disability to be appointed to the Board of Directors of all the national transport companies. The Department of Transport's Accessibility Work Programme published on 20 January 2019 notes that Directors with lived experience will be appointed to these Boards in the third quarter of 2018.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-04-15

C2. Built environment accessibility

Under the Disability Act 2005, public bodies must ensure, as far as practicable, that their buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is responsible for ensuring accessibility of the built environment and has a sectoral plan setting out how accessibility goals will be achieved.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is responsible for updating and enforcing the standards set out in Part M (Access for People with Disabilities) of the National Building Regulations. Part M of the Building Regulations 1997 - 2010 relates to the accessibility of the built environment for people with disabilities. The regulations do not contain a definition of accessible housing however, it is defined in the National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities as follows – “Housing which is accessible for people with physical and/or sensory disabilities to live in. This may be a purpose built new dwelling or a dwelling that is modified to suit the needs of the user.” Originally Part M only applied to non-domestic buildings however, since January 2001 there is a requirement that new dwellings are accessible to people with disabilities. Under this requirement new dwellings must be ‘visitable’ by people with disabilities. The definition of 'visitable housing' is “Housing in which a person with a physical disability can independently enter the house, go to the main habitable rooms, and use a toilet.” The Building Regulations apply to both private and social housing.

The Employment and Equality Acts and Equal Status Acts also impose some requirements regarding building accessibility. In addition to these laws and regulations the National Disability Authority has put out guidelines on conducting a built environment access audit and using universal design.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-04-15

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

The Disability Act 2005 requires all information and communications between public bodies and people with disabilities to be accessible. The Commission for Communication Regulations or ComReg is the commission responsible for regulating the electronic communications and postal sector in Ireland. In 2010 they surveyed ICT users with disabilities in Ireland and found that there was a need to increase awareness disability specific programs and equipment.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is responsible under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to create Access Rules that promote the understanding of programming by people with visual and hearing impairments. The Access Rules, which set percentage targets for subtitling, audio descriptions and Irish sign language, were updated in January 2019 and are due for statutory review in 2021 and 2023.

The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (hosted by the National Disability Authority) has published IT Accessibility Guidelines, an IT Procurement Toolkit and Web Accessibility Techniques. These guidelines are addressed to a range of actors in IT and web development sectors. The Emergency Call Answering Service falls under the remit of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The Emergency Call Answering Service can receive calls from fixed land lines, mobiles as well as a Minicom service that sends texts through a fixed telephone terminal. The Emergency Call Answering Service also allows for emergency text messages to be sent from preregistered users.

Ireland signed the Marrakesh Treaty in June 2014 but has not ratified it.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-04-15

Italy

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

The Decree of the President of the Republic 503 of 24 July 1996 provides that the means of public transport: trams, trolley buses, bus lines, subways, trains, stations, railways, shipping services, air terminals should be equipped with walkways, ramps or other suitable elevation equipment in order to facilitate access by wheelchair for people with mobility impairment.

Links

Decree of the President of Italian Republic 503 of 24 July 1996: Rules for the elimination of architectural barriers in public buildings, public environment and facilities

Update date: Thu, 2019-05-23

C2. Built environment accessibility

Some laws guarantee the right to accessibility in public environments. The most important of these laws are: Decree 114 of the Ministry of Arts and Culture of 16 May 2008 that contains guidelines for the elimination of architectural barriers in places of cultural interest; Law 41 of 28 February 1986 (Finance Act 1986) that requires local authorities, the State and Regional Offices to adopt plans for the removal of architectural barriers and to allocate part of their annual budget for this purpose; the Presidential Decree 503 of 24 July 1996 that regulates the removal of architectural barriers in public buildings with particular reference to accessibility of services; and Law 104 of 5 February 1992, where some paragraphs deal specifically with architectural barriers, introducing respect for accessibility in different fields such as health care, education, training, employment, transport, justice, etc. People with disabilities may not be excluded from entitlement to services, benefits and opportunities normally enjoyed by every citizen. For private buildings, the norms of accessibility are set in Law 13 of 1989 and the Ministerial Decree 236 of 1989.

Links

Update date: Thu, 2019-05-23

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

The law 4 of 9 January 2004, named the ‘Stanca Act’, is inspired by Article 3 of the Italian Constitution, that establishes that the Republic has the responsibility to remove those obstacles of economic and social nature which limit the freedom and equality of citizens, prevent full individual development and the effective participation of all workers in the political, economic and social life in the country. The 'Stanca Act' aims at breaking down the ‘virtual barriers’ that limit the access of disabled persons to society and exclude them from the possibility to access web sites of Public Administration. The law ensures accessibility to all sites and IT applications of Public Administration. The ‘Measures to facilitate the access to ICT for disabled people’, as stated in Law 4 of 9 January 2004, were published in the Official Gazette no. 13 of 17 January 2004.

Links

Law 4 of 9 January 2004

Update date: Thu, 2019-05-23

Latvia

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Transport providers are required to provide accessibility for disabled passengers in specific laws regulating each of the public transport fields. The Law on Public Transport services (2007) and consequent regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers regulate the transport field. Regulations No 599 ’The Order of Provision and Utilization of Public Transport Services’ (2012) determine procedures for the provision and use of public transportation services, including that all information in a bus about bus stops shall be accessible in visual form and carried in audio form. The Regulations No 148 ’Requirements for Obtaining a Special Permit (License) from the Planning Region and the Republic Cities and the Procedure for the Carriage of Passengers by Taxi’ (2018) states requirement that in case of necessity, carrier supports person with disability to get into and out of taxi. Standards LVS 190-8-2012 ’Regulations on the Design of Bus Stops’ (2012), LVS 190-10-2007/A1:2010 ’Regulations on the Design of Pedestrian Crossings’ (2010) and LVS 370:2010 ’Road Traffic Control Equipment. Signal Heads’ (2010) LVS 448:2012 ’Railway applications. Passenger platforms for 1520mm railway lines’ must be taken into consideration.

Regulations No 1193 Amendments in Regulations of 29 December 2010 No 1210 'Regulations Regarding the Interoperability of Trans-European Rail System' (2013), prescribe that disabled passengers have the same rights traveling by railway as other people. Requirements included in Regulations No. 1193 were enforced from 1 January 2014 and apply to construction of new railway objects and existing objects in case of reconstruction.

In the field of aviation, the regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air including European Civil Aviation Conference Doc 30, is applicable to the Republic of Latvia. Quality standards for the passengers with reduced mobility have been set by the managing body of Riga International Airport (RIX) in cooperation with airport users and NGOs. Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No 145 ’Regulations regarding the Safety of Ro-Ro Passenger Ships and High-Speed Passenger Craft’ (2006) by implementing Directive 2003/24, which amends Directive 98/18/EC on safety rules and standards for passenger ships engaged on domestic voyages, includes specific requirements for persons with reduced mobility.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-27

C2. Built environment accessibility

The accessibility of the built environment is regulated by the Construction law (2013), which came into force from 1 October 2014. The Law applies to construction of new buildings, as well to rebuilding, renewal, restoration, demolition, and reconstruction of existing buildings, to changing of the type of use without rebuilding and to preservation. As one of the construction principles, the law defines the principle of environmental accessibility, according to which such environment is created during the construction process, in which any person may move with comfort and use the building according to its purpose of use. On 30 June 2015, the Government approved Latvian construction standards - Latvian Building Code LBN 208-15 'Public Buildings' requiring accessibility of public buildings, and Latvian Building Code LBN 211-15 'Residential Buildings' requiring accessibility of residential buildings.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-27

Malta

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Public transport in Malta is provided by buses. Public transports are required to be accessible for all, in line with the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act. In fact, a fleet of buses which are low floor and wheelchair accessible started operating in July 2011. Apart from providing physical access, the company contracted to manage the public transport has invested in a series of information campaigns and will provide information about the new routes by telephone, email or through their website. Moreover, drivers and staff working for the company have received in-house training and management has consulted the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) on the service. Public transport is at a reduced fare for all disabled people who are in the possession of a Tallinja Concession Card. The Concession Card is obtained by all holders of a Special ID Card (now the EU Disability Card) issued by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability. The government also provides free transport service to and from state hospitals (by appointment).

Some new taxi companies are also providing wheelchair-accessible taxis. While this service may offer more choices to disabled people, the service is too costly to use for the daily travel needs of many disabled people. There are also a number of private companies offering wheelchair accessible vans. One of these companies has been contracted by the government to offer subsidised travel for disabled people to fulfil their travel requirements to access work or education. However, beyond office hours the service remains very costly. In addition, since demand exceeds supply, when it comes to the subsidised accessible transport service, there are long waiting lists of disabled people wishing to use the service.

The Building Code (Bouwbesluit 2012) governs usability (including accessibility) of new buildings open to the public, including schools. Regulations vary from ruling the height of ceilings (at least 2.6 metres) and the width of passageways (at least 1.2 metres). A specific demand is that buildings which are open to public with a total floor surface of over 400 square meters should have accessibility arranged for at least 40 % of that floor surface. The main entrance, and at least one toilet, in such buildings should be fully accessible. Bars and restaurants over 150 square meters should have a fully accessible toilet. Newly built public schools should be 100 % accessible for people with motor impairments. New buildings that are open to the public for general meetings, health care or shopping should have 80 % of public floor space accessible. Accessibility requirements for buildings that have to be renovated are at the level of accessibility requirements that existed at the original construction date.

The Building Code itself contains no sanction in case regulations are violated. A criminal law procedure is possible since 2006 when the anti-discrimination provision was added to the Criminal Code (Wetboek van Strafrecht). This Code criminalises discriminatory acts in the performance of one’s job or one’s enterprise. It will have to be proven that such discrimination was deliberately intended. No one has ever used this criminal law procedure in the Netherlands for this purpose.

A private organisation in the Netherlands Projectbureau Toegankelijkheid issues the International Accessibility Symbol ITS after an inspection on request. The criteria are set by the Bureau according to what is deemed realistic in Dutch circumstances, according to a spokesperson. Since 2005 nearly 300 buildings have obtained the ITS symbol after the inspection. According to the Bureau, regulations of the Building Code are not always well-respected.

The ratification of the CRPD by the Netherlands induced the Code on General Accessibility (Besluit algemene toegankelijkheid voor personen met een handicap of chronische ziekte) in which the legal duty to gradually provide general accessibility (including accessibility in buildings) is being introduced. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights criticised this Code because the terms ‘gradually’ and ‘general accessibility’ are not clearly defined, and because neither clear norms on accessibility nor a time schedule for its implementation are indicated. In reaction to this critique the Government states in the Code on General Accessibility that the General Comment on Article 9 of the UN CRPD is to be used as ‘guideline’ and the action plans on accessibility are to be made by NGOs and DPOs per sector.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-04-09

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

An accessible standard for the websites is published and monitored by the Private Foundation on Accessibility. The government strives to have all government websites to be accessible but goals are not met as there are neither specific regulations nor sanctions. The National Regulation is being prepared on digital infrastructure by the government and the government agencies at all levels. The regulation on accessibility will be part of this regulation.
Providing information on the websites falls under the scope of the Act on Equal Treatment on the grounds of disability/chronic Illness. Not providing reasonable accommodation in ICT and websites might be viewed as discrimination. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights takes complaints on inaccessible apps and websites.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-04-09

Poland

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

The Charter of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (1997) acknowledges that people with disabilities have the right to live in an environment free of functional barriers, including to the use of public transport. The Charter, however, was approved in the form of a resolution, so it is not binding, but rather represents the will of the Parliament. Legislation adopted after 1 August 1997 cannot contradict the terms of the Charter. The Charter also imposes an obligation on the Polish Government to provide information concerning implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. According to the Act of 15 November 1984 (Transportation Law), transport providers are obliged to ensure passengers’ safety and comfort and other due services, as well as to take measures that will make the use of transportation easier, including for people with limited mobility and people with disabilities. The Act explicitly addresses the accessibility of vehicles, check-in desks, platforms and stops. Moreover, according to the regulation of the Minister of Transport and Building of 13 January 2006 timetables should specify the modes of transport that are accessible to people with disabilities and information related to concessionary fares. Issued in 2016 the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure and Construction amending the Regulation on the technical conditions of vehicles and the scope of their necessary equipment (Journal of Laws No. 858, item 858) sets out the requirements for city buses with regard to technical devices facilitating access for passengers with reduced mobility. Improving transport accessibility for people with disabilities is one of the goals of the Polish Transport Development Strategy that runs until 2020, as well as Responsible Development Strategy.

According to the Central Statistical Office data, the share of adjusted buses in the total amount of buses increased from 84% in 2016 to 84.4% in 2017.
The total number of trams adjusted to carrying persons with disabilities increased by 3.6% (its share in the total number of trams increased from 29.7% in 2016 to 32.1% in 2017). There are 400 accessible railway stations, however, the passengers need to inform the company 48 before their travel in case of a need of support. Moreover, the Supreme Audit Office control report revealed that ‘poviat’ cities (second-level units of local government and administration in Poland) do not guarantee equal transport opportunities for persons with disabilities: only three out of ten cities offered 100% of vehicles being accessible, in other cities it was between 47-97%, yet accessible tram transport, for instance, in Bydgoszcz, was offered only in 4% of routes. The report also addresses the insufficiency of accessible information as well as information on the accessibility of transport.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-27

C2. Built environment accessibility

The 1997 Charter of Rights of Persons with Disabilities acknowledges that people with disabilities have the right to live in an environment free of functional barriers, including access to public offices, polling stations and public utilities. The Charter was approved in the form of a resolution, so it is not binding, but represents the will of the Parliament. Legislation adopted after 1 August 1997 cannot contradict the terms of the Charter. The Charter imposes an obligation on the Polish Government to provide information concerning the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. The 1994 Law on Construction introduced from 1 January 1995 the obligation to consider the needs of persons with disabilities in new construction projects and when modernising existing buildings, other public buildings and multi-family dwellings. All such buildings should be accessible for people with disabilities, including people using wheelchairs. More detailed requirements are set out in the Ministry of Infrastructure Regulation of 12 April 2002 on technical standards. In accordance with the Regulation of 25 June 2002 of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy on determining county tasks that can be financed from the resources of the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons, resources are to be used for the elimination of architectural barriers in and outside the home to help people with disabilities perform daily activities. Architectural barrier removal may be granted to a person with mobility difficulties. Reimbursement is made by the county government (the person concerned has to submit a written request to the County Family Assistive Centre, CFAC). Up to 80% of the costs may be reimbursed but no more than fifteen times the average monthly remuneration. Every CFAC provides a detailed catalogue of equipment, materials, and works that can be reimbursed. In 2015 the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development published on technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location specifying accessibility criteria. Moreover, the Standards for designing buildings were published that embrace the concept of ‘universal design’. In 2018, the amended draft bill on accessibility was elaborated, which is currently under public consultations.

Importantly, in 2018 a new programme ‘Accessibility Plus’ (Dostępność Plus) was announced and is entered into the phase of implementation. According to its targets, approximately 1,000 public facilities will be made accessible to disabled persons, including schools (100), nurseries (100), universities (100), and healthcare centres. The programme also aims at ensuring digital accessibility of public institutions’ webpages and modernisation of public transportation.

Yet, according to the research conducted by the Supreme Audit Office, none of controlled 94 public buildings was 100% barrier-free, and 34% of controlled documents did not mention accessibility for disabled persons. Moreover, 63% of controlled municipalities (or ‘gminas’, in Polish) did not ensure social consultations on accessibility.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-27

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

According to the Act of 6 September 2001 on access to public information, every person shall have the right to access public information. However, persons with disabilities are not specifically mentioned in this legislation. In 2010, on the basis of the amendments to the Act of 17 February 2005 on the application of information technology in public sector, minimum requirements for ICT systems have been extended, taking into consideration access to information for persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have been also included in the 125 projects undertaken in the framework of the Operational Programme Innovative Economy 2007-2013– 8.3 Counteracting Digital Exclusion – e-Inclusion. The Marrakesh Treaty was signed by Poland in 2014.

In 2018 the Act on Accessibility was drafted that aims at reaching accessibility of government and self-government administration websites by 2020. The bill introduces common standards, alternative access to information requirement, priorities of accessibility (information that has legal consequences must be accessible), a feedback mechanism (a citizen can inform on the inaccessibility of document) as well as financial penalties for the lack of accessibility. The first step of its implementation is the declaration of accessibility. The act was drafted to comply with the EU web accessibility directive, and underwent social consultations, during which the organisations participating in the annual Disabled Persons Congress issued their comments highlighting that the act focuses mostly on certain types of disabilities, not addressing sufficiently persons with intellectual disabilities. The authors pointed out that the Act is lacking clear definitions of ‘easy read’ and ‘AAC’, as well as a quota of disabled men and women in the Accessibility Council. The increased efforts on web accessibility are crucial, as according to the research conducted in 2013 by the Commissioner for Human Rights, as much as 70% of public institutions web pages was difficult to access.

Links

Update date: Mon, 2019-05-27

Portugal

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Denying and limiting access to public transportation is expressly prohibited by the Anti-discrimination Law (Law 46/2006 of 28 August 2006). Decree-Law 58/2004 of 19 March 2004 defines the accessibility standards for newly acquired public buses (transposition of the European Parliament and Council Directive 2001/85/EC). New trains must ensure the accessibility standards defined in the COST 335 norms (COST 335 - Passengers' accessibility of heavy rail systems, final report, November 1999). In addition, Decree-Law 252/98 of 11 August provides for the licensing of accessible taxis. The Accessibility Law (Decree-Law 163/2006 of 8 August 2006) further requires that railway stations, subway stations, bus central stations and bus stops, ferry piers, airports, petrol stations and service areas in motorways are accessible to disabled persons. Deadlines for the implementation of the accessibility standards varied according to the construction year of the facilities (ranging from 5 to 10 years). After the deadlines, non-compliance with the accessibility standards can be sanctioned as follows: individual person from EUR 250 to EUR 3,740.98 and collective persons from EUR 500 to EUR 44,891.81. In case of further non-compliance, the fine adds to the maximum amount mentioned above an additional amount that ranges from EUR 1,870.49 to EUR 22,445.91. In 2017, as the accessibility obligations were not yet in place, a new Decree-Law was adopted (Decree-Law 125/2017 of 10 April 2017). This new Decree-law assigned the National Institute for Rehabilitation (INR, I.P.) the responsibility for awareness-raising and monitoring the implementation of accessibility standards and foresees the implementation of a Commission in charge of assessing accessibility in public buildings at national level.

Further to the law, a National Plan for the Promotion of Accessibility (PNPA) 2007/2015 (Resolution of the Ministers Council 9/2007) established a set of actions to remove disabling transport barriers to be implemented in two phases: 2007- 2010 and 2011-2015: facilitating the allocation of parking cards for disabled people; promoting accessibility in all underground stations; promoting accessibility at railway stations, including accessibility in circulation areas, at service counters, ticket vending machines and installing adapted toilet facilities for use by persons with disabilities; and progressively replacing the fleet of buses, with special priority for those operating in urban areas. The second phase of the plan for 2011-2015, however, never started.

Law 72/2013 of 3 September 2013 amends the Road Code (Codigo da Estrada), particularly with regards to persons with disabilities. It introduces a legal definition of 'vulnerable users' which includes persons with reduced mobility or disabled people, as well as children, elderly, pregnant women, pedestrians and bicycles, for whom specific rules are established along the Code aimed to guarantee their safety; the Code further defines the 'zone of co-existence' as the area of road specially designed and marked for shared use by pedestrians and vehicles. These areas must take into account the needs of 'vulnerable users', with particularly respect for the principles of inclusive design. The Code also includes new rules about the transportation of disabled children, taking into account their specific safety needs.

In addition, Portugal introduced the Strategic Plan of Transportation - Sustainable Mobility (Plano Estratégico dos Transportes - Mobilidade Sustentável (PET)) by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers 45/2011 of 10 November 2011 which targeted to implement a vast programme of reforms during 2011-2015, covering public transport companies, road infrastructure, maritime and air transportation. The Strategic Plan of Transportation and Infrastructure 2014-2020 (PETI3+) (Plano Estratégico dos Transportes e Infraestruturas) is an update of PET 2011-2015 that implies the second phase of structural reforms to be undertaken to increase accessibility, as well as a set of investments into transport infrastructures to be completed by the end of this decade.

Links

Update date: Tue, 2019-03-19

C2. Built environment accessibility

The Anti-discrimination Law (Law 46/2006 of 28 August 2006) requires that public buildings and public-use facilities are made accessible to disabled persons. The Accessibility Law (Decree-Law 163/2006, of 8 August) defines the accessibility standards for public buildings, spaces, and facilities, and contains general norms and principles that should be applied to residential buildings (either social housing or private sector housing). These standards apply both to old and new buildings. The deadlines for the implementation of the accessibility standards varied, ranging from five to 10 years. After these deadlines, non-compliance with the accessibility standards will be sanctioned as follows: individual person from EUR 250 to EUR 3,740.98, and collective persons from EUR 500 to EUR 44,891.81. However, the implementation of the accessibility standards is not required when:

the elimination of architectural barriers is disproportionately difficult;
it requires economic and financial means that are disproportionate or not available;
the implementation of accessibility standards would affect significantly the cultural and historical heritage.

Slovakia

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

The regulations of the European Parliament and Council containing obligations relating to transport, airport terminals, ports, railway and bus stations, including technical equipment for enabling access to transportation for persons with disabilities, and the building of acoustic and visual information systems for people with disabilities are implemented in the Slovak legislation (e.g. Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 and Regulation (EC) No. 1371/2007).

In regard to road transport: The legislation regulating road transport - Act No. 56/2012 Coll. on Road Transport pays special attention to people with disabilities. First, the special rights and duties of passengers with disabilities and passengers with reduced mobility are part of the transport regulation which contains the details about the rights and duties of the transport authority and the passengers. Second, a passenger with disability with a guided dog or a passenger with reduced mobility has the right for a reserved place in the vehicle. Third, technical standards on transportation of passengers with disabilities and passengers with reduced mobility are part of the 'Agreement on Services' signed between the customer and provider of the public transport services. Finally, the existing transport infrastructure (bus waiting rooms and bus stops) must take into account the requirements for barrier-free access for persons with disabilities. Otherwise, the owners or providers of this transport infrastructure are in a risk of a fine ranging from EUR 1,000 to EUR 15,000.

In regard to railway transport: According to the Railways Act No. 513/2009 Coll., the rail infrastructure and railway cars have to be accessible for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility in order to provide their barrier-free access to railway transport on an equal basis with other users. At the stations, stops and platform the rail provider is obliged to introduce and maintain the information system necessary for passengers' orientation, including the passengers with visual impairment and the passenger with hearing impairment. The rail provider is also obliged to ensure that the station, stops and platform are accessible to persons with physical disability. The provider who does not keep the information system rules can pay a fine ranging from EUR 800 to EUR 10,000.

According to the Decree No. 351/2010 Coll. on Railway Transport Rules, visual information about the train timetable have to be accessible via acoustic, tactile and visible elements used by persons with sensory impairments. Detailed measures for transportation of persons with disabilities are set in separate transportation rules. According to these rules, a person with disability or a person with reduced mobility can request assistance during the travel. However, he/she has to apply for assistance at least 24 hours in advance and arrive at the station no later than 30 minutes before the train's departure. The railway services provide reduced fare rates for persons with severe disabilities and free transportation for guardians/assistants of persons with disabilities.

In regard to air transport: Act No. 143/1998 Coll. on Civil Aviation imposes on the carrier the obligation to mitigate the travelling of persons with disabilities.

Links

Update date: Fri, 2019-05-10

C2. Built environment accessibility

There are two approaches on how to ensure accessibility of the built environment for persons with disabilities:

Provisions within general building conditions.

Act No. 50/1976 Coll. On Land-use Planning and Building ('The Building Act') incorporates in Section 47 and the following paragraphs the binding nature of the general technical requirements for the constructions used by persons with reduced mobility, specifying the requirements for territorial-technical design of the construction development and for the specific design of construction. Legal entities, natural persons, state administration and self-administration bodies shall follow these requirements in the phase of positioning, designing, approving, execution, final building approval, exploitation and removal of the construction.
More detailed requirements to ensure a barrier-free environment are set up in Decree No. 532/2002 Coll. laying down details on the general technical requirements for the construction and general technical requirements for the constructions used by persons with reduced mobility. The Decree is applied in the design and approval of the local field plan, during the positioning, designing, approval, execution and use of the construction and in the phase of changes of the construction (extension, super structure, construction adaptation). There are explicit requirements for making buildings accessible for persons with reduced mobility, for blind and partially sighted persons and for hearing impaired persons.

Individualised provisions. These provisions are set up in Act No. 447/2008 Coll. on Direct Payments to compensate consequences of severe disabilities. This refers specifically to direct payment for adaptation of dwellings and garage spaces (Section 37 of the Act) provided to persons with severe disabilities to guarantee their free moving or communication. Provision of this type of direct payment is needs- and means-tested (i.e. income, property).

Law 51/2003 of 2 December 2003 on Equal opportunities, non-discrimination, and universal accessibility for persons with disabilities has introduced the principle of 'universal accessibility'. In Article 7 of this Law 'reasonable accommodation' is defined as 'measures to adapt the physical, social, and attitudinal environment to the specific needs of persons with disabilities which effectively and practically, without involving a disproportionate burden, facilitate accessibility or participation for a person with disability on the same terms as for other citizens'. The material scope of this Law is telecommunications, built-up public spaces and buildings, transport, goods and services available to the public, and relations with public administration.

Royal Decree 505/2007 of 20 April approves the basic conditions of accessibility and non-discrimination of persons with disabilities in access and use of urban public spaces and buildings, and sets out accessibility and non-discrimination standards in public spaces and infrastructures. Law 51/2003 provides that new goods and services must comply with the accessibility conditions before 2011 if they are public, and before 2021 if they are private. In this sense, newly developed public spaces and housing ought to comply with the accessibility norms before 2011. In August 2011, Law 26/2011 of 1 August, on the Normative Adaptation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed affecting Law 51/2003. In relation to accessibility, the essential element for the full realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities is the modification of the Horizontal Property Law. In the amended legislation, paragraph 2 of Article 10 of Law 49/1960 of 21 July on Horizontal Property, now states: "2.[…] the community of dwellers , at the request of the owners in whose appartments people with disabilities or persons over seventy years of age live, work or perform voluntary services, , will be obliged to make appropriate adaptations so that the common parts of the building can be used, or mechanical and electronic devices are installed that favour communication with the external environment. The total cost of these adaptations must not exceed twelve months of common expenses". The fifth additional provision with the following wording was also added: 'Assessment of accessibility in State-owned infrastructures'. Therefore, projects of general interest of transportation infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports and ports, promoted by the General Administration of the State, will incorporate an accessibility assessment that will examine alternatives and will determine the technical solutions needed to ensure universal accessibility and non-discrimination for all citizens with disabilities. More recently, Law 8/2013 of 26 June, on Rehabilitation, regeneration and urban reconstruction was adopted. In addition, each Autonomous Community has developed their own laws.
Most of Spaniards live in multi-unit housing or apartment buildings, so the previously mentioned laws are applicable to these living arrangements, given that they are applicable to both public and private properties. These apartments may be owned by those who live in them, or maybe rented. In any case, the owner or the landlord is responsible for meeting the accessibility requirements of the building. As mentioned earlier, the funding support for different adaptations and removal of barriers can be requested by disabled people to adapt their houses, or by a Community of owners if additional adaptations (e.g. elevators, ramps, etc.) are required to the building.

Links

Update date: Thu, 2019-05-16

C3. ICT and Web accessibility

Law 51/2003 recommends that the Government in the two-year interval, after its entry into force, establishes some basic conditions of accessibility and non-discrimination for the access to and the use of technologies, products and services related to the information society and the media. Royal Decree 1494/2007 of 12 November approves the regulation on basic conditions for access of disabled people to technologies, products and services related to information society and the media.

Law 34/2002 of 11 July on the Information Society and e-Commerce Services, in its fifth additional provision, obliges the public administration to adopt the necessary measures so that the information available on their respective Internet websites can be accessible to the elderly and to disabled people.

Law 26/2011 of 1 August on Normative Adaptation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, includes normative adaptation concerning Services of the Information Society and E-Commerce, with the following wording: “Web pages that serve as a support or channel to online social networks, developed by entities whose annual operations turnover, calculated pursuant to the value added tax regulations, exceeds EUR 6,101,121.04, must satisfy from 31 December 2012, as a minimum, the average level of the generally recognised criteria of content accessibility.”
UNE 139803: 2012. Accessibility Requirements for web content is a Spanish standard approved as of July 2012 that establishes accessibility requirements for web content.

The Action Plan 2014-2017 for Equality between men and women in the Information society argues that although the digital access gap and the use of computers and the Internet in recent years tends to close, women continue to generally use ICT less frequently than men do. Considering this, the Action Plan includes among its objectives the goals of promoting the inclusion, literacy and training in new ICT occupations, which also concerns persons with disabilities Spain also signed the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled on 16 July 2015.

Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013 of 29 November in Article 24 refers to the basic conditions of accessibility and non-discrimination in the area of products and services related to the information society and social media. Article 28 of this Decree stipulates that within two years after this law enters into force, the Government must carry out comprehensive studies on accessibility of those environments or systems that are considered most relevant from the point of view of non-discrimination and universal accessibility. Article 29 refers to Basic accessibility and non-discrimination conditions for the access and use of goods and services available to the public. This law repeals Law 49/2007 of December 26, which establishes the system of infractions and sanctions in matters of equality of opportunity, non-discrimination and universal accessibility of persons with disabilities.

Law 19/2013 of 9 December on Transparency, access to public information and good governance, in its Article 5 specifies that all information shall be comprehensible, easily accessible and free of charge, and shall be available to persons with disabilities in appropriate formats, in accordance with the principle of universal accessibility and design for all.

Organic Law 8/2013 of 9 December on the Improvement of the education quality establishes that the widespread incorporation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the education system, shall take into account the principles of design for all and universal accessibility, to allow the individualization of education and adaptation to each student's needs.

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

DOTCOM: the Disability Online Tool of the Commission

Austria

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Links

C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Belgium

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Bulgaria

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Croatia

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Cyprus

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Czech Republic

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Denmark

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Links

C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Estonia

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

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C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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Finland

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Links

C2. Built environment accessibility

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C3. ICT and Web accessibility

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France

C. Accessibility

C1. Transport accessibility

Links

C2. Built environment accessibility

Links

C3. ICT and Web accessibility