Overcoming obstacles to equality: the battle for disability rights in the EU

In the European Union as a whole, 101 million adults have some form of disability: that’s in excess of a quarter of the European population. More than half of them say they are discriminated against. A third of disabled people are at risk of poverty. The national inclusion policies of the EU Member States vary widely. Europeans’ Stories visited the Netherlands, where a large number of measures have been implemented to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities.

Limits to adaptation

However, the UN recently criticised the country for the inequalities and shortcomings that still exist in this area. Amsterdam, the capital, has more facilities adapted for disabled people than many of Europe’s major cities. “You’d have to be a top-class athlete to use a wheelchair in Amsterdam,” exclaims Kees-Jan van der Klooster, as he slaloms through the narrow streets lining Amsterdam’s famous canal.

Paralysed from the waist down since 2001 following a snowboarding accident, he is a multi-medalled Paralympic ski champion. “Amsterdam is an old city, a lot of buildings have small staircases, so it’s difficult to get to them in a wheelchair. Or to cross the curved bridges,” continues Kees-Jan, as he climbs one of them from the narrow pavement to the road. “But we have to be realistic,” he continues. “We can’t transform all the old buildings or flatten the bridges! We have to find other solutions. You can adapt the world [to disabled people], but I think sometimes people have to adapt too,” he says.

Optimising the rules

Since retiring from competitive sport a few years ago, Kees-Jan has devoted his time to the training courses offered by the company he set up after his accident. The aim is to teach disabled people to overcome the obstacles they face. A pragmatic approach, the results of which are often more concrete, says Kees-Jan, than national or European legislation. “We create a lot of rules that are sometimes useful. But I find in my work that what I do is very effective, and we work with as few rules as possible.”

Several European directives and regulations aim to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities in the areas of transport, employment and access to goods and services, particularly digital ones. A new European disability card with specific rights, and a preferential parking card, are due to be implemented across the Union by 2028.

Freedom of movement for all

But a lot remains to be done, stresses Ioannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum. “Let’s take the example of freedom of movement. If I decide, for example, to go and live in another EU country than my own, my disability will not be recognised”, he notes. “You have to have a new disability assessment in the new country before you can get any support.” He adds more broadly: “‘We need strong anti-discrimination legislation. Since 2008, the directive on equal treatment, for example, which was approved by the Commission and Parliament, remains blocked at the European Council.

“If we want to have a union of equality, this legislation must be approved and implemented. We also need a bigger budget for inclusion, equal treatment and the fight against poverty. Words will not change things,” he concludes.

Click on the video above to see Valerie Gauriat’s report in full.

Journalist • Valérie Gauriat