Published by the EBU Office
With the financial support of
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
of the European Commission
Table of contents :
Draft Non Discrimination Directive Fails to Protect Disabled People
Encouraging the Process of e-Accessibility in Europe
EBU Commissions and Steering Groups
National news
Publications
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Research from Tiresias
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Music by Ear at the RNIB Library
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Benchmarking Report on e-Accessibility in Europe
FEATURE : International Women’s Day
Editor’s Note
Welcome to EBU Newsletter N° 62.
Over the last few months, the European Commission has been making moves to introduce non discrimination legislation in fields other than employment. As readers will see from the press release issued by the European Disability Forum (EDF) the Commission's proposal is rather disappointing as it fails to adequately address the needs of people with disabilities. Once again the disability movement needs to get together and take action to make sure the legislation reaches its announced objectives to protect disabled people.
For the first time in its history, EBU is setting up a children’s working group which activity should get started now that the First International Congress of Blind and Partially Sighted Children has taken place. The Declaration issued on that occasion is reproduced in this issue of our Newsletter.
Our National News section seems to be taking off. I hope this will be confirmed in upcoming issues. Our member organizations are called upon to send us any information they deem relevant and to make sure national good practice receive adequate publicity.
In this issue's FEATURE, Sarah Ghlamallah, our new information worker, is taking an in-depth look into concessionary fares on rail transport in Europe and the prospect of a European travel ID card.
Enjoy your reading !
Please feel free to send your comments on the layout and contents of our Newsletter to ebuoffice@euroblind.orgDraft Non Discrimination Directive Fails to Protect Disabled People
Press release. Brussels, 2 July 2008 – The European Commission made public today its proposal for a directive on non discrimination outside employment.
The Commission proposal is based on and covers all grounds of the Treaty of Amsterdam Art. 13, i.e. “religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation”. A separate article (Art. 4) focuses on the equal treatment of persons with disabilities.
“EDF appreciates the fact that the Commission has recognized the need of legal measures addressing non discrimination in other areas than employment. We welcome the wide scope of the document, including social protection, social advantages, health care, education, access to and supply of goods and services, which is consistent with the directive on anti-discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity. For persons with disabilities the principle of reasonable accommodation has been accompanied by the right to measures, ensuring effective non-discriminatory access by anticipation. However the draft directive is unclear, too short and introduces significant restrictions of the right to equality for disabled people in several areas, such as education and insurance. In addition it leaves room for interpretation and will create legal uncertainties”, said EDF President Mr. Yannis Vardakastanis.
“Some provisions are clearly in contradiction with the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, whereas some new legal concepts are introduced but are not defined”, added Mr. Vardakastanis, referring to the non-discrimination provisions in the Convention, which entered into force on 3 May and is to be ratified by the European Communities under the current French Presidency.
“At the same time important issues for persons with disabilities as the concept of universal design, the necessity of European and national accessibility standards and the right to services ensuring inclusion are left out. The significance of key areas such as access to information, transport, structures, providing access to transport, buildings where services are provided, public spaces, emergency and evaluation services, facilities and procedures related to elections for people with disabilities is not addressed properly in the directive due to lack of specific provisions”, underlined EDF President.
He also expressed the regrets of the disability movement that no meaningful consultation had been undertaken with civil society on the content of the proposal and instead a lot of precious time had been lost in discussions on its shape.
In conclusion Mr. Vardakastanis stressed that the proposal will require substantial changes in order to reach its objectives and to protect disabled people from discrimination and to respond to the demands of the over 1.3 million European citizens who supported EDF One Million for Disability Campaign with their signatures.
Further information from Irina Papancheva, EDF Communication and Press Officer, irina.papancheva@edf-feph.org
Further information on the EDF campaign ‘1million4disability’, www.1million4disability.eu
Update on the Telecoms Review
The European Parliament and the Council are currently examining the European Commission's proposals for revising the electronic communications framework. Following joint EBU-EDF lobbying, several amendments have been tabled by MEPs to improve universal service provisions for disabled people, in particular with regard to access to terminal equipment and access to emergency services. With regard to the provision of services, amendments have been tabled to encourage the use and the spread of existing standards.
The European Parliament will vote in first reading in September 2008 and members of EBU are encouraged to already start lobbying their national governments to ensure provisions are kept by the Council when it examines the text amended by the European Parliament in the autumn. The second reading will take place early 2009.
Further information and briefing material from Anne Spinali, RNIB European Campaigns Officer, anne.spinali@rnib.org.ukEncouraging the Process of e-Accessibility in Europe
The following is a press release issued by EBU on 25 April regarding the
recent EU proposal of non-discrimination legislation on the ground of
disability.
EBU welcomes Commissioner Spidla's announcement at the European Parliament
Employment and Social Affairs Committee on 2 April that the European
Commission is to propose non-discrimination legislation on the ground of
disability.
EBU has given strong support to the campaign of the European Disability
Forum (EDF) for such legislation, especially during its 1million4disability
campaign. EBU will be continuing to maintain pressure on the College of
Commissioners, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers until
the legislation is enacted.
At the same time, it is critical that such legislation adequately addresses
the situations of multiple discrimination, in which all disabled people may
find themselves, regardless of their age, sex, religion or belief, ethnic
origin or sexual orientation. EBU is therefore also calling on all EU
institutions to move forward the debate on legislative measures that will
strengthen provisions fighting discrimination on all grounds of Article 13
TEC which gives the Council, within the limits of its powers, the competence
to take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or
ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Our children speak up
The following is a Declaration issued by twenty six blind and partially sighted teenagers representing all six World Blind Union regions and gathered in congress in Pontevedra, Spain, in June 2008. The congress was jointly organized by the WBU and ONCE, in partnership with UNICEF, ICEVI and Save the Children.
On behalf of all blind and partially sighted children in the world, we would like to evaluate the current state of affairs with regards to our situation and suggest the following recommendations in order to improve our quality of life.
No blind or partially sighted child should be excluded from equal treatment under the law on the basis of disability.
Given that most blind children do not have access to education, we recommend all individuals have the right to an education and no impairment can prevent this from occurring.
Every child has the right to remain in the family they were born ; visual impairment shall not be the grounds for removal.
Every child has the right to contribute to and receive the benefit of living in a community. For this to occur improvements to include all blind children must be made.
Every child has the right to receive appropriate help from the necessary institutions and societies.
No child shall be subjected to any sort of mistreatment on the basis of blindness or low vision.
Given the discrimination suffered by blind children, all children have the right not to be mistreated physically or mentally in the areas of school, home, and community.
All children should have the right to move freely within their community.
We, the blind and partially sighted children of the world, request that the governments and organizations representing our rights allocate funds for organizing events for the benefit of the children in their respective countries.
All blind children have a right to be accepted in any school and cannot be discriminated based solely on their disability. There should be at least one teacher in every school with the necessary capabilities to provide an equal education opportunity for the child.
All children in the world, regardless of disability, have the right to be treated equally.
We hope that governments around the world will consider our recommendations.
Further information from Ana Pelaez, Head of ONCE's International Department, rrii@once.es
EBU Commissions and Steering Groups
EBU Low Vision Steering Group
The EBU Low Vision Steering Group has worked out the following Action Plan for the new work period 2008 – 2011.
Short term goals for 2008
1. To attract new Steering Group members by seeking people motivated by or already involved in low vision matters within EBU (success indicator : at least two more members for the Steering Group).
2. To upgrade the website of the Steering Group by providing relevant contacts and documents as well as information about Group members (the success indicator for this goal is to create an operational website).
Long term goals till 2011
1. To build the project of a Low Vision Forum by finding a venue and defining times, target groups and topics (the success indicator for this goal is to secure funding and organise the event).
2. To promote self advocacy and empowerment through research on the psychological aspect of low vision and action on rehabilitation and functionnal individual services (the success indicator is to produce proposals on minimal standards for rehabilitation service provisions).
3. To promote universal design / design for all through research on existing organisations and campaigns and to develop an issue-specific EBU campaign (success indicator : a successful campaign on a specific issue).
4. To develop a terminology for low vision matters by looking into the work of the WBU (success indicator : a common definition).
Further information from Alenka Bera, Low Vision SG coordinator, alenka.bera@guest.arnes.si
National News
France
The CNPSAA (French National Committee for the Social Promotion of Blind and Partially Sighted People), an umbrella organisation gathering some 30 member associations, held its General Assembly on 1 July 2008 and elected its new President in the person of Philippe Chazal.
Philippe is well known to EBU : he chairs our Rights Commission after having successfully led EBU’s work in the field of rehabilitation, vocational training and employment.
We all wish him the best in his new position.
Germany
The German Federation of Blind and Partially Sighted People (DBSV) is putting together an application to the EU Youth in Action Programme to organise an international youth forum from 23 to 30 August 2009 in Hannover.
The forum will coincide with a big visually impaired people's festival from 28 to 30 August.
DBSV is looking for five partner groups. EBU member organisations interested in joining the project should contact Reiner Delgado, Head of DBSV's Social Affairs, r.delgado@dbsv.org
Iceland
The General Assembly of Blindrafelagid, the Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted in Iceland, took place in Reykjavik on 17 May 2008. Kristinn Halldór Einarsson (48, partially sighted) was elected new Chairman. He is Blindrafelagid’s International Officer since early 2008 and was a member of the board for the last two years.
A new mentoring scheme is being introduced whereby members of Blindrafelagid are given the opportunity to apply for individual funding towards employment opportunities, sport participation and artistic creation. The first Encouragement Grants were given at the General Assembly to six individual members of the Association.
In addition, 109,000 Euros were donated by the Lions Movement of Iceland on the occasion of the GA to support a guide dog project supervised by Blindrafelagid.
Further information from Blindrafelagid, www.blind.is
Italy
Building Trust is an EU-funded youth exchange project coordinated by the Italian Union of the Blind.
The exchange is being run in July and August in the mountainous region of Marche, Italy. Visually impaired and sighted youths will participate in various discussion forums and accessible activities in which the local community of Mount San Vicino is also fully involved. All participants are encouraged to play an active role within the group and support each other regardless of impairment. The fundamental goal is to promote mutual trust and tolerance within a multi-cultural European context.
Further information from Mirko Montecchiani, Building Trust Supervisor, mirkomontecchiani@gmail.com
Serbia
Serbia is experiencing intense legislative developments with respect to the rights of people with disabilities.
In particular, an anti-discrimination law was adopted in 2006 as a result of the revision of the national constitution.
The Serbian Government is now working on a bill addressing the issue of disabled people’s access to rehabilitation and employment.
Further information from Dragiša Drobnjak, savezslepihsrbije@bvcom.net
United Kingdom
Press release - Pavement Day, June 6th, 2008
National Federation of the Blind of the UK
On June 6th 1978, the National Federation of the Blind of the UK launched the "Give Us Back Our Pavements" campaign, to draw to the government and the public's attention the hazards that confront blind and partially sighted people every day, such as cars parked on the pavement, people riding their bikes on the pavement, unguarded holes, litter bins and bags, overhanging branches, and badly positioned street furniture.
Over the thirty years the pavements have got steadily more cluttered, and less money spent on maintenance, leading to thousands of accidents where pedestrians have tripped, resulting in serious injuries and even deaths. Not only are the two million people that are blind or partially sighted fighting to keep their pavements in good repair and free of obstacles, but now the battle is on to retain the pavement itself, as many Local Authorities are introducing Shared Space Schemes, with the pavement and pedestrian crossings removed, leaving a completely flat surface for traffic and pedestrians to share.
Blind people are being prevented from visiting their shops in these high streets. Plans to also include such schemes in residential areas will mean they will not be able to live there, and those who already do will be frightened to go out alone. No consideration is being given to the safety of pedestrians in these schemes. All pavements should be retained, kept in good repair and be un-cluttered, to enable all pedestrians to walk safely, independently and with confidence.
Members and friends of the NFB, on this Pavement Day, June 6th, call on every member of Local and National Government to take a walk, look at the state of the pavements where they live and work, and see how they could cope if they were blind or partially sighted. Better still, do something about it.
Jill Allen-King, Public Relations Officer for the NFB, who is totally blind, said her own mother-in-law died as a result of a fall, where a vehicle had parked and broken the pavement. Councils pay out thousands of pounds in compensation claims, but will not spend the money on repairing pavements.
Despite one hundred people losing their sight every day in the UK, the environment is becoming hostile to blind people, and urgent action is needed to stop them becoming housebound, or unsafe when walking in their own home areas.
JILL ALLEN-KING
Further information from Jill Allen-King, jill.allenking@tiscali.co.uk
Ukraine
In May 2008, Ukrainian photographer Youry Bilak presented a tactile photography exhibition entitled Touch and See. The show took place in Kiev.
Thirty tactile images made of polymer were presented alongside audio files describing each picture. The voice descriptions were recorded by eighteen high profile members of the Ukrainian cultural scene, including journalists, artists, the former Minister of Culture and the First Lady of Ukraine Kateryna Yushchenko.
The exhibition was the first initiative of its kind in Ukraine.
Further information from Youry Bilak, Ukrainian Artist and Photographer, www.yourybilak.com
Publications
Research from Tiresias
Tiresias.org is a website run by the Scientific Research Unit of the RNIB
(Royal National Institute of the Blind, UK). It provides up-to-date
information and guidelines on accessibility of information and communication
technology systems.
The scientific team at TIRESIAS has authored a number of research publications which are available free of charge on the website.
The latest are :
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Guidelines for the Design of Accessible Information and Communication
Technology Systems.
Ambient Intelligence : Paving the Way. How Integrated Services Can
Deliver a More Inclusive Society.
The publications can be accessed on the website
You may also request printed copies by sending your postal address to :
Dr John Gill OBE, RNIB, 105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, Great Britain.
Further information from Tiresias, www.tiresias.org
Music by Ear at the RNIB Library
The National Library Service run by the RNIB (Royal National Institute of the Blind, UK) received over 1,000 CDs of music lessons by Bill Brown.
The "Intro to" CDs teach the basics of a particular instrument using no written or Braille notation. These courses are taught totally "by ear" and are suitable for absolute beginners.
The "Guitar by Ear" and "Piano by Ear" CDs are individual lessons that teach an entire song all the way through using no written or braille notation. These are suitable for those who have taken the "Intro" courses mentioned above or who already have basic skills on the piano or guitar.
These CDs will become available for loan in the near future as titles are gradually added to the Library catalogue.
Further information about loan availability from Megan Chivers, Music Librarian at the RNIB National Library Service, megan.chivers@rnib.org.uk
The audio courses can also be purchased from Music For the Blind : www.MusicForTheBlind.com
Benchmarking report on e-Accessibility in Europe
People with disabilities are confronted with many barriers in the usage of everyday ICT products and services that are now essential elements of social and economic life.
Measuring Progress of e-Accessibility in Europe (MeAC) is a study project funded by the European Commission. It published a report covering 25 European Member States, Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
Country Profiles are also included to provide a country-specific overview on topics such as access to websites, telecoms products and services, and access in public procurement.
Based on extensive research, this report is the largest and most representative information available to date on the e-Accessibility field in Europe and beyond.
The findings are posted on the MeAC website,
http://www.eaccessibility-progress.eu/
Further information from the MeAC team, meac@empirica.com.
FEATURE :
Concessionary Fares on European Railways
By Sarah Ghlamallah, EBU Information Officer
INTRODUCTION
Mobility is a central aspect of social inclusion and independence for blind and partially sighted people. This has long been an area of research and action at the European Blind Union (EBU). A key issue in rail travel, as with other forms of transportation, revolves around transport regulations and concession schemes. Assistance by a guide or guide dog is often crucial to enable visually impaired passengers to travel as safely and comfortably as their sighted peers.
EBU promotes safe and independent travel in the transport systems of the member countries through its Commission on Mobility and Access to Transport. The Commission works on unrestricted access to public transports ; raises awareness on the specific needs of blind and partially sighted people ; and aims to ensure that disability does not translate into an additional cost of transport. The core points of action include fare exemptions for guide dogs or persons acting as guides of blind and partially sighted passengers on public transport ; an unrestricted access to countries, buildings and all forms of transport for guide dog owners and their dogs ; and raising awareness over the specific and diverse needs of the visually impaired.
The most common concession system in European countries ensures that the cost of travel for the blind or partially sighted person and their guide or guide dogs does not amount to more than the price of one ticket. An International Agreement was signed under the International Union of Railways (IUR) in an effort to implement this basic rule of one-for-two at European level. The Agreement can be seen as a first step towards better practice in European rail travel but its inner workings and shortcomings also provide a picture of the challenges inherent to international regulations.
This article provides an overview of the operating conditions of concessions for blind and partially sighted passengers and their guide dogs or guides on European rail networks. The first section reviews the existing national, regional and urban provisions in a number of European countries. The second section turns to international travel and questions the scope of the IUR International Agreement in Europe. Future perspectives and the prospect of a single Europe-wide concession card are discussed in the conclusion.
1. NATIONAL PROVISIONS
1.1. National transport
Specific provisions exist for blind and partially sighted rail passengers in most European, both within and outside the EU. Exceptions include Armenia where there are no concessions specific to train transport, as well as Cyprus and Malta which are not currently equipped with rail networks.
In Sweden, there are no concessions specifically relating to rail transport but people with disabilities may travel from one place to another by combining different modes of transports at a set reduced price.
In most other countries however, a blind person can travel with a guide or a guide dog at no further cost upon presentation of the relevant form of partial sight or blindness identification. The information gathered by the EBU Commission on Mobility and Access to Transport shows that these arrangements differ from one country to another, ranging from total gratuity to reduced fares for the blind and partially sighted and their guides.
In Finland, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland the partially sighted or blind traveler travels on a full fare ticket while the guide or guide dog travels for free. In Scotland, it is the visually impaired passenger who travels for free and the guide travels on a full fare ticket.
In Northern Ireland and Lithuania blind passengers travel for free whilst partially sighted passengers travel at a half discounted rate. In Slovakia it is the blind or partially sighted who receive a 50 % discount while either their guide or guide dog travel free of charge.
In Albania, Austria, Denmark, England, Greece, Italy, Spain and Serbia the partially sighted or blind passenger and the guide or guide dog all receive a discounted rate (up to 50 % each or one full fare ticket to cover both passengers).
In Norway and Russia the blind or partially sighted person and his/her guide pays half price and the dog travels for free.
In Croatia and in the Czech Republic the blind passenger is entitled to a 75 % discount and the guide or guide dog does not pay. In Hungary the blind or partially sighted person and the guide or guide dog all receive a 90 % discount.
In Belgium, Germany and Ireland the partially sighted or blind passenger and the guide or guide dog all travel free of charge. This also applies to blind people and their guides in Luxembourg but not to partially sighted people.
Guide dogs are not included in the free schemes in Latvia and Lithuania as they are virtually absent in these countries.
In some countries the concession scheme operates based on the presentation of a national disability card or a specific partial sight or blindness form of identification. These cards are issued by the relevant government offices or blind organizations and their use is not necessarily restricted to transport concessions. However, in some countries, such as Northern Ireland and Italy, a specific travel card must also be produced to travel. In Austria and Spain the travel card has to be purchased from the rail company and renewed each year.
Some limitations and inconsistencies have also been reported to the EBU Mobility and Transport Commission. In Bulgaria, partially sighted or blind people and their guides or guide dogs are only entitled to two free trips a year. In Croatia concessions can only be claimed on up to six journeys a year. In Belarus and Moldova, the blind can travel at a discounted rate between October and May, but they are only entitled to one additional discounted trip over the remainder of the year. The free German scheme only operates within 50 kilometers of the place of residence of the recipient. The Latvian and Polish concession levels vary significantly depending on the degree of disability. Estonia, Luxembourg and Portugal operate good concessions schemes for blind passengers but there are no discounts for the partially sighted. Moreover, to this day guide dogs are banned from Greek and Serbian trains and in Spain guide dogs are only allowed on sleeping coaches.
In several countries additional charges are incurred where a ‘reservation’ fee or a ‘seated’ ticket is required. Typically, the concession or fare exemption schemes are not fully endorsed by high-speed rail networks. In the French TGV for instance, the compulsory ‘reservation’ fee varies between 3 and 22 Euros depending on the traveling period. This fee is becoming more common as a result of the changing patterns in transportations in Europe and this translates into an increased cost for the passengers and for their guides.
By and large semi-private and private carriers operating at national level do not apply the concessions endorsed by public rail companies. This is very challenging as privatization of the rail transport is becoming a general tendency at European level. The blind movement will have to follow this matter closely and endeavor to strike agreements with private operators with a view to retaining free schemes where they exist.
1.2. Regional and urban transport
The same concession schemes generally apply at national and regional level. In Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia and Spain the regional concession schemes are closely modeled after the national system. There are no regional concession schemes operating in Albania, Armenia, Belarus and Estonia.
There are significant regional variations in Denmark, Italy and Romania. In addition, private operators tend not to apply concessions. For instance in Denmark some private regional rail companies have agreements with the State and do apply the concession scheme, but others do not.
The picture is more complex at urban level because of the superposition of national and local government policies. While Denmark, Germany Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway implement the same concession systems at national, regional and urban level, most other countries run location specific schemes.
There are currently no urban concession schemes in Armenian and Estonian cities. In most cases however the tendency is to implement better concessions at urban level. Inner city transport is free in Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia.
The system has more variables in countries such as Austria, France, Italy and Portugal where concessions can vary from city to city depending on local government or on the local transport company. Concessions are unfortunately at risk in several Italian and Austrian cities whilst other cities continue to endorse excellent concession levels.
For instance, in the Paris urban network the passenger is entitled to a 50 % discount, while the guide or guide dog travels for free. This is better than the concession scheme applied at national level (one full fare ticket for the passenger and one free ticket for the guide or guide dog). This example highlights an important underlying aspect of concession systems : in this case the national scheme is funded by the French State while the Paris Local Government finances its own scheme. This is reflected in the fact that the local scheme is only available to visually impaired people residing in Paris.
1.3. Summary
To sum up, there is a vast range of concession systems and significant differences in terms of how these concessions are applied across European countries. Nonetheless, the overall level of national concessions in Europe is good. The best situations are found in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Ireland. In turn, regional and local schemes tend to match or better the national provisions. In practice, the basic rule of one-for-two or a better deal appear to be largely implemented at national, regional and local levels.
2. TRAVELING IN EUROPE
2.1. Traveling to other countries
Since the days of the then-unprecedented Orient-Express and Simplon-Express, Europe has witnessed the development of ever more numerous direct transnational trains. However the genuine improvement in the quality and duration of European transport also comes with the formation of complex consortia of public, semi-private and private companies. In this context, the IUR Agreement on Rail Transport for Blind People and their Guide (in French) was brought about to take the one-for-two deal to a European level and to enable blind or partially sighted passengers to travel to other European countries with their guides.
The IUR Agreement was signed by public and private rail companies from twenty EU countries as well as from four non-EU countries. The Agreement was issued in late 1997 and was reviewed in 2005.
According to the IUR Agreement, blind and partially sighted people residing in, and traveling to, any of these countries are entitled to obtain a free ticket for their guide or guide dog provided that the return ticket is purchased in the country where the disability card was issued.
However, a survey conducted in 2000 by the EBU Commission on Mobility and Access to Transport revealed that in some countries the Agreement was not well known or was simply ignored by the transport operators and authorities.
What is more, the Agreement does not apply to additional fees such as ‘reservation’ or ‘couchette’, which must be paid in full when traveling in high-speed trains.
Further, it must be stressed that the signatories of the Agreement are companies and not States. As a result many of the existing transnational routes are not covered by this Agreement.
In practice, each route carries its own scheme. For example, the LYRIA (France-Switzerland) operates on exactly the same basis as a French TGV : the partially sighted or blind traveler pays a full fare ticket while the guide or guide dog only pays the ‘reservation’ fee (11 Euros on average). The EUROSTAR (Belgium-France-England) operates a full fare for the blind or partially sighted passenger and offers a 60 % concession to the guide.
There are deplorably no provisions for the blind and partially sighted on the ARTESIA (France-Italy) which only runs concessions for wheel chair users and their helpers. The same situation is found on the THALYS trains (Germany-Belgium-France-the Netherlands). The THALYS brochure states that concessions are available to the visually impaired but I made several mock reservations to check this and found that the software used by their agents did not contain a concession category for blind or partially sighted people and their guides.
In practice, the concessions implemented on one transnational route may not apply to another. Across the board the one-for-two deal is lost on most trans-border service.
2.2. Visiting other countries
It is often impossible to benefit from local concessionary fares when visiting other countries. These concessions are funded by the local or national government and are generally not open to visitors from other countries. With few exceptions, such as within the Benelux countries, concessions only apply in the country where the partial sight or blindness identification card was issued. In practice however, this is very much dependent on the staff at the ticket office.
Foreign guide dogs are entitled to a discounted or free ticket in Belgium, Portugal, Russia and Spain. Guide dogs traveling to Ireland and the United Kingdom are subject to quarantine regulations.
2.3. Summary
To sum up, the IUR Agreement seems to be limited in scope. It was signed by a number of companies but it may not be implemented on all the trains run by these companies. Many trains are run in partnership with other companies and groups of interest. As a result a number of transnational routes do not carry any scheme for the blind and partially sighted and two full fare tickets must be purchased in order to travel with a guide or guide dog on many of these trains. In turn, it is mostly impossible to benefit from existing schemes when visiting a foreign country as locally-financed concessions tend to be limited to local residents. Therefore the prospect of a one-for-two European deal is still far from being a reality.
CONCLUSION
The overall level of rail concessions currently observed within European countries is good. The one-for-two option or a better deal are commonly endorsed at national, regional and local levels. The international level is lacking in comparison. The IUR Agreement to implement the one-for-two deal at European level is a good initiative but its scope remains limited. Whilst some trans-European trains implement good concessions, the blind and partially sighted must pay more than their sighted peers to travel with a guide or guide dog on many of the major international routes. Blind and partially sighted visitors cannot benefit from local concession schemes when visiting other countries within Europe as locally-financed concessions are generally restricted to local residents.
The EBU Commission on Mobility and Access to Transport has suggested that a European travel ID card could contribute to filling the gap. This card would be supported by a Europe-wide scheme to enable blind and partially sighted people to benefit from concessions when visiting other European countries. In addition, the scope of the current IUR Agreement would be extended to fully cover the European railway network as part of the European common transport policy.
The Third EU Railway Package issued in 2004 is the first directive that emphasizes passengers’ rights. It has five Articles that are relevant to disability.
- The first Article ensures the basic right, for a person with limited mobility, to purchase a rail ticket and reservation.
- The second Article guarantees the right to assistance.
- The remaining Articles describe the type of assistance that can be provided (boarding, changing to a corresponding service and disembarking) ; who can provide it (a ‘station manager’) ; and under which conditions (by advance notification only). However provisions in these Articles seem to be directed mainly to people in wheelchairs and do not seem to address the needs of other groups of disabled people adequately.
The liberalised European transport market and the integrated railway area are gradually turning into a reality and much has been done to increase mobility across European countries. Nonetheless the appropriate inclusion of blind and partially sighted people in this framework is still unsatisfactory. As noted by the EBU Commission on Mobility and Access to Transport, this is an area where much lobbying is needed. It is essential to continue to raise awareness so that the specific needs of the visually impaired are properly understood and taken into account by European transport companies and policy makers. This should be coupled with sound proposals to that effect. The European funding plan set to cover the cost of assistance in the context of air travel appears as a viable model which could be beneficially adapted to rail travel and to the prospect of a European concession card for the visually impaired.
Further information and references from EBU, ebuoffice@euroblind.org
Coming Events |
EBU Board
26
– 28 September 2008
Rethimnon
(Crete)
Contact : Birgitta Blokland, EBU Secretary General
Email : bjb202@hotmail.com
EBU Commissions
4 - 5 October 2008 LONDON (UK)
EBU Commission on Technology
Contact : Peter Brass
Email : mail@pbrass.de
4 - 5 October 2008 LONDON (UK)
EBU Commission on Culture and Education
Contact : Carol Borowski
Email : carol.borowski@tiscali.co.uk
10 - 11 October 2008 TALLINN (Estonia)
EBU Commission for Liaising with the EU
Contact : Rodolfo Cattani
Email : inter@uiciechi.it
Other organisations
4 – 5 July 2008 HELSINKI (Finland)
15th Retina International World Congress
The Congress is organised by Retina Finland, full member and one of the founders of Retina International. Leading specialists from all over the world will give lectures about the latest research and treatment of hereditary retinal dystrophies, genetics and other topics. For the first time they will report on test results made on human beings. The programme is targeted at both patients and scientists.
Contact : Retina Office,
retinitis@kolumbus.fi
5 – 6 July 2008 BERLIN (Germany)
International blind futsal seminar
Contact : Neil O’Donovan, Chairman of IBSA Europe,
neil@ibsports.ie
6 - 10 July 2008 MONTREAL (Canada)
9th International Conference on Low Vision
The Conference will feature plenary and concurrent sessions during which distinguished academics and researchers will present the results of their work on vision science research, services of rehabilitation and psychosocial aspects of reintegration.
9 - 11 July 2008 LINZ (Austria)
11th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs.
“eQuality: A Global Challenge” - Equal Access to the Information Society as a Global Challenge
Until 8 March 2009 STRASBOURG (France)
Temporary Exhibition "Dialogue in the Dark"
www.dialoguedanslenoir.com/en/dialogue-dans-le-noir-en/
16 – 22 August 2008 GENEVA (Switzerland)
7th General Assembly and 4th Women’s Forum of the World Blind Union
25 – 28 August 2008 QUEBEC (Canada)
21st World Congress Rehabilitation International
Disability Rights and Social Participation : Ensuring a Society for All
The Congress theme showcases the new United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which provides the framework for the development of good policies, actions and projects to drastically improve the living conditions of hundreds of millions of people worldwide with disabilities.
The RI-Québec 2008 World Congress also presents an opportunity to connect to more than 1,500 of experts, researchers, disability rights advocates, government representatives, service providers, civil society leaders during three days of an extensive program, events and sightseeing tours of beautiful Québec City. It is a chance to meet exhibitors from around the world showcasing their brand new products and services.
The RI network, consisting of more than 700 organizations in approximately 100 countries, is a catalyst for developing innovative approaches and providing solutions. Its mission is to promote social change, inclusion and rights of people with disabilities.
www.riquebec2008.org or www.riglobal.org
3 - 5 December 2008 BIRMINGHAM (UK)
Tactile Graphics 2008
The fourth international conference and exhibition on diagrams, maps and pictures for use by blind children and adults in education, work and daily life. Touching on every aspect of tactile graphics !
Hosted by RNIB Centre for Accessible Information, incorporating the former RNIB National Centre for Tactile Diagrams.
www.nctd.org.uk/conference
20 - 23 April 2009 WROCLOW (Poland)
Conference and Workshop on Assistive Technologies for People with Vision and Hearing Impairments : Past Successes and Future Challenges
This is the sixth event in the CVHI international conference series on Assistive Technologies and Rehabilitation Engineering supported by the European Commission. CVHI is part of the CWST project, http://cwst.icchp.org.
Topics will deal with the engineering and scientific aspects of assistive technology for sensory impaired people.
Information soon available from :
www.elec.gla.ac.uk/Events_page/CVHI/cvhi
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