QUESTIONNAIRE BELGIUM

EBU Questionnaire Survey on the situation of blind and partially sighted people
across the 27 EU Member States

September 2007

 

Name: Harry Geyskens

Organisation: Belgian Confederation for Blind and Partially Sighted

Country:Belgium

e-mail address: bcbs.cbpam@skynet.be

Telephone number: + 32 2 732 53 24


1/ Benefits


1.1. Does your country have any form of benefits system/ allowance for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer


1.2. If yes, is this allowance sufficient or does it need to be increased ?
Answer Needs to be increased End answer


2/ Transport / Mobility

 
2.1. Does your country provide blind and partially sighted people with any form of assistance for access to public transportation?
Answer Yes End answer

2.2. If yes, in what form?
 

2.2.1. Facilities allowing a better accessibility of public transport for blind and partially sighted people:
Answer Yes End answer

2.2.2. Financial aid:
Answer Yes End answer

2.2.3. If yes, is this assistance available :
At reduced cost.
Free of charge Answer Yes End answer  
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.
 


2.3. Are there any measures facilitating the mobility of blind of partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer

 2.3.1 If yes, are they:

Financing of guide dogs. Answer Yes End answer
Tactile paving.  Answer Yes End answer
Provision of auditory means of communication. Answer Yes, but very few End answer
Provision of auditory signals at crosswalks.  Answer Yes End answer
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.
 


2.4. Concerning accessibility / transport in general, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
Answer Structural implementation of auditory means of communication, inside the vehicles, at the stops
More accessible information websites
More positive attitude of the staff.  End answer
 


3/ Employment


3.1. Are private companies under any obligation to recruit a certain number of disabled people?
Answer No End answer

3.2. Are some jobs reserved in priority for:

3.2.1. Disabled people?
Answer No End answer

3.2.2. Blind or partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer


3.3. Are there any targeted wage subsidies or bonus for employers who recruit blind and partially sighted people?
Bonus.
Targeted wage subsidies.  Answer Yes End answer
Answer Other Other (explanation) financial support for material  End answer
Don’t know.


3.4. Does your country have sheltered workshops or any other kind of structure employing only blind and partially sighted people?
Answer  No End answer

3.5. Are there any other incentives in your country to facilitate blind and partially sighted people’s employment?
Answer  No End answer


3.6. What is the situation with regard to the employment of blind and partially sighted women:
Under-employment. Answer Yes End answer
Discrimination in recruitment.
Discrimination in wages.
Don’t know.


3.7. Concerning employment in general, what kind of suggestion for improvement do you have?
Answer In Belgium a minimum quota should be mandatory, in public services as in private employment. End answer
 



4/ Education


4.1. Does your country have specialized schools for blind of partially sighted children?
Answer  Yes End answer

4.2. Is it possible for blind of partially sighted children to attend mainstream schools?
Answer Yes End answer

4.2.1. If yes, are there any support services for blind and partially sighted children?

Provision of books in Braille. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of Braille writing devices. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices. Answer Yes End answer
Support by specially trained teachers. Answer Yes  End answer
Other (please explain).
Don’t know.



4.3. Can blind or partially sighted students at university benefit from some form of financial aid to purchase an adapted computer?
Answer Yes End answer



4.4. With regard to education in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?

 



5. REHABILITATION CENTRES FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE


5.1. Does your country have any rehabilitation centre for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer 


5.2. Concerning rehabilitation centres, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
Increase the number of centres.
Improve existing centres. Answer Yes   End answer
Increase the capacity of the centre.  Answer Yes   End answer
Improve the training of staff (auxiliary nursing staff, special education teacher …)
Modernise the methods of rehabilitation to daily life.
Modernise professional training.
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.


5.3. Have you noted any progress in these areas?
Answer Yes (explanation): The centres do their best to make services as professional as possible within the budget limits. The number of clients is increasing because of the individual guidance even at home. End answer



5.3.1. If no, did you notice a decline in the quality of the rehabilitation measures for blind and partially sighted people?
Answer  No End answer

 

6/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING


6.1. Does your country have a specialized vocational training centre for employed or unemployed blind and partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer

6.2. Can blind or partially sighted employed or unemployed people attend mainstream vocational training centres?
Answer Yes End answer

6.3. If yes, are there any support services for the blind and partially sighted?
Provision of books in Braille .Answer Yes End answer
Provision of Braille writing devices. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices. Answer Yes End answer
Support by specially trained teachers. Answer Yes End answer
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.

6.4. Have these measures been adopted since your country’s accession to the EU or did they exist before?
Answer No End answer

6.5. With regard to vocational training in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?
 


 

7. ACCESSIBILITY OF ICTs


7.1. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for blind people of all age categories:
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer The necessary software for transcription to Braille, big characters and audible adaptation is refunded, but not the computer itself.
After the age of 65, for the concerned person who was not registered before for receiving support, there is no refunding anymore. End answer


7.2. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for partially sighted people of all age categories ?
At school. Answer Yes End answer
At university. Answer Yes End answer
At work. Answer Yes End answer
At home. Answer Yes End answer
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
Answer The same as 7.1 End answer




8/ E-GOVERNMENT

8.1. How do you evaluate the accessibility of public websites (E-government; documents, forum, services, interactive pages, etc.)
Very good.
Good.
Answer Medium.   End answer
Bad.
Very bad.
(Please, explain): Answer the government is aware of the necessity of accessible websites. In the past there have been several meetings with the minister competent for E-government End answer


8.2. Is your government doing anything to make E-government websites accessible to blind and partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer
(Please explain): Answer In Belgium exists a label called: “Anysurferlabel”. More and more public websites are becoming accessible, according to the requirements of this label. End answer




9/ EU INFLUENCE


9. Do you think that the EU has had a positive influence on the situation of blind and partially sighted people in your country ?
Answer Yes End answer
(Please explain): Answer By implementing EU directives and regulations which improve the situation of disabled people in the country. Based on article 13 (right to employment) Belgium has established an antidiscrimination law. End answer

 


10. Finally, do you have any expectation with regard to your country’s belonging to the EU?


10. Do you have expectations with regard to:
Employment. Answer Yes End answer
Education. Answer Yes End answer
Vocational training. Answer Yes End answer
Rehabilitation centres. Answer Yes End answer
Transport / mobility. Answer Yes End answer
Accessibility of buildings and traffic lanes.Answer Yes End answer
Access to information (accessibility of ICTs). Answer Yes End answer
Financial support. Answer Yes End answer
Gender equality. Answer Yes End answer
Answer Other. (explanATION) Europe can be the driving force for the country towards a policy that takes into account the dignity and rights of people with a disability, in particular also blind and partially sighted people. End answer
 

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