Accessibility is a key issue for the European Union, and the European Commission has been working to improve accessibility for people with disabilities for many years. However, the Commission’s latest report on accessibility shows that there is still a long way to go.
In the report, the Commission acknowledges that progress has been made in some areas, such as the availability of accessible transport and the development of new technologies. However, the report also finds that there are still significant barriers to accessibility in many areas, including employment, education, and healthcare.
One of the most striking findings of the report is that people with disabilities are still much less likely to be employed than people without disabilities. In 2016, the employment rate for people with disabilities in the EU was just 50.6%, compared to 74.4% for people without disabilities. This gap has remained largely unchanged for the past decade.
The report also finds that people with disabilities are still less likely to have access to education than people without disabilities. In 2016, only 35.7% of people with disabilities in the EU had a tertiary education qualification, compared to 44.5% of people without disabilities. This gap has also remained largely unchanged for the past decade.
The report also finds that people with disabilities are still less likely to have access to healthcare than people without disabilities. In 2016, only 64.5% of people with disabilities in the EU reported having good or very good health, compared to 78.2% of people without disabilities. This gap has also remained largely unchanged for the past decade.
The Commission’s report is a reminder that there is still a long way to go to achieve full accessibility for people with disabilities in the EU. The Commission has made some progress in recent years, but more needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else.
These measures are a welcome step forward, but more needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else. The Commission should continue to work with Member States, businesses, and civil society organisations to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
Kind regards
E. Thompson
