Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-17-Speech-1-046"
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"en.20031117.5.1-046"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Year of People with Disabilities is approaching its end and it is time to examine the results. What do we see? Can a year really make any difference? Have we been able to achieve anything concrete that could help us to have an impact on the day-to-day existence and quality of life of disabled people? I would hope after this year some permanent changes will remain in the way at least some disabled people cope in their everyday life. A good example would be the use of assistance dogs throughout the Union, which, along with technical tools and information technology, mean greater scope socially, educationally, and professionally for people with visual, aural and motion disabilities.
I will take this opportunity to thank Commissioner Diamantopoulou for her genuine interest and encouragement regarding this issue, which I hope will continue to make progress and extend throughout the new Member States too, possibly with the aid of EU funding.
There is nevertheless the question of how to incorporate accessibility, non-discrimination, and full citizens’ rights for people with disabilities in major policy lines at all levels. Right now too we are introducing more major areas of policy for the future. I am involved in adapting a proposal for a directive on public procurement and we are now trying to settle two important issues for people with disabilities and the enforcement of their citizens’ rights. To what extent can we take the special needs of disabled people into account in planning the built environment and its other physical aspects and developing transport and other services? Another essential question that remains unanswered is the criteria for production methods.
In my opinion, it is also mainly a matter of democracy. These two directives involve taking important decisions on just how great the power of decision of the local authorities should be. Furthermore, there is an implied danger under the new draft constitution that healthcare and other social services would be opened up to competition. How then would the special needs of people with disabilities be affected?"@en1
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