BUS Project ~ Building United Society

  European Union has a new strategy which covers 2021-2030 (Union of Equality Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030). Before that strategy there was also a strategy which covers 2010-2020 (The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020). The evaluation shows that 2010-2020 strategy has improved the situation in many areas for disabled persons and the new startegy aims improvement in all areas. 

  According to new strategy, the European Accessibility Act covering products and services, the Web Accessibility Directive, the Electronic Communications Code, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and copyright legislation. European accessibility standards have been put in place to support implementation in the built environment and ICT and for organisations to adopt a Design for All approach. Also there are more articles about accesibility:

• EU rules make accessibility requirements compulsory for the Member States to benefit from shared management funds, and buying accessible goods, services and infrastructure is an obligation in public procurement. Member States are also encouraged to mainstream accessibility funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plans.
• To make Europe barrier-free, Member States should mainstream accessibility into all relevant policies and actions, notably those related to the European Green Deal, the Renovation Wave and the New European Bauhaus, and professionals should receive training in accessibility.
• At EU level, the Commission will pay close attention to the correct implementation and evaluation of all EU rules regulating accessibility and identify gaps and the need for further legislative actions.
• In 2022 the Commission will launch a European resource centre AccessibleEU to increase coherence in accessibility policies and facilitate access to relevant knowledge. The Commission will start preparations for AccessibleEU within the newly established Disability Platform.

Except accesbility, strategy has some articles under the Enjoying EU Rights title and these are:

• Developing new skills for new jobs (Member States are responsible to adapt education and training policies to the needs of persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the UNCRPD.)
• Moving and residing freely
• Decent quality of life and living independently
• Developing independent living and reinforcing community-based services
• Fostering access to quality and sustainable jobs (Member States can make use of the reinforced Youth Guarantee to support young persons with disabilities.)
• Consolidating social protection system
• Equal acces and non-discrimination (under that article we can see an important point for us: Improving access to art and culture, recreation, leisure, sport, and tourism: The Council highlighted the importance in its conclusions on access to sport for persons with disabilities. The Commission will strengthen participation of persons with disabilities in all these areas by pursuing cooperation with mainstream and disability-specific sports organisations at all levels. The Commission will also partner with the International Paralympic Committee to foster inclusion in sport and combat stereotypes.)
• Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities globally
• Efficiently delivering the strategy ( Better Regulation - UNCRPD compliance in policymaking, stepping up cooperation of EU institutions and Member States, working with Member States, regional and local authorities,  supporting implementation through EU funding)

  Except these articles also we have some important articles for us:

• The Commission has been continuously improving the accessibility of its buildings, digital environments and communications and will scale up efforts to ensure accessibility, including innovative projects, increasing the accessibility of publications, notably of EU law and policies, providing training for staff and supporting learning of interpretation in International Sign Language.
• The Commission will ensure that by 2030 all Commission buildings follow European accessibility standards, subject to urban planning requirements of the host countries. 
• The Commission will, by 2023, issue guidance recommending to Member States improvements on independent living and inclusion in the community.
• Building on the existing voluntary European Quality Framework for Social Services, the Commission will present, by 2024, a specific framework for Social Services of Excellence for persons with disabilities.

  These all articles are a summary of the strategy and consist of relevant articles for us and our project. As we all see, if this strategy be succesful accesibility in EU will be in a good situation. With the success of the 2010-2020 strategy, the new startegy has high probability of success.