The European Commission has put forward a proposal concerning the mobility of people with disabilities at the beginning of the 2023 academic year. Our network is particularly attentive to the measures and mechanisms put in place at European level to improve the mobility of students with disabilities. As executive body, the Commission gives priority to « granting equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private services » for people with disabilities.
In fact, the commission wishes to implement two devices aiming to grant equal access for all : the European disability card and the parking card. Both are designed to guarantee freedom of movement for European citizens with disabilities.
The European disability card will complement national cards. The purpose of the card is to provide official recognition of a person’s disability. Our students with disabilities face certain difficulties in their mobility, such as access to priority paths, discounts in cultural and sports activities, and special assistance. This standardization will help to improve the international mobility of our students by easing the access to facilities they might need.
The parking card is designed to guarantee disabled people access to privileged parking spaces. Today, state-issued cards are not recognized by our neighbors. Thanks to the creation of this card, our students with disabilities will be able to get around the city with their own car, and thus enjoy a fulfilling student life during their international experience.
This administrative formalization is an indicator of the EU strategy for the rights of persons with diabilities 2021-2027. This promising proposal will be the focus of discussions in the coming weeks within the Parliament and the Council, before being implemented in all 27 member states.
Source : https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&furtherNews=yes&newsId=10652