Oh! It would be too much to expect from them to remember and reproduce it! Rajesh ----- Original Message ----- From: "Subramani L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [AI] Widening access the European way
> Fine, but where is the name of the "1995 act"? > > Subramani > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rajesh > Asudani > Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 12:19 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [AI] Widening access the European way > > > > In a rare but welcome move, the hindu has published the editorial on > disability topic. > > Widening access the European way > > The recent European Union Regulation forbidding airlines and tour > operators from denying travel for passengers with disabilities and > reduced mobility, besides > affirming the principle of anti-discrimination, also makes sound > business sense. Persons with restricted mobility, among whom are the > aged and those with > various temporary and permanent impairments, are said to make up about > 10 per cent of the EU's population. The new rules are also a major > assurance that > peopl e with limited mobility can take advantage of the benefits that > have accrued from the EU's single market in air transport such as wider > choices of > lower fares, carriers, and destinations. Under the new regime, turning > down disabled passengers would be a violation except when it is > warranted by safety > and such an exception must be justified under the law. Through another > measure, effective July 2008, European airlines will be obliged to allow > carriage > of wheelchairs and guide-dogs free of charge. > > The rights and safety of passengers have received high priority in the > EU's transport policy in recent years and the aviation sector has been a > leader in > extending disabled-friendly facilities. However, instances of unequal > treatment have been reported from low-cost flight service providers, > where the pressures > of cost-competitiveness often undermine compliance with standard access > procedures. The new measure thus aims to ensure a more comprehensive > provision > of service and uniform application of the anti-discrimination across the > EU. In India, the 1995 law mandates equality of access to education, > employment, > and mobility for the disabled. In its effective implementation, public > awareness can improve and the deep-seated prejudices can be rooted out. > Except for > some exemplary judicial directives relating to the use of wheelchairs by > air passengers and access to public transport and educational > institutions, the > law remains by and large on paper. Among the lessons policy-makers can > learn from the European experience is that successful intervention in > the area of > disability is predicated upon the effectiveness of measures in other > spheres of public policy. The overall gains for the elderly, the > terminally ill, women > and children from measures to improve access for the disabled make the > case for proper enforcement of the law even stronger. > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i > n > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
