Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) enters into force across the European Union today, Saturday. As of this day, key products and services, such as telephones, computers, e-books, banking services, and electronic communications, must be accessible to people with disabilities.
According to a European statement in Brussels, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents a step forward in overcoming the barriers people with disabilities face daily. It facilitates their full participation in society, for example in employment, by making IT equipment accessible and facilitating the use of assistive technologies. It will also contribute to improved mobility, as accessibility standards will be uniform across the EU.
The Act sets common accessibility requirements across the EU for selected products and services, ranging from appropriate font size to text-to-speech features on self-service payment terminals, e-readers, smartphones, and more. This will simplify the rules for economic operators who have so far faced disparate, and often contradictory, accessibility requirements across borders. The Commission supports Member States through regular meetings with National Contact Points, including addressing country-specific issues.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said: "Around 100 million people in the European Union live with a disability. Accessibility is a prerequisite for participation in society. The European Accessibility Regulation is a measure of fairness and justice, but also of growth and innovation. It is a further step towards enabling people with disabilities across the EU to enjoy their lives on an equal footing with others without disabilities. As we celebrate this milestone, let us put it into practice and implement it, to ensure that these new rules deliver real and lasting change for everyone."