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Manufacturers warned by EC that aircraft designs must accommodate disabled passengers
Manufacturers warned by European Commission that aircraft designs must accommodate disabled passengers better
The European Parliament has approved a bill of rights for disabled passengers that makes airport operators responsible for ensuring a minimum level of assistance for all people with reduced mobility, although service provision can be contracted out to third parties. However, a clause was added to the bill urging carriers to “take into account the needs of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when deciding the design of new and newly refurbished aircraft”. The bill’s sponsor, MEP Robert Evans, says he hopes the non-binding clause will ”stimulate debate between airlines and aircraft manufacturers on access, especially for wheelchair passengers.” |
I hope they do.
I always was relatively indifferent to handicapped peoples needs until my friend got ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrigs Disease) and ended up in a wheelchair. It was a real problem to take him almost anywhere. Needless to say I have much, much more understanding and deeper compassion for the issue now. |
Interesting. When will the EC mandate that any of their public buildings accomodate the disabled? Or any of their subway systems? The EC is 30 years behind the power curve on disabled access. I guess you have to start somewhere, so of course they start with private manufacturers, the major one of which is a U.S. company, rather than start with their own governments who are the major offenders.
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Originally Posted by gemac
Interesting. When will the EC mandate that any of their public buildings accomodate the disabled? Or any of their subway systems?
As far as underground transport goes, all recent projects (eg London's Jubilee Line extension) have incorporated wheelchair lifts from the beginning. The cost of retro-fitting this to the infrastructure is very large. As of this month every bus in London is now wheelchair accessible, the whole fleet has been replaced over about the last 8 years, again at great cost. By the way, my own local bus route (London route 101 for those knowledgeable) was one of the first adapted, new buses and alterations at all the bus stops, all ceremonially opened by the mayor of the time. In the 10 years since this was all done I have never, ever, seen a wheelchair passenger on the route. |
Originally Posted by WHBM
By the way, my own local bus route (London route 101 for those knowledgeable) was one of the first adapted, new buses and alterations at all the bus stops, all ceremonially opened by the mayor of the time. In the 10 years since this was all done I have never, ever, seen a wheelchair passenger on the route.
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Yes we do
As the song goes, "well I've never been to London ..." but I have used public transit in cities where I live and where I have traveled, with a child that uses a wheelchair. In several cases, conditions were not what was advertised. Like Katja says, wheelchair users of public transit are out there. They're in London too. I suspect there will only be more as the world becomes more universally accessible and people can count on getting where they are going after they get off the bus or train or plane.
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