Diamantopoulou attacks dearth of disability laws

By Martin Banks

Date: 06/11/03

THE European Commission's social affairs chief, Anna Diamantopoulou, has rounded on governments for failing to adopt new laws aimed at improving the plight of disabled people.

Member states unanimously backed the Commission's anti-discrimination legislation and agreed to transpose it into national law by the end of this year.

But Diamantopoulou says it is "extremely disappointing" that, so far, only three countries - Belgium, Sweden and the UK - have done so.

Belgium adopted the new laws on 27 March, Sweden on 1 July and the UK on 19 July.

Three other countries, the Netherlands, Ireland and Finland, have draft legislation pending, but the remaining nine states are yet to take any action.

This is particularly woeful, says Diamantopoulou, given that 2003 has been designated European Year of People with Disabilities (the EYPD).

Up to 50 million people in the EU have some form of disability and the legislation is primarily designed to improve their prospects in the labour market.

Speaking at a disability conference in Brussels on Monday (3 November), Diamantopoulou said: "Many businesses have endorsed and supported "the Year" by undertaking voluntary action but, unfortunately, only three member states have adopted the legislation, despite having had three years to do so."

The Greek commissioner added: "The directive on equal treatment in employment clearly states that employers should accommodate the needs of disabled people and one of the issues often raised by member states has been the cost of this to SMEs.

"However, it is worth pointing out that research in America shows that it costs 18% of companies nothing to make such adjustments and 50% less than &036;500 (€431)."

The conference, at the city's Résidence Palace, was organized to highlight the role the business community can play in integrating disabled people into the workforce.

Patrick Worms, a spokesman for EYPD corporate partners, such as Microsoft and Nokia, said companies' continuing reluctance to adapt their workplaces to accommodate handicapped staff was one of the main barriers to the employability of the disabled.

Worms, himself disabled having had a leg amputated at the age of 17, told the conference: "This is just one of a number of barriers facing people with disabilities. Perhaps the biggest one, though, is the cultural change which is still needed.

"The question employers must ask is whether they are open-minded enough to employ a disabled person."

Michael Takemura, accessibility programme officer for Hewlett-Packard, said the company had taken various measures to support the EYPD, including allowing disabled students to "shadow" its employees for the day.

The Commission last week unveiled an action plan, to run from 2004-10, to promote equal opportunities for the disabled.

It is geared to four employment-related priorities, including lifelong learning, accessibility to public buildings and development of new technologies.

Report of a speech given by Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, at a disability conference in Brussels on 3 November 2003, in which she criticised Member States for failing to adopt new laws aimed at improving the situation of disabled people.