France yesterday inaugurated the Accessibility Observatory, an institution tasked with monitoring progress in efforts to ensure that public establishments and transport systems are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
The body will comprise political representatives, transport and construction professionals, and members of organizations representing people with disabilities, Nadine Morano, France’s Secretary of State for the Family, announced.
Its mission will be to assess the current accessibility of buildings and transport systems, identify potential problems, propose solutions, and help local authorities implement them and comply with regulations in this area.
According to data from the Association des Paralysés de France, 87% of local public institutions and 86% of theaters and stadiums are accessible. However, 60% of the cities studied by the organization for people with disabilities did not have a single fully accessible bus route.
Morano also met with the head of RATP, Paris’s public transport operator, to discuss the problem of metro entrances that cannot be adapted for people with disabilities because of technical difficulties. She proposed addressing this issue by complementing that mode of transport with other accessible alternatives.
Throughout this year, all Paris metro stations will install audio announcements to meet the needs of blind travelers.
PLAN TO BENEFIT DEAF PEOPLE
Finally, Morano announced the launch of a plan benefiting deaf people in France, funded with €52 million.
The plan calls for the creation of at least one new late-night news program on one of the public television channels operated by France Télévisions in 2011. It will be fully translated into sign language, and all DVDs sold in France will be required to include French subtitles.
As part of this initiative, a telephone service will also be created this year to enable deaf people to call emergency services, and systematic hearing-loss screening will be offered to young people aged 16 to 25 and adults over 60.
France inaugurates the accessibility observatory and launches a plan to benefit deaf people
France yesterday inaugurated the Accessibility Observatory, an institution tasked with monitoring progress in efforts to ensure that public establishments and transport systems are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
The body will comprise political representatives, transport and construction professionals, and members of organizations representing people with disabilities, Nadine Morano, France’s Secretary of State for the Family, announced.
Its mission will be to assess the current accessibility of buildings and transport systems, identify potential problems, propose solutions, and help local authorities implement them and comply with regulations in this area.
According to data from the Association des Paralysés de France, 87% of local public institutions and 86% of theaters and stadiums are accessible. However, 60% of the cities studied by the organization for people with disabilities did not have a single fully accessible bus route.
Morano also met with the head of RATP, Paris’s public transport operator, to discuss the problem of metro entrances that cannot be adapted for people with disabilities because of technical difficulties. She proposed addressing this issue by complementing that mode of transport with other accessible alternatives.
Throughout this year, all Paris metro stations will install audio announcements to meet the needs of blind travelers.
PLAN TO BENEFIT DEAF PEOPLE
Finally, Morano announced the launch of a plan benefiting deaf people in France, funded with €52 million.
The plan calls for the creation of at least one new late-night news program on one of the public television channels operated by France Télévisions in 2011. It will be fully translated into sign language, and all DVDs sold in France will be required to include French subtitles.
As part of this initiative, a telephone service will also be created this year to enable deaf people to call emergency services, and systematic hearing-loss screening will be offered to young people aged 16 to 25 and adults over 60.
