Europe's disability and parking cards - easy-to-read version

People in the European Union

have the right to move and live freely

in any country of the European Union.

For example, a person from Belgium

could move and live freely in Italy.

We call this right 'freedom of movement'.

Persons with disabilities have the right

to freedom of movement too.

However, in practice,

it may be hard for persons with disabilities

to enjoy this right like other people.

Often, their disability is not recognised

in other countries.

This way they cannot get discounts

or other advantages

for people with disabilities

when they travel or move to another country.

At the European Commission,

we propose laws

that could make Europe better.

Amongst others,

we work to make sure

that persons with disabilities can enjoy

the right to freedom of movement.

We have now prepared a proposal

for a new law to make it easier

for people with disabilities

to move freely in the European Union.

This law will help people with disabilities

to show they have a disability

and get discounts and other advantages

when they move to any country

of the European Union.

With this law,

we suggest making 2 cards:

• The European Disability Card,

and

• The European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities.

Persons with disabilities will be able

to use these 2 cards

in all the countries of the European Union.

The European Disability Card

Persons with disabilities could use

the European Disability Card

when they travel to any country

of the European Union:

• To show they have a disability,

and

• To get the same advantages

in culture, sports, and other activities

as the persons with disabilities

of that country.

For example,

thanks to the European Disability Card,

persons with disabilities could:

• Pay less when they buy tickets

for trains, metros, museums,

or football matches.

• Get information in accessible ways

so that they can read and understand it.

The new European Disability Card

will be used in all 27 countries

of the European Union.

The European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities

Sometimes using a car

is the only option for persons with disabilities

to go where they want.

It is very important for them

to be able to park their car

as close as possible to the place

they want to go.

That is why

there are specific parking spaces

where only persons with disabilities

have the right to park their car.

These spaces are normally marked

with an image of a wheelchair.

The European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities

will help persons with disabilities

who travel or move

to any country of the European Union

to use parking spaces

for persons with disabilities

in that country.

Right now,

every country of the European Union

has its own parking card

for persons with disabilities.

The European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities

will replace all other parking cards.

This way all countries

of the European Union

will use one same type of card:

The European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities.

So if you now use a parking card

in your country,

this card will be replaced

by the European Parking Card.

You will then be able

to use the European Parking Card

not only in your country,

but in all countries of the European Union.

What will happen next?

The European Commission

can only propose laws.

For the laws to happen,

2 other bodies of the European Union

must agree:

• The European Parliament

The people of the European Parliament

are elected by all people in Europe

to stand for their rights.

• The Council of the European Union

People who make decisions

in every country of the European Union

come together and make

the Council of the European Union.

In the next period,

the European Parliament

and the Council of the European Union

will discuss the proposal

of the European Commission

to make a European Disability Card

and a European Parking Card

for Persons with Disabilities.

They will decide

if they want this law to happen in Europe

and how the final text of the law will be.

Then all countries of the European Union

must work to make this law happen

in the next 2,5 years.

For example,

all countries in the European Union should:

• Make sure their laws are in line

with this new European law.

• Spread the word

about the 2 new cards and the rights

persons with disabilities have

when using these cards.

• Inform persons with disabilities

about how they can get the cards.

• Make the information about the cards

accessible

so that persons with disabilities

can easily use them.