Hopes and limits of the new French policy: towards a fragmented accessibility?
Résumé
With the enactment of the Equal Rights and opportunities, Participation and Citizenship of People with Disabilities Act, France has reformed its accessibility policy. Within a period of ten years, collective transportation services just be made accessible. Specialized services are only a substitute to accessible transportation services. When it is technically infeasible to render existing conventional services accessible, transportation authorities must make specialized services available for people with disabilities within three years.
Admittedly the new law benefits from a favorable context. Indeed, people with disabilities no longer accept to have a special treatment. Furthermore, many technical solutions have already been developped. Lastly, the accessibility issue is now set on the institutional agenda of several organizations.
Nevertheless, future decrees may impact its effectiveness and change its objectives.
Furthermore some shortcomings in the new legal framework can already be identified. It is to be feared that the priority order between accessible conventional services and specialized services may be reversed at a local level. Juxtaposed implementations in a same area without coordination and a differentiated implementation throughout the national territory are foreseeable. There are also structural forces such as financial and economic constraints which challenge the legitimacy of the new law.
Several tools for local actors should be set on the research agenda to avoid some of these likely outcomes.
Admittedly the new law benefits from a favorable context. Indeed, people with disabilities no longer accept to have a special treatment. Furthermore, many technical solutions have already been developped. Lastly, the accessibility issue is now set on the institutional agenda of several organizations.
Nevertheless, future decrees may impact its effectiveness and change its objectives.
Furthermore some shortcomings in the new legal framework can already be identified. It is to be feared that the priority order between accessible conventional services and specialized services may be reversed at a local level. Juxtaposed implementations in a same area without coordination and a differentiated implementation throughout the national territory are foreseeable. There are also structural forces such as financial and economic constraints which challenge the legitimacy of the new law.
Several tools for local actors should be set on the research agenda to avoid some of these likely outcomes.
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
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