Disability group to sue French state over accessibility failures
Systemic failures in enforcing accessibility laws prompted APF France handicap to take legal action
Less than half of France’s two million public establishments comply with accessibility standards
Raul Mellado Ortiz/Shutterstock.
The disability rights group APF France handicap is suing the French state over what it describes as systemic failures in enforcing accessibility laws, starting with legal action against six prefectures in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
The case follows long-standing concerns that, despite legislation requiring buildings and transport systems to be accessible to people with disabilities since 2005, implementation remains incomplete.
According to estimates cited by Franceinfo, less than half of France’s two million public establishments comply with accessibility standards.
Under the law, financial penalties can be applied in cases of non-compliance, but enforcement has remained limited.
“The law has existed for over 50 years. For over 50 years, it has not been enforced. We can no longer accept that accessibility relies solely on goodwill. It is a right, and a right must be respected.” said Pascale Ribes, president of APF France handicap.
When referring to “over 50 years”, the association is not speaking solely about the 2005 legislation, but about the broader legal framework on accessibility, which began with the 1975 law on disability rights, was reinforced by the 2005 law on equal rights and opportunities, and further developed by later reforms, including measures in 2014. Despite these successive laws, APF France handicap argues that implementation has repeatedly failed.
“Lack of accessibility constitutes discrimination. Lack of information makes it worse. The action undertaken in the Centre-Val de Loire region aims to strengthen the effectiveness of the right to accessibility; the time for sanctions has come!” she added.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Merille, national accessibility adviser at APF France handicap, told France Inter that authorities often justify inaction by citing lack of resources:
“We get absolutely astounding answers, saying ‘we don’t have the means for our missions, so we don’t do them’,” he said.
The association is demanding that the State Secretariat for Universal Accessibility take responsibility for ensuring compliance.
It is also calling for a parliamentary commission of inquiry into long-standing failures in accessibility policy, and for the reopening of the territorial accessibility fund, alongside improved communication with affected individuals.
Finally, APF France handicap has initiated legal proceedings seeking greater transparency, including access to prefectural reports on accessibility compliance.
People with disabilities in France may be eligible for a range of financial support depending on their age, level of disability, and income.
This can include assistance for adapting housing, as well as other forms of support assessed through the local Maison départementale des personnes handicapées (MDPH), which evaluates individual needs and coordinates access to available benefits and services.
