Slow progress for disabled access

Report finds at least 85% of buildings have yet to make accessibility changes, with five years to go until deadline

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DISABLED people are still unable to access the majority of public buildings in France, five years after a law on accessibility was passed.

According to research by the Association pour Adultes et Jeunes Handicapés, somewhere between 5% and 15% of official buildings have made the necessary changes so far.

The group's report is based on visits to more than 12,000 town halls, libraries, courts, tax offices and other public buildings covered by the law.

The findings come halfway between the date the law was passed - February 2005 - and the 2015 deadline by which every public building must be fully accessible.

The law requires disabled access, such as wheelchair ramps, in 330,000 buildings owned by the State or local councils, regardless of the building's age.

APAJH estimates that €20bn of work still needs to be done.

Photo: Gina Sanders - Fotolia

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