The European Commission is currently consulting citizens to find out what they think about what a future EU Accessibility Act should cover.
The future legislation is meant to ensure that goods and services are accessible to citizens with disabilities.
At present UK law does not provide sufficient guarantees for disabled people. For example, there is no obligation on manufacturers to design accessible washing machines, kitchen appliances, mobile phones, etc.
Starting the process of legislation
The gaps in UK law could be addressed by EU legislation. In September 2012 the EU commission is expected to produce a proposal for an EU Accessibility Act, however they first wanted to get a feel for what this should look like. Over February 2012 the EU therefore consulted its citizens to get a better understanding of the barriers that they face.
We responded to the consultation, and you can see what we had to say here: