The Swedish Thalidomide Society, NGO, has studied the content of the proposal for.........
Förslöv 2011-05-25
EDF
Square de Meeûs 35
1000 BRUSSELS
The Swedish Thalidomide Society NGO
FfdN, Red Cross hospital
Box 7023
S – 170 07 SOLNA
Regarding: Proposal for a European mobility card
The Swedish Thalidomide Society, NGO, has studied the content of the proposal for a European mobility card. We hold the opinion that the proposal is
not in the best interest for people with disabilities in Europe.
It would be impracticable to bring together the different legislations of the member states. It would take enormous administrative funds and work, to establish an organization that could administrate such a system. The benefits of such a card would not fall up to the cost.
In Sweden, the legislation regarding benefits for people with disabilities differs a lot between even different regions. A person living in Stockholm does not automatically have the same rights as a person living in Gothenburg. Different regions – different rules. It would be impossible to make the Swedish regions apply the same rules all over the country. It would be even more impossible to convince 27 countries to apply the same rules.
A mobility card could be perceived as an intrusion of the privacy. The Swedish thalidomide society sees a risk that people with disabilities could experience it as offensive to be forced to prove their disability by showing such a card for example, in a bus queue, especially in front of a lot of strangers.
The Swedish thalidomide society NGO strongly emphasize that there are much more important and realistic work to concentrate on. From our point of view, Accessibility and introduction of non-discrimination legislation all over Europe is far more important and cost-efficient.
We would also like to emphasize that the time given to answer this referral was inadequate
.
Best regards
Mr. Björn Håkansson
President