Brussels, 14/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - "Accessibility for all” is the theme of the workshop in Brussels on 14 October. The workshop will be chaired by Commissioner Erkki Liikanen. This workshop will focus on the role of a strategic programme essential to enable people with disabilities both to access goods and public services. Participants also examined the progress of European policies to increase access, for example by the amendment of directives on goods and services, speciffically with this goal. They also examined the potential of new technologies, such as voice access to the web for blind people.
A press statement relased by the spokesperson explained that People with disabilities make up about 20% of Europe's total population today. Within this part of the population about 45% of citizens over 75 years old are impaired in their daily activities, and this proportion is rising in line with life expectancy. Info: (http: //http://www.cordis.lu/ist/so/einclusion ).