INACCESSIBILITY IS DISCRIMINATION!

The March for Accessibility (the demonstration) will be held for the 6th time on Saturday May 24th in Stockholm, for the second time in Askersund and Göteborg and for the first time in Jönköping, Karlskoga, Ljusdal, Malmö and Norrköping. More cities to follow.

Times: Gathering 13.00 (1 pm), marching time 14.00 (2 pm), the march takes about 1 hour

1: What is the background of the march?
The background of the march lies in the American disability advocacy group ADAPT's "Free Our People March" in 2003, an event aimed at enacting the MiCASSA - an equivalent of the Swedish laws granting people with disabilities the right to attendant cares. Compared to Sweden, the US does not lack an anti-discrimination law (ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)).

2: Why is a law that defines inaccessability as discrimination necessary?
Theoretically, everyone agrees on a society accessible for everybody, but there is a giant gap between intention and reality. Media and public opinion, as well as politicians and other policymakers, have to be made conscious of the seriousness of the situation in Sweden. Everyone must be able to cross a street or to visit websites, to go see a movie or eat out with his/her spouse, children, parents, friend and so on - in short: everyone must be able to live their lives just like everybody else, no matter if they have a disability or not.

In Sweden, there is already strong legislature intended to make society accessible. The problem is that the present laws are not followed. Some laws were enacted several decades ago. For instance, a law on making public transportation accessible was enacted 1979, but not much has happened since then. Why? Swedish legislation lacks means of sanctioning. If a public transit company doesn’t make their buses accessible with lifts (for instance for people who use wheelchairs) or loud-speaker exclamations (for instance for people with reading disabilities or visual impairments), the company won’t face any punishment whatsoever. The only effect it will have is some possible bad PR within the disability movement. According to law, inaccessibility in Sweden is not defined as discrimination. It has to be! An antidiscrimination act that defines inaccessibility as discrimination would link the inaccessibility on an individual level. Individuals are affected by the inaccessibility. Thus, it is there the means to intervene against the companies, shops, communities, ministries and so on that won’t follow the legislation has to be.

In several other western countries, laws that prohibit companies, authorities and "communities" from having inaccessible enterprises exist. Some examples are:

USA - Americans with Disabilities Act - shortened ADA (1990)
Australia - Disability Discrimination Act - shortened DDA (1992)
Great Britain - Disabilitity Discrimination Act - shortened DDA (1995)
South Africa - The Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act - shortened PEPUDA or Equality Act (2000)

In Sweden, an investigation about if something similar should be implemented is in process. Since July 1st 2003, there is a general Swedish antidiscrimination act which protects from discrimination due to ethnic heritance, religion or other beliefs, sexual preference and - disability. Still, inaccessibility is not defined as a basis for discrimination. We believe it should be a matter of course in Swedish legislation.

3: What is The March for Accesibility?
"Marschen för tillgänglighet" is Swedish and translates The March for Accessibility. It is an organisation advocating the enactmentent of a law into Swedish legislation, which defines inaccessibility as discrimination of people with disabilities. While Sweden does recognize the need for attendants for people with disabilities, inaccessibility remains a serious issue in contemporary Swedish society

Every year, we organize a demonstration in support of our cause in central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The demonstration bears the same name as our organiztion. The first march (i.e. demonstration) was held August 16th 2003. About 600 persons marched 5 km (about 3 miles) from Wenner-Gren Center (Norrtull) to Mynttorget (The Parliament building) in central Stockholm.

The second March for Accessibility was held August 21st 2004, with the same march route.

The third March for Accessibility was held August 20th 2005. The route was the same as the previous years.

The fourth March for Accessibility was held May 20th 2006. The route was shortened to go from Observatorielunden (Sveavägen 67) to Mynttorget.

The fifth March for Accessibility 2007 (the demonstration) was held on Saturday June 2nd in Stockholm, and for the 1st time in Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Askersund.

4: Who support us?
More than 120 organizations and companies, representing over 610 000 people (Sweden's population is 9 million), support us.

5: What can I do to help?
As an individual, you can sign our petition

The March for Accessibility (the demonstration) will be held for the 6th time on Saturday May 24th in Stockholm, for the second time in Askersund and Göteborg and for the first time in Jönköping, Karlskoga, Ljusdal, Malmö and Norrköping. More cities to follow.

Times: Gathering 13.00 (1 pm), marching time 14.00 (2 pm), the march takes about 1 hour

1: What is the background of the march?
The background of the march lies in the American disability advocacy group ADAPT's "Free Our People March" in 2003, an event aimed at enacting the MiCASSA - an equivalent of the Swedish laws granting people with disabilities the right to attendant cares. Compared to Sweden, the US does not lack an anti-discrimination law (ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)).

2: Why is a law that defines inaccessability as discrimination necessary?
Theoretically, everyone agrees on a society accessible for everybody, but there is a giant gap between intention and reality. Media and public opinion, as well as politicians and other policymakers, have to be made conscious of the seriousness of the situation in Sweden. Everyone must be able to cross a street or to visit websites, to go see a movie or eat out with his/her spouse, children, parents, friend and so on - in short: everyone must be able to live their lives just like everybody else, no matter if they have a disability or not.

In Sweden, there is already strong legislature intended to make society accessible. The problem is that the present laws are not followed. Some laws were enacted several decades ago. For instance, a law on making public transportation accessible was enacted 1979, but not much has happened since then. Why? Swedish legislation lacks means of sanctioning. If a public transit company doesn’t make their buses accessible with lifts (for instance for people who use wheelchairs) or loud-speaker exclamations (for instance for people with reading disabilities or visual impairments), the company won’t face any punishment whatsoever. The only effect it will have is some possible bad PR within the disability movement. According to law, inaccessibility in Sweden is not defined as discrimination. It has to be! An antidiscrimination act that defines inaccessibility as discrimination would link the inaccessibility on an individual level. Individuals are affected by the inaccessibility. Thus, it is there the means to intervene against the companies, shops, communities, ministries and so on that won’t follow the legislation has to be.

In several other western countries, laws that prohibit companies, authorities and "communities" from having inaccessible enterprises exist. Some examples are:

USA - Americans with Disabilities Act - shortened ADA (1990)
Australia - Disability Discrimination Act - shortened DDA (1992)
Great Britain - Disabilitity Discrimination Act - shortened DDA (1995)
South Africa - The Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act - shortened PEPUDA or Equality Act (2000)

In Sweden, an investigation about if something similar should be implemented is in process. Since July 1st 2003, there is a general Swedish antidiscrimination act which protects from discrimination due to ethnic heritance, religion or other beliefs, sexual preference and - disability. Still, inaccessibility is not defined as a basis for discrimination. We believe it should be a matter of course in Swedish legislation.

3: What is The March for Accesibility?
"Marschen för tillgänglighet" is Swedish and translates The March for Accessibility. It is an organisation advocating the enactmentent of a law into Swedish legislation, which defines inaccessibility as discrimination of people with disabilities. While Sweden does recognize the need for attendants for people with disabilities, inaccessibility remains a serious issue in contemporary Swedish society

Every year, we organize a demonstration in support of our cause in central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The demonstration bears the same name as our organiztion. The first march (i.e. demonstration) was held August 16th 2003. About 600 persons marched 5 km (about 3 miles) from Wenner-Gren Center (Norrtull) to Mynttorget (The Parliament building) in central Stockholm.

The second March for Accessibility was held August 21st 2004, with the same march route.

The third March for Accessibility was held August 20th 2005. The route was the same as the previous years.

The fourth March for Accessibility was held May 20th 2006. The route was shortened to go from Observatorielunden (Sveavägen 67) to Mynttorget.

The fifth March for Accessibility 2007 (the demonstration) was held on Saturday June 2nd in Stockholm, and for the 1st time in Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Askersund.

4: Who support us?
More than 120 organizations and companies, representing over 610 000 people (Sweden's population is 9 million), support us.

5: What can I do to help?
As an individual, you can sign our petition and also tell your friends to support us.

08.04.2008