The most important objective of the Accessibility Plus Programme is to effectively remove the barriers faced by people with disabilities, the elderly, people with special needs, so that they can function independently and participate in the social life on an equal footing with others. The Accessibility Plus programme is working and has resulted in changes to thousands of buildings, public places or public transport. We are consistently removing barriers in law and public space that make it difficult for older people and persons with disabilities to integrate fully with the society. The programme also supports pregnant women and parents,

said the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Grzegorz Puda.

The Accessibility Plus programme is the first such comprehensive coverage of accessibility issues in Poland. Its aim is to ensure free access to goods, services and opportunities to participate in the social and public life for people with special needs.

The programme comprises more than 100 ongoing and another 100 of completed initiatives involving funds worth PLN 16.7 billion. These are the estimated costs of investments that increase accessibility in our surroundings. The European funds are helping us to remove architectural, digital and communication and information barriers. Domestic public funds are also a source of funding for the projects,

added Deputy Minister, Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak.

Accessibility Plus Programme – summary

The programme supports eight areas: architecture, transport, education, healthcare, digitalisation, services, competitiveness and coordination.

Systemic changes, introduced mainly through new legislative solutions play a key role in the implementation of the Accessibility Plus Programme. These include two effective acts of law on ensuring accessibility. They will soon be joined by another act of law on the accessibility of certain products and services, said the Deputy Minister during a debate summarising the operation of the programme.

Accessibility issues have been addressed in the amendment of a number of other legislative acts incorporating accessibility into various public policies, including the Construction Law. It is a process that we are constantly developing. With the new legislation, we have put in place a number of mechanisms that guarantee greater care and attention to the subject of accessibility in the public sphere and provide opportunities to popularise the subject beyond it. We can therefore already speak today of a sustainable scheme of systemic support for accessibility.

The Accessibility Council is in place, which initiates and issues its opinions on initiatives taken by the Ministry related to improving accessibility provision. The Partnership for Accessibility brings together representatives from different backgrounds who are actively working to develop accessibility.

Five years into the programme, more than 70 railway stations have already been modernised and 650 new or rebuilt railway platforms are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

It also includes the purchase of nearly 1000 buses, trams and train carriages adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities, as well as door-to-door personal transport services in more than 170 municipalities.

For the past five years, we have also been taking steps to make education more accessible. Schools are improving their facilities in many dimensions - architectural, educational and social, organisational and technical. We co-finance investments and purchases that will improve the architectural accessibility of buildings, transport, equipment and teaching aids. Teachers and professionals supporting students with special educational needs benefit from the training.

Through the programme, barriers to access to higher education are also eliminated, by supporting organisational change and raising awareness and competence of university staff in the area of accessibility. By integrating universal design into the curriculum, new staff for accessibility is developed in many fields of study.

Supported by funds from the dedicated Accessibility Fund, 92 investments have been implemented, with 72 lifts replaced and 68 new lifts installed in blocks of flats and offices. Grants have been awarded to 847 local governments to improve accessibility. More than 2000 employees of architectural and building services have been trained in accessibility and numerous cultural and sports facilities have been upgraded to meet the needs of persons with disabilities.

Initiatives to improve accessibility are also implemented in healthcare. So far, 234 PHC establishments and 73 hospitals all over Poland have received support. In addition, their staff is trained in effective communication with people with special needs, including seniors. To date, 1064 employees of PHC units and hospitals have been trained. Thanks to various projects, 404 thousand people - mainly seniors and persons with disabilities - have already benefited from assistance in the form of social and health services (e.g. carers, assistants, counsellors). Sixteen mental health centres have also been set up to support people in mental health crisis in their local community, without the need for hospitalisation.

Accessibility in business - opportunities and challenges

The second day of the conference will focus on business, including the European Accessibility Act (EAA). We will discuss the opportunities and challenges of accessibility in this area and the economic value of accessibility. The topic will be presented by guest speakers - representatives of Polish and international organisations and entrepreneurs.

The EAA provides a comprehensive guide to accessibility. It will help companies to create better products and services and provide opportunity and convenience to all consumers.

Accessibility will refer to the most common products and services, essential for persons with disabilities and special needs to live freely and as independently as possible. These include computers, smartphones, e-books, in-store payment terminals, ATMs, self-service check-in facilities, retail banking services, e-commerce or digital information in passenger transport.