Council Resolution of 6 May 2003 on accessibility of cultural infrastructure and cultural activities for people with disabilities
Date: 2003-05-06
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: anti-discriminatory measure, cultural event, disabled person, discrimination based on disability, facilities for people with disabilities, integration of people with disabilities

7.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 134/7

(iii) encourage the accessibility of all public websites covering
guidance, education and vocational
to
persons with disabilities by respecting the web accessi-
bilities guidelines;

training [. . .]

(iv) increase, where appropriate, adequate support of services
and technical assistance to pupils and students with
special education and training needs;

(v) facilitate further proper

information and guidance in
order to allow disabled people themselves or, if necessary,
their parents or other responsible persons involved in
choosing the appropriate type of education;

(vi) continue and, if necessary, increase the efforts aiming at
the initial and in-service training of teachers in the area of
special needs, with a view, in particular, to the provision
of appropriate pedagogical techniques and materials;

(vii) promote European cooperation between the relevant
actors professionally involved in the education and
training of children and young people with disabilities,
in order to improve the integration of pupils and students
specialised estab-
in ordinary or
with special needs
lishments;

(viii) enhance sharing information and experiences on these
matters at European level, involving, as appropriate, the
European organisations and networks with relevant
experience in this field such as the European Agency
for Development in Special Needs Education;

(ix) provide, where appropriate,
tunities and resources
school to employment.

facilities,

training oppor-
regarding the transition from

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 6 May 2003

on accessibility of cultural infrastructure and cultural activities for people with disabilities

(2003/C 134/05)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

1. NOTING that

establishing

the Treaty

European
Community gives the Community the opportunity to take
appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex,
racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or
sexual orientation;

the

2. RECALLING the Council Decision of 3 December 2001 on
the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 (1);

3. RECALLING also:

the Governments of

— the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives
of
the Member States meeting
within the Council of 20 December 1996 on equality
of opportunity for people with disabilities (2),

— the communication from the European Commission in
2000 — ‘Towards a barrier-free Europe for people with
disabilities’ (3),

(1) OJ L 335, 19.12.2001.
(2) OJ C 12, 13.1.1997.
(3) Doc. 8557/00, COM(2000) 284 final.

— the Council Resolution of 6 February 2003 on eAccessi-
bility — improving the access of people with disabilities
to the knowledge based Society (4);

4. STRESSING that in the European Union there is a significant
number of people with disabilities who face physical, social
and information barriers
to their cultural and artistic
expression and accordingly their access to the cultural
heritage and artistic creation is restricted;

5. NOTING that

the United Nations Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities,
adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December
1993, specifically refers in its rule 10 to the responsibilities
of States in ensuring that ‘persons with disabilities are inte-
grated into and can participate in cultural activities on equal
basis’, and especially to their responsibilities in promoting
‘the accessibility to and availability of places for cultural
performances and services,
such as theatres, museums,
cinemas and libraries’ and in initiating ‘the development
and use of
to make literature,
films and theatre accessible’ to persons with disabilities;

technical arrangements

(4) OJ C 39, 18.2.2003.

C 134/8

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Official Journal of the European Union

7.6.2003

6. NOTING the initiatives in Member States and at Community
to ensure that people with disabilities have better

level
access to culture;

7. NOTING, however, the need for further, appropriate prac-
access of persons with
infrastructure and cultural activities

to improve

ticable measures
disabilities to cultural
and to the media,

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, WITHIN
THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPETENCIES, TO:

(i) examine ways to integrate people with disabilities into the
arts and cultural sectors and to support equality of oppor-
tunity in the production and promotion of their work;

(ii) encourage the culture sector, to contribute to promoting a

positive image of people with disabilities;

(iii) continue efforts to eliminate existing barriers and examine
further appropriate ways and means to facilitate and
improve the access of people with disabilities to culture,
including:

protection of monuments, to places such as archae-
ological sites, museums, monuments and places of
cultural activities, as well as assuring physical access
to buildings that will be constructed in the future,

— providing information via modern information tech-

nology,

— enhancing access to cultural activities through e.g.
subtitled performances, use of easy-to-read and sign
language, guides and catalogues in Braille, use of
contrasts of light in exhibitions;

(iv) encourage the improvement of accessibility by using
appropriate signage, for example by different logos;

(v) enhance sharing information and experiences on these
matters at the European level,
involving, as appropriate,
the European organisations and networks with relevant
experience in this field.

— evaluating and improving physical access, without
prejudice to Member States regulations concerning

AGREES that the Council, by the end of 2005, should take stock
of the follow-up of the measures to implement the present
resolution.