The Internal Market and Disability Accessibility: Using EC Law to Establish an Internal Market in Disability Accessible Goods and Services

Abstract

In order to access and benefit from goods and services, individuals with a disability have a variety of specific needs, ranging from accessible written information, to standard products and services which have disability accessibility features built into them. In light thereof, this article focuses on the impact which the internal market has had, and could potentially have, on ensuring an EU wide market in products and services which are accessible to consumers with a disability. The central question examined is, do the rules relating to free movement of goods and services and Community wide harmonisation measures allow for, or discourage, the establishment of mandatory disability accessibility standards at the national or EU level, and have they been used to permit or establish such standards to date?

Keywords: EC law, internal market, disability, disability accessibility, disability discrimination, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

JEL Classification: K33