© RTL
An awareness day on Luxembourg City's Place Guillaume II highlighted the daily challenges faced by people with disabilities, with politicians and advocates stressing the urgent need to remove barriers in areas ranging from infrastructure to healthcare and justice.
Among the participants was Carine Nickels, president of the Association of Road Accident Victims (AVR) and a member of the Info Handicap committee. Her life changed completely in 2012 after a serious traffic accident left her paralysed from the chest down and reliant on an electric wheelchair.
RTL accompanied her through the city, gaining a first-hand impression of the obstacles and challenges people with specific needs still face. While progress has been made in Luxembourg, particularly thanks to the Law on Accessibility of 2022, Nickels explained that major shortcomings remain in certain areas.
Mobility and Public Works Minister Yuriko Backes, Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together, and Reception of Refugees Max Hahn, as well as Luxembourg City's alderwoman for integration Corinne Cahen all attended the event. They underlined that barriers must continue to be removed at different levels and stressed the importance of raising public awareness so that society better understands and accepts why certain political decisions are necessary to ensure accessibility and inclusion.
Christine Zimmer, director of Info Handicap, also emphasised that while steps have been taken, much remains to be done in the healthcare sector, in the justice system, and in other key areas of everyday life.
