The European Concept For Accessibility 2003

2.1.3 Demographic Diversity

Any analysis of Europe's population according to the parameters of age, immigration and disability will readily conclude that it tends towards cultural and functional diversity: Therefore, there is a need to create environments which are accessible to all, irrespective of their ability or cultural background.

If this is not achieved, then the future will see the active sector of the population – which even the most optimistic predictions estimate as being less than 50% by the year 2050 – having to carry the whole social burden: that is to say, this sector will not only have to produce for the rest of society but will also have to make up for the lack of accessibility in our environment (for example, people with reduced mobility who cannot get around unaccompanied, adults of working age who can't work because the environment is not adapted to their disability, children who go without schooling because they are unable to access the building or because educational material is not adapted to their needs, urban centres that are overpopulated as a result of poor communication networks, districts or sectors of the population that are marginalized or poor because they are unable to access new technology, families who are not integrated into society due to their culture, language or beliefs).

The factors which are making Europe's population increasingly diverse are quality of life, immigration, birth rate and civil rights:
1. A better quality of life enables us to live longer. Considered in isolation this may seem to be a disadvantage for the future, in that for society as we know it an ageing population implies an extra burden for both the State and for families. However, improved quality of life means that a large number of people over 65 are in good health and continue to show vitality. Therefore, if environments are built with diversity in mind these people will go on being independent and offer an important service to society (they are knowledgeable, they have many years of experience, time, and above all they have the desire to go on being useful and the need to still be themselves). According to the population age pyramid of the European Union, 13.77% of the population in 1995 was over 65 and, as the illustrations show, this percentage increases progressively until, in the year 2050, the pyramid almost totally loses its shape: over 40% of the population will be over 65 and only 22% will be under 20.

2. Immigration: although, as the illustration shows, the number of immigrants varies considerably from one country to another, current trends concerning the need for workers and territorial imbalances are producing a rapid rise in immigration in all countries.

Although this is a new phenomenon in some European countries, we should not forget that in others it began a long time ago. So, we find people and families of different cultures who are part of the population of that country (many were born there).

Thus, when creating environments, it should be remembered that Europe's population is tending towards cultural globalisation and, therefore, All towns, cities And countries have to set up mechanisms which enable the integration of any person, regardless of culture or background, who should come to form part of the population and share the same opportunities and rights.

3. The individual need to develop all our personal abilities and the wish to provide our children with all the necessary elements for their own successful development (school, out-of-school activities, technology, etc.) have a direct effect upon the birth rate (nowadays, few couples plan on having two or more children).

4.Recognising that everybody, irrespective of their abilities or cultural background, has civil rights is to accept that problems interacting with the environment make someone less of a person.

Therefore, it also means accepting that individuals with such problems have the same rights and must have the same opportunities as the rest of the population: this is what accepting diversity is about.

In summary, population diversity is the result of people living alongside one another: all of us have the right to a dignified life.

As a way of bringing this section to a close we believe it would be worthwhile considering some data which illustrate the diversity of Europe's population in 1995: (*) -13.77% of people over 65 -17.90% of people under 14 -15.80% of people with some form of officially recognised disability 47.47% of people with problems interacting with the environment

If, to this 47.47%, we add immigrants, pregnant women, people with some form of temporary injury or those who are responsible for looking after a baby, the figure would rise to more than 100%, as some people have more than one problem of interaction with the environment. Moreover, it should be remembered that by the year 2050 people over 65 will make up 40% of the population. Thus, the choice is clear: either we create environments for all or, in the future, few people will be able to make use of them.

(*) Eurostat 1996