The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a report on the protection of people with disabilities by an overwhelming 84.7% majority.
Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba was the rapporteur and S&D spokesperson.
Commenting on the vote, Agius Saliba said it was an honour for him to work on the report, which aimed to continue strengthening awareness and promoting equal rights and opportunities in the EU for people with disabilities.
With up to a quarter of EU citizens declaring some degree of impairment or disability, far too many people still face barriers to education, travelling to other EU countries or finding work, he said.
The report calls on the European Commission and member states to implement initiatives aimed at ensuring that they are in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
It calls for a common definition for mutual recognition of the disability status between EU states, a crucial instrument to help persons with disabilities exercise their right to free movement in a barrier-free Europe.
It also calls on member states that have not yet ratified the optional protocol to the CRPD to do so without delay.
This provides a forum to communicate alleged violations of the provisions of the convention by a state party and allows the CRPD committee to initiate confidential inquiries.
The report calls on the European Parliament to ensure that its website is accessible to people with disabilities, in line with the leading by example policy.
It should also allow the tabling of petitions in international and national sign languages used in the EU and make the fundamental right to petition more accessible for sign language users.
"The European Union has a duty to respond to its citizens’ concerns and improve the lives of people with disabilities in a barrier-free Europe.
"This is fundamental to achieve social and economic inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in society, free from discrimination and in full respect of their rights on an equal basis with others,” Agius Saliba said.