As of January 1st 2006 Dutch law prohibits discrimination against people
with disabilities. It has also become illegal to incite others to hate or
violence against disabled people. The law applies to physical, intellectual
and psychological disabilities. The new law also states that public
buildings, businesses and services need to accessible.
It remains to be seen what the effect of this law will be because there are
some loopholes. According to the law claims have to be 'reasonable'. For
example: making a shop wheelchair accessible should not result in a
'disproportionate burden' for the owner. What is and is not reasonable or
disproportionate has not been defined, it will have to be determined by a
judge. Unfortunately, in a society in which a week ago it was,
hypothetically speaking, not illegal to go on national television and say
things like 'all disabled people ought to be killed because they form a
burden for our economy', there is no telling how big or small a burden will
be judged to be disproportionate.
Seeing is believing.
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