New accessibility requirement proposed for Lithuanian MPs’ offices

Lithuanian lawmakers have backed amendments to the Seimas statute that would require municipal offices assigned to MPs to be accessible to people with disabilities, LRT reports.

The proposal, initiated by opposition MP Arvydas Anušauskas of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), aims to ensure people with disabilities can independently access parliamentary offices. It was supported by 100 MPs in a preliminary vote on Tuesday, with no objections and one abstention. The draft still needs final approval in the Seimas.

Under the proposed changes, offices allocated to MPs must be accessible to people with disabilities, allowing them to enter independently. If technical limitations prevent this, alternative accessible spaces nearby must be provided for meetings with the MP.

Anušauskas argued that the current lack of accessibility restricts the ability of people with disabilities to fully participate in political life. The new regulation would strengthen their equal rights, he said, and is set to take effect on 1 July 2027.

Lithuanian law already requires equal conditions for people with disabilities to participate in public and political life. However, the current Seimas statute only obliges municipalities to provide free offices for MPs to meet constituents and set up offices, without specifying accessibility requirements.