Estonia plans EU disability cards for cross-border benefits

Estonia plans to introduce the European Disability Card and European Disability Parking Card in about 18 months, allowing people with disabilities to access benefits in other EU countries, ERR reports.

At present, proving a disability abroad can be difficult because documents may be issued only in the language of the country that provided them. Social Affairs Ministry Deputy Secretary General Hanna Vseviov said institutions also have no direct obligation to extend benefits offered to their own citizens to people with disabilities from other countries.

The cards will follow common EU standards. An Estonian cardholder travelling to Germany, for example, would be able to use the museum or transport discounts available to people with disabilities there. The same principle would apply to visitors from other EU countries, including Latvian cardholders in Estonia.

The changes will also expand benefits in Estonia. Adults with severe visual impairments and their companions will be able to visit state-owned museums, a measure expected to affect about 5,000 people. Companions of children with profound disabilities will also become eligible for free public transport.