Life in France as a disabled person is, at least, difficult.
Access, services, employment and independence are all things that are taken for granted in everyday life but for the disabled they are almost exclusively denied.
Banks that have no disabled access, lack of disabled parking spaces, few shopping trolleys that attach to wheelchairs, restricted checkouts in supermarkets and the lack of dropped kerbs are just a few obstacles that make life for the disabled frustrating and humiliating.
Eric Taffoureau-Millet has first hand experience of the problems disabled people face, being the victim of a cycling accident at the age of 17 which left him in a coma. Two further accidents compounded the problems he faced. As a previous top class cyclist he knew that he had to move on and his change of direction empowered him to take up the fight.
A former music producer, musician and biographer from Burgundy, he lived in London for 11 years and was the founder of Valotte Records International record label where he worked with some of the biggest names in the music business.
At the age of 30 he stood for the Burgundy municipal elections, under the banner of Attention! Handicap he stood as a candidate in the 2002 Presidential elections and as a campaigner for the 2005 referendum on the European Constitution Treaty. In 2007 he is a candidate for the Presidential elections.
Why, you might ask, do disabled people need a party to fight specifically on their behalf when there are existing parties who could put into place the laws to improve their quality of life?
M Taffoureau-Millet said, "I looked at the existing parties’ record regarding their policies for disabled people and felt that I was not able to join those that marginalised disabled people."
"Laws have been in place since 1995 to improve life for disabled people and the 2004 European Law decreed areas accessed by the public had to be made ‘disabled friendly’ but this has been almost totally ignored by the French government who have given those responsible 10 years to make these changes. It is this indifference that prompted me to put myself forward to take up the fight and tackle the government on behalf of disabled people in France because, unless you are in politics, you have no other way of expressing your views."
Being neither left or right wing he says, ‘humanists are not left or right wing and prefer to work from the centre. The cause of disability is marginal and Attention! Handicap can change the result even if they are not in the first round.’
As part of his electoral campaign M. Taffoureau-Millet has given television and radio interviews both regionally and nationally to highlight the responsibilities of politicians.
He is concerned that the Government are not concerned about the plight of disabled people. Although businesses are supposed to have a percentage of disabled people amongst their workforce it is estimated that 45% of employers prefer to pay a fine rather than employ a disabled person. That equals 1 in 4 of the disabled population. Of those who are in employment 8% work in low paid jobs and those most vulnerable are the under 25s.
As well as being a political party Atention! Handicap gives advice to the disabled on benefit claims, writes letters on their behalf to organisations like COTOREP, (Commission Technique d'Orientation et de Reclassement Professionel) who classify disability. COTOREP comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministère de la Santé et des Solidarités and is delegated to the Sécurité sociale. Part of their responsibility is to determine whether the person’s everyday life or working life would be affected by their disability.
COTOREP determine the degree of disability, rent allowance, the award of a disability card and the amount of disability benefit.
'When someone has a problem with COTOREP and make a complaint,’ he tells me, ’you only get to see the same people. There is no independent review.’
'We give advice on a wide range of issues concerning disability but we are not allowed to give advice on sexual matters to young disabled people.’
M. Taffoureau-Millet has produced a book ‘Le Livre Blanc du Droit des Handicapés en France’, which has a potted history on the back of the book; but the inside is empty!
‘This is a joke,’ he says. ‘It reflects the way people have tried to stop me from voicing my opinions.’
To stand in the first round Attention! Handicap require the necessary 500 signatures from the mayors and deputy mayors throughout France which is their present priority in order that disabled people can gain their legitimate place in society. Letters from the party are being sent to mairies all over France to obtain the necessary support for the first round.
In order that the party can continue to function and operate funds are vital. They have been fortunate enough to have received donations of prestigious football and professional cycling shirts by Pele, Cantonna, Rocheteau, Overmars, Zico, the yellow jersey for the Tour de France and premier teams to finance their operations.
Eric Taffoureau-Millet still has entrepreneurial designs and, with existing connexions in Great Britain, would like to enter the fashion industry. But, this he explains, is for the future and for the next few months he will be concentrating on the campaign for the Presidential election championing the cause for those who are unable to fight for themselves.
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We are from the "Planet of the Blind" (in the U.S.) and well, Eric Taffoureau-Millet, you'd have our votes for sure! If only...
Posted by: Connie & Steve | 03 May 2007 at 16:37