For a developed
country in Western Europe, Belgium has a distinct
lack of access for disabled people. The various
tiers of federal government, coupled with
the age of many of the buildings and the language
and culture barriers between the various communities
make effective legislation difficult to implement.
The situation is improving, but people with
severe mobility problems and wheelchair users
would be well advised to do some research
in advance to make their visit as problem-free
as possible.
Accommodation
Most
quality hotels will have some degree of accessibility.
The more restricted your budget is, the smaller
your choice will be. To find suitable accommodation,
the following contacts may be useful:
www.toevla.be
- accessible accommodation in Flanders. At
the time of writing, some features of this
site didn't work in English.
www.waeurope.com - wheelchair accessible accommodation
in Europe.
www.access-able.com - a database with accessible
accommodation worldwide, including a few entries
from Belgium.
www.eurocampings.co.uk - this site can be
searched by filtering for disabled-friendly
establishments.
Public buildings and attractions
By Western
European standards, access to public buildings
like libraries, banks and post offices is
often poor. Many buildings are old, making
adaptations difficult and costly, and what
legislation there is, is not strictly adhered
to. Attractions like museums and zoos are
generally better, with reduced tariffs for
disabled people and an assistant will often
enter free of charge. Restaurants and shops
often have at least one step at the entrance
and rarely have an accessible toilet.
Transport
-
By
Air - Zaventem (Brussels) and Charleroi
airports are fully accessible and have
toilet facilities for disabled people.
For entering and exiting the aircraft,
assistance services with equipment are
also present, although those at Zaventem
are more efficient and professional.
- By Rail -
Not all stations are wheelchair accessible
and not all trains have disabled toilets.
Assistance can be arranged at stations, but
to be guaranteed of receiving it you need
to book it at least 24 hours in advance. To
do this, phone 02 5282828 and follow the English
language options until you're put through
to disability assistance. Be sure to turn
up early and make yourself known to staff
to give them time to organise your entry.
In order for your personal assistant to travel
free, you need to be in possession of a 'Begeleider
kaart'. Unfortunately this card is only available
to residents of Belgium. However, in my experience,
some conductors will turn a blind eye to this
rule if you explain you are a tourist.
- By Road -
buses
Flanders - Gent and some stretches
of the coast have nearly 100% access on buses
and trams. In other regions you need to call
'De Lijn' on the following numbers to ask
about services.
Limburg 011850300
Antwerp 022181494
Oost Vlaanderen 092109494
Vlaams Brabant 016313700
West Vlaanderen 059565256
It is sometimes possible to book an accessible
bus if you know exactly when you want to travel.
For this you need to book at least 24 hours
in advance.
Wallonia - again, some but not all
routes have some accessible buses. Call TEC
on 081322711 for information.
Brussels
- few buses or trams are accessible, and only
a handful of Metro stations are possible for
people with mobility problems, although these
do provide an assistance service. More information
can be obtained on www.pmr.irisnet.be or by
calling 0900/10.310, but unfortunately the
website is only given in English or Dutch
and the telephone number costs €1/minute.
None of the Brussels city tour buses have
accessibility features.
- By Road -
Car & Taxi
The European
'Blue Badge' scheme applies in Belgium, allowing
holders to park in designated spaces. In some
areas, you may also use standard parking spaces
without fee or time limit. If unsure, then
it is worth paying, as authorities do not
hesitate to remove offending cars.
Several
taxi companies run vehicles adapted for wheelchairs.
Taxi Verts
Tel: 02 3494545; fax: 02 3494900; email: dispa(at)taxis.be;
www.taxisverts.be
Taxi Peters
Tel: 089 351495; email: taxi.peters(at)pandora.be;
www.taxipeters.be
Taxi Hendriks,
website: www.hendriks.be
Brussels
Tel: 02 7529800; fax: 02 7529801; email: info.melsbroek(at)hendriks.be
Limburg
Tel: 011 809898; fax 011 649972; email: info(at)hendriks.be
Gent
Tel: 09 2168020; fax: 09 2168021; email: info.gent(at)hendriks.be
Antwerp
Tel: 03 2864440; fax: 03 2864441; email: info.antwerpen(at)hendriks.be
Grâce-Hollogne
APIA
Tel/fax: 04 2504331; email: apia.senior(at)teledisnet.be;
www.lasante.be/apia.htm
Gozée
Chic Service
Tel: 071 515070 or 0800 14334 (free); email:
chicservice(at)skynet.be www.chicservice.com
Dour
Gimido
Tel: 0476 95 41 93 or 0800 91134 (free); fax
: 065 52 17 97; email: ddecastiau(at)hotmail.com
Hainaut
Mobilité Hainaut Sud
Tel: 060 513513
Couillet (Charleroi)
Sympa-tax
Tel. : 071 303033 or 0475 303033 0477 303033;
email: sympatax(at)skynet.be; www.sympatax.be
Health
Although
Belgian healthcare is of a high standard, it
is essential to understand and to be able to
explain your own medical requirements. If flying,
a tip is to take all necessary medication and
equipment with you and pack this in your hand
luggage in case your main luggage gets lost.
Security
As a disabled
person, you are more vulnerable than most tourists.
Stay aware of where your belongings are, especially
during car transfers and similar activities
as the confusion creates easy pickings for an
opportunist thief.
Further
information
Access
Info - a branch of the Flemish Tourist Board.
Tel: 070 233050; fax: 070 233051; email: post(at)accessinfo.be;
www.accessinfo.be
VFG - Flemish organisation
providing support and advice for disabled people.
Tel: 02 5150262; fax: 02 5115076; email: info(at)vfg.be;
www.vfg.be
OPT - General tourist
information about Wallonia & Brussels
Email: info(at)opt.be; www.opt.be
www.brusselvoorallen.be
- a searchable database with information about
disability access in Brussels.
www.toegankelijkbrugge.be- a searchable database
with information about disability access in
Bruges.
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